Local & Spanish

Local & Spanish

Almost 5.2 million people followed at some point last night the final gala of the Benidorm Fest, in which the Nebulossa from Huelva raised the Bronze Microphone that will take them directly to represent Spain in the Eurovision Song Contest, which will take place celebrates next May in the Swedish city of Malmö.
This is indicated by official audience data, according to which the broadcast of the final on Spanish Television's La 1 reached an average of 1,977,000 viewers and a screen share of 16.6%, ranking as the most watched program. of 'prime time' on Saturday.
Furthermore, as already happened in the two semi-finals, the Benidorm Fest once again became a national and global trending topic, with 187,932 mentions on the social network 'X' during the broadcasting hours of the gala and monitoring in a total of 25 countries. , which represents “a complete success in terms of television audience and presence on the main social networks”, as highlighted this Sunday by the mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez.
Spain was the country in which the Benidorms event was most commented on on this social network, where the main 'hashtags' related to the 'Fest' collected a total of 112,622 mentions and an impact close to 60%. Behind Spain were other countries such as Argentina, Colombia and the United States, while up to 20% of the posts were made from countries as remote as Papua New Guinea, Australia, Mongolia, Indonesia or Pakistan, among others.
Regarding the television impact, the Benidorm Fest gala on RTVE garnered the best audience data of the three days. Thus, the final of the contest last night reached a 'share' of 16.6%, which represented an average of 1,977,000 viewers, 90,000 people and 4.6% more than in the 2023 final, although the public channel has detailed that almost 5.2 million viewers followed the musical event at some point during its broadcast. This 'share' data registers an increase of 1.9 points with respect to the final gala of the previous year and places Benidorm Fest as the most followed program in 'prime time' on conventional television yesterday, with a lot of percentage distance over the second.
The impact of the songs and artists participating in yesterday's final is also very notable on the main music streaming platforms. On Spotify, the eight finalist songs have already reached 6,633,707 views. Of all of them, the group Nebulossa, winners of this grand final with their 'Zorra', are at the forefront of the participants, with more than 2.2 million listeners. Behind her are currently Almácor (873K), St Pedro (839K), Sofía Coll (837K) and Miss Caffeina (539K).
On the other hand, on the YouTube platform, the number of views of the contestants in the final gala now totals 4,194,210 views and, of them, the winner by far is once again Nebulossa, which has accumulated 1.9 million.
Regarding the public votes registered in the final win, RTVE announced this Sunday that the telephone vote recorded a total of 25,910 calls and SMS. The director of Communication and Participation of RTVE, María Eizaguirre, has detailed that Nebulossa was the one that received the most support from viewers, with 4,484 votes, followed by Jorge González with 4,482 votes, Angy Fernández with 3,888, Almácor with 3,779, St Pedro with 3,739, Sofia Coll with 2,815, María Peláe with 1,627 and Miss Caffeina with 1,096.
Jorge González won the demoscopic vote with 2,855 votes, while Angy Fernández was the second most voted with 2,833. Nebulossa got 2,463, St Pedro 2,291, María Peláe 2,272, Sofia Coll 2,134, Almácor 2,058 and Miss Caffeina 1,994, according to RTVE data.
“Total consolidation”
The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, has assessed that this third edition has been “the final of the Benidorm Fest with the highest level of competitiveness that we have experienced so far, since there were five or six themes that could perfectly have been obtained that precious Bronze Microphone. And Nebulossa has taken it.” The first mayor has assessed that the song of this couple from Ondara “is already a great success, before winning this edition of the Benidorm Fest. Therefore, Nebulossa wins but we all win and Benidorm always wins.”
Another piece of information that the Benidorm mayor and president of the Provincial Council has valued is that the winner is “a group from Ondara, so the province of Alicante will once again be in the Eurovision final”, after the participation in 2023 of Blanca Paloma from Elche.
Finally, Toni Pérez concluded by pointing out that “this third edition of Benidorm Fest has definitively consolidated the festival and the atmosphere that our city has been experiencing since last Sunday, with thousands of people who have come expressly to experience this music festival.
“At the same time as last night the final was being experienced live from the Palau – the first mayor elaborated –, thousands of people followed it from the Tecnohito in the Plaza de la Hispanidad and it was also experienced intensely in the establishments and in the street, which shows that it is a festival that is already perfectly integrated and linked to Benidorm.”
Regional overview: steady pre-summer momentum
Across the Costa Blanca, including Benidorm, Altea, L’Alfàs del Pi (Albir), La Nucía and Finestrat, the region is entering a strong early-season phase with increasing visitor numbers, expanding nightlife, and a growing calendar of small cultural and leisure events ahead of the main summer period.
Markets, live music, coastal tourism and community events continue to dominate activity this week, alongside ongoing infrastructure improvements such as new sustainability and mobility projects.
BENIDORM – Markets, nightlife and tourism growth
Weekly street markets in Benidorm remain a key attraction, including Wednesday and Sunday general markets offering food, clothing and local goods.
The Old Town continues to host craft stalls and informal street entertainment, while evening activity is increasing as the summer season approaches.
Live music is now a nightly feature across main entertainment zones, with tribute acts, DJs and bar performances contributing to strong visitor activity.
Tourism officials also note continued preparation for upcoming seasonal events, including the build-up toward traditional spring and early summer festivals.
ALTEA – Culture and coastal leisure
Altea continues to focus on cultural tourism and relaxation, with art galleries, artisan shops and small exhibitions operating throughout the Old Town.
Live acoustic performances and low-key entertainment are taking place across seafront bars, while boat excursions from Altea harbour are operating regular coastal and sunset sailing routes depending on weather conditions.
ALBIR / L’ALFÀS DEL PI – Community events and live music
L'Alfàs del Pi and the Albir area maintain a steady mix of expat and local activity.
Weekly Friday markets remain popular, while Irish pubs and live music venues continue to host regular bands and acoustic performances.
The Casa de Cultura is also hosting community exhibitions, theatre and social events throughout the week.
LA NUCÍA – Sports and weekend activity
La Nucia continues to centre around sports tourism, with its major sports complex hosting training camps and competitive events.
The Sunday rastro flea market remains a key attraction, drawing visitors from across the region.
FINESTRAT – Coastal leisure and markets
Finestrat is experiencing growing beachfront activity as beach bars and restaurants reopen for the warmer season.
Markets in La Cala continue on Tuesdays and Saturdays, offering local produce and artisan goods, while sunset dining and relaxed evening entertainment are becoming more frequent.
VILLAJOYOSA – Culture, coastline and local life
Villajoyosa is experiencing steady early-season activity, supported by its historic old town, colourful seafront and growing cultural tourism offer.
Local markets and small artisan trading continue throughout the week, while the seafront promenade is seeing increased footfall as warmer weather returns.
The town also maintains its reputation for traditional fishing heritage, chocolate production history, and quiet beach tourism, offering a more relaxed contrast to nearby resort centres.
INFRASTRUCTURE UPDATE – Benidorm EV expansion
Alongside tourism growth, Benidorm is also continuing its sustainability rollout, including new electric vehicle charging infrastructure in the Levante area as part of its broader mobility and climate strategy.
The project forms part of EU-backed funding aimed at supporting low-emission transport across major Mediterranean destinations.
REGIONAL SUMMARY
The Costa Blanca continues its gradual transition into peak tourist season, with activity levels rising steadily across all major towns.

Local & Spanish


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