¡España viene a por todas!
Yes, you read it correctly, Spain is coming strong! We had to open this article in Spanish because it’s appropriate to pay a little homage to the land of flamenco, paella, and serving muchísimo at Eurovision. Their national selection, Benidorm Fest, is coming back for a third year and as a bigger platform for local, established, and up-and-coming artists to shine.
Recently, Benidorm Fest was part of RTVE’s activities in Seville because of their Latin Grammys coverage, as they are taking place in the mentioned city for the very first time in 2023. The network hosted a concert-reveal party for the 16 acts that will compete in the Valencian beach town this coming January.
Benidorm Fest’s 2024 cohort has a mix of established acts and rising stars in the Spanish music scene. BF has amassed at least one big hit on each edition held thus far, with “Ay Mamá” and “Nochentera” in particular becoming massive radio and streaming sensations in the years they each competed. Vicco’s 80s-inspired track has already surpassed 100 million streams on Spotify. These successes only solidify RTVE’s bet for this format and BF’s establishment as the current leading platform for Spanish artists to launch either their next eras or to kick-start their careers in music.
Now, let’s talk about each of the participating acts in Benidorm Fest 2024 because RTVE is giving us flavors for all kinds of tastes.
The Established Acts
She rose to fame as a teen actress in the late 2000s, but she’s no stranger to all things showbiz. Angy Fernández is an actress and singer, who has released 3 albums and has starred in some of Spain’s biggest theater plays, including a starring role in La Llamada for several years. Benidorm will serve as her big comeback to the mainstream musical scene following a period where she heavily focused on theater and taking care of her mental health.
María Peláe gives Benidorm Fest 2024 the touch of flamenco we will always be welcoming to. One of the most recognizable faces in the genre, María has been heavily acclaimed by Spanish Eurofans for years to either be chosen internally or to compete at the national final. This will be her first rodeo as a leading act, but not in the Eurovision sphere, as during RTVE’s Operación Triunfo era of the late 2010s, she competed as a composer in both the 2018 and 2019 national finals.
Lérica, a duo formed by two best friends who have known each other since childhood, has achieved great success in the music business. Tony (yes, his brother is Spanish superstar, Abraham Mateo) & Juan Carlos, the members of the band, delve their project into different genres that go from urban, all the way through flamenco.
One of the most prominent indie pop bands in the country, Miss Caffeina is landing in Benidorm following a stellar career that has spanned more than 16 years. Alberto (vocals), Sergio (keyboard), and Antonio (electric bass) have released several albums and achieved multiple Top 10 singles in Spain.
Up-and-Coming Bands
Mantra is a trio formed by Carlos Marco (of AURYN fame), Paula Pérez, and Charly Weinberg. Their beginnings can be traced to 2019, when Carlos and Paula started composing songs together, they later started developing the band, added Charly, and the rest is history. Their first single, “No te Esperaba”, was released in 2020, with their first full album coming out in 2023.
Ana and Carolina form the pop duo Marlena, and they’ve gained notoriety following the release of their hit single “Me Sabe Mal”. They are no strangers to music competitions since they have competed twice on The X Factor, first in Italy in 2017 (where they met 2021 Eurovision winners, Måneskin), and they later did so in Spain the following year.
Nebulossa is an alternative act formed by María Bas & Mark Dasousa, and this might be their first attempt to represent Spain in the contest, but not their first one to go to Eurovision overall. They were amongst the acts that auditioned for San Marino’s national selection for 2023. The band has gained momentum and has gained presence within the Spanish indie and alternative music scene.
Spanish Urban Acts
Almácor is gaining a lot of momentum in Spain as he’s becoming one of the headlining urban acts in the scene. Back in June, his first EP, “MELANCOLIZ” was released, which fuses urban production elements with afrobeats, dancehall, reggaeton, and other genres.
Native to the Canary Islands, Dellacruz brings urban pop excellence to Benidorm Fest 2024. His debut single dropped in 2019 and became a huge success in Spain. He not only performs as a lead artist, as well he has also composed songs for artists such as Sergio Dalma, Dvicio, Bombai, Xuso Jones; as well as for former BF acts like Famous and Twin Melody, amongst others.
St. Pedro also comes from the Canary Islands, and he moved to Miami a few years ago to headstart his music career in the urban genre. He competed in the U.S. Hispanic version of The Voice in 2017 and started releasing singles in 2020. His music mixes various Latin rhythms such as merengue or salsa, with urban hip-hop sounds.
Rising Acts
25-year-old Noan comes from the Basque Country, but he currently lives in Asturias. His most recent collaboration, “Odio que te quiero” featuring up-and-coming singer Paula Koops has amassed over 4 million streams on Spotify.
Singer, composer, and pianist Roger Padrós will bring the only non-Spanish song of Benidorm Fest 2024, as his entry will be entirely in Catalan language. Roger’s music is both in Spanish & Catalan, and the EP and full album he’s released so far include songs in the two languages.
Quique Niza has a musical theatre background and has also acted on TV. Since 2021, he’s played the role of Danny Zuko in the Spanish adaptation of Grease: The Musical. His first single as a singer, “Ardo”, dropped earlier this year.
Talent Show Sensations
A singer-songwriter hailing from Galicia, Yoly Saa, was recently featured in Series 1 of RTVE’s singing competition Incredible Duos, where she finished in third place paired with Sole Gimenez. Yoly has one full-length album on the market, with the track “Todo Contigo” becoming the biggest hit.
Jorge González is no stranger to TV, and to attempting to go to Eurovision, as this will be his third try at a national final, last doing so in 2014 where lost to Ruth Lorenzo. Straight out of Operación Triunfo, Jorge has done it all, and will surely provide that toque latino many want to see from Spain at Eurovision.
Actress, singer, performer, and soon-to-be TV host, Sofía Coll gained recognition through Eufòria, a talent show broadcast on Catalan regional network TV3. When she was younger, she also participated in the Spanish version of The Voice Kids. She delivered thrilling performances on that show, and she’s ready to take Benidorm by storm. Sofia also has an album published in 2020.
The sixteen songs competing at Benidorm Fest 2024 will all be released on Thursday, December 14th.
Which of these acts are you the most excited to see on the Benidorm stage?
