The lineup

RTVE presented the 18 acts for the sixth Benidorm Fest on Wednesday, 14 October 2026, at a press conference. The selection came from about 900 songs received during a candidacy window that stayed open for 115 days. Veteran singer Merche, long tipped for the festival, enters for the first time after an invitation from RTVE. The duo Ladilla Rusa marks ten years active, and Isabel Aaiún, the singer of 'Potra salvaje', is also on the list.

Andrés Koi, formerly the frontman of DVICIO, and the Valencian trio Bombai join the bill, as does Gale, who has written songs for Shakira and Juanes and now moves to performing. Fran Tuduri arrived through RTVE's songwriting camp, while the alternative pop duo Pipiolas, Polo Nández and Sebastián Llosa, Rossa, Sara Abad, Sev's, Suzete, Tami Tamako and Vicco complete the list.

Dates, venue and prize

The semifinals take place on 26 and 28 January 2027, and the final on 30 January, at the Palau d'Esports L'Illa in Benidorm. The venue keeps the capacity of about 3,000 spectators it had in 2026. The winner receives the Sirenita de Oro and a prize of 150,000 euros, with 100,000 euros going to the performer and 50,000 euros to the author or authors. The Spotify award also returns, after Asha won it last year.

2026 was the first edition without a ticket to Eurovision as the prize, and Tony Grox & LUCYCALYS won it with 'T AMARÉ'. Melody took the 2025 title with 'Esa diva', and Nebulossa won in 2024 with 'Zorra'. The songs themselves will be published late in December, as usual, so listeners cannot yet judge the sound of the chosen tracks.

Artists in focus

Vicco, born Victoria Riba, began her career after Alejandro Sanz invited her to open seven concerts of his Sirope tour. Her song 'Nochentera' finished third in the second edition of the festival in 2023 and has close to 179 million Spotify streams. Her latest release is 'Tiramisú', and RTVE lists her Instagram account at 70,900 followers. Tami Tamako, a Sevillian of Japanese origin, draws on K-pop and has dance training, while her parents are flamenco artists, a guitarist and a dancer. Her Instagram account counts 887,000 followers.

Suzete, born in São Tomé and Príncipe and raised between Portugal and the Canary Islands, first came to attention on Operación Triunfo in 2023. Her afro-pop hit 'Kombolewa' led to her debut album Baby Wata. Sara Abad, daughter of composer Alejandro Abad, went viral in 2025 with a Spanish version of Coldplay's 'We Pray', which reached nine million TikTok plays. Sev's, who splits time between Barcelona and Huelva, released the ten-track album '¿Qué hay después?' in 2026.

Alba Morena, who has worked with Ana Torroja and Luz Casal, explained her decision at the presentation.

It makes me very happy to take part, it is an opportunity for my music to reach more people.

What remains open

Whether Spain will return to the Eurovision Song Contest in Burgas in 2027 is still unresolved. RTVE's board of directors will meet to decide, and its president, José Pablo López, will propose staying out of the contest because of Israel's participation. Until that vote, the festival's link to Eurovision remains uncertain, even as the lineup is set.