Benidorm Fest will return for at least one more edition despite its record low audience numbers.

BarcelonaThis year, Benidorm Fest was taking a gamble to prove its own merits, even though it won't be used to select Spain's Eurovision candidate, given RTVE's withdrawal from the contest in protest against Israel's participation. Although the audience figures were the worst in the five years the music competition has been held, the public broadcaster announced that there will be at least one more edition. The final took place on Saturday night, crowning Tony Grox and Lucycalys from Cádiz as the winners with the song I will love you, a cocktail of electronica and flamenco with a catchy twist.

The audience verdict, however, was irrefutable. The 12.1% audience share (9.6% in Catalonia) represented a record low for a festival that the previous year achieved 17.1% (and 21% with its debut). While in 2022 the figure almost reached three million average viewers, this year it barely surpassed a third of that record: 1,085,000. This lack of interest was also reflected in the televoting: in 2025, 223,094 free votes and 17,422 paid votes were cast; this year, only 46,000 votes were received across all categories.

The organization's communications director, María Eizaguirre, attempted to downplay the results, attributing the decline to changing viewing habits and the gala's coinciding with Carnival and Valentine's Day.

The winners won't be going to Eurovision, but they're not leaving empty-handed: there was a cash prize of €150,000, and they will travel to Stockholm to record a single with Spotify.