Yesterday an unprecedented revolution was unleashed in the world of Eurovision: Israel will continue to participate in Eurovision 2026 after an internal vote at the European Broadcasting Union fractured the organization and prompted Spain to officially abandon the contest. RTVE confirmed … Minutes after the result, next year’s edition will not be attended and the final or semi-final match will not be broadcast.
Among European fans, one of the big doubts that immediately arose was the future of the Benidorm Festival, an event that since 2022 has been Spain’s initial selection. This was announced by the head of RTVE Yes, there will be a festival that removes any questions and ensures that it will be celebrated despite Spain’s withdrawal from European competition.
“RTVE has decided to withdraw from Eurovision but our commitment to the Benidorm Festival remains and we will redouble our efforts. RTVE is working so that we will have the best Benidorm Festival in our history in 2026 and we will continue to do our best to promote it as the great music festival in Spain. It will be simply amazing,” RTVE President José Pablo Lopez said on his social networks.
Since its birth in 2022, the Benidorm Festival has been designed specifically for this purpose: to choose the song that will represent Spain at Eurovision, through its own competitive and transparent process. The competition, organized by RTVE in collaboration with Generalitat Valencena, restored the spirit of the great national primaries and modified it into a modern format with two semi-finals and a final. Its mixed system, with equal weight between the public vote and that of the professional jury, has turned it into a musical laboratory, a platform for new talent and an international showcase that has put Alicante on the Eurovision map.
RTVE has decided to withdraw from Eurovision, but we are committed to doing so #Benidorm Festival It remains the same and we will redouble our efforts.
RTVE is working so that we will have the best in 2026 #Benidorm Festival Our history and we will continue to do our best to consolidate it as the great history… pic.twitter.com/KGFrPyGyVA
– Jose Pablo Lopez (@Josepablo_ls) December 4, 2025
But to this day, open questions remain. It is not known what prize the winners will receive other than the traditional bronze microphone, nor whether the format will retain all its usual elements while Spain remains out of the festival. The European Broadcasting Union has set December 10 as the deadline for countries to officially confirm their participationIt is a deadline that leaves open – at least on paper – the possibility of an unexpected shift. Until then, the Benidorm Festival is moving towards its next edition with limited certainty and an unprecedented stage in its short history.