Alex Trelinski
BENIDORM is set to be at the heart of Spain trying to pick a successful Eurovision Song Contest entry next year.
Full details will be announced this Thursday(July 22) at a news conference to be held in the city by Spain’s national broadcaster, Radio Television Española(RTVE).
Some reports claim that the selection process could be part of a revived ‘Benidorm Festival’ in February, that for 47 years until 2006 featured some of Spain’s top music acts.
Valencian president, Ximo Puig, said via social media: “We are working with RTVE so that Benidorm can be a meeting point for what we need most right now: music, Europe, and diversity.”
Puig added that this would be ‘good news for the tourist reactivation of the Valencian Community and that all the details would be made public this Thursday.
RTVE has been strongly criticised in recent years for not treating the Eurovision Song Contest seriously enough.
That’s in spite of it being one of five countries, including the United Kingdom, that pay money up front to guarantee a direct spot in the final.
In May, Murcia singer, Blas Canto, could only manage six points, courtesy of one national jury, for his entry ‘Voy a quedarme’.
Spain last won Eurovision in 1969 as part of a four-way tie, and has not had a top ten finish since 2014,
Spanish Eurovision fans have derided the selection process and entries in recent years.
The last six Spanish songs have all finished in the bottom six offering a regular challenge to the United Kingdom, who once again ended up bottom in May’s event in Rotterdam.
Recently-appointed RTVE chairman, José Manuel Pérez Tornero, said that the broadcaster was going to Eurovision ‘very seriously’
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