Local & Spanish

Local & Spanish

The second semi-final of the Benidorm Fest was once again an undeniable success in terms of its dissemination and impact in the media and on social networks. This is demonstrated by the data released this yesterday,Friday, according to which the broadcast on Spanish Television's La 1 attracted 1,039,000 viewers, 34,000 more than the first semi-final, and an audience share of 10.5%. Furthermore, on the social network 'X' (previously Twitter), the Benidorm Fest once again positioned itself as a national and global 'trending topic' in this second gala, from which St Pedro,
María Peláe, Jorge González and Almácor were classified, for compete in the grand final on Saturday alongside Nebulossa, Miss Caffeina, Sofía Coll and Angy Ferández to lift the 'Bronze Microphone' and represent Spain in the next edition of Eurovision.
The hashtags #benidormfestsemi2, #benidormfest2024 and #benidormfest reached first place among national and international trends, with tracking in a total of 24 countries. In fact, during the entire day, 132,703 total mentions were registered, while between 10:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m., parallel to the broadcast of the gala, there were a total of 104,728, with a potential reach that, according to the social network, could be encrypted. in 437 million people.
Spain, logically, was the country in which the event was followed the most, with a 61.44% audience on social networks. It was followed by Argentina (15.99%), Colombia (6.71%) and the United States (1.93%) as countries with the greatest impact, although 'posts' were also recorded from other more remote areas such as Australia, New Zealand, Canada or Japan, among others. By age groups, the most active in 'X' was the group of people 25 to 34 years old, which indicates, as María Eizaguirre, director of Communication and Participation of RTVE, explained days ago, “that the festival connects in a special way with the young people, as has happened from the beginning and as also happens with Eurovision.” Also noteworthy is the fact that the event's social followers were 59.3% men and 40.7% women.
Regarding the television impact, the second gala of the Benidorm Fest on RTVE reaped a 'share' of 10.5% of screen quota on conventional television, which meant 1.1 points more than in the second semifinal of 2023, and placed this musical competition as the second most watched program in its time slot. The average number of spectators stood at 1,039,000, which represents an increase of 34,000 people compared to the first semi-final and 1.86% compared to the second edition, held in 2023. However, the public channel has indicated that almost 3.3 million viewers followed the musical event at some point during its broadcast, a figure also higher than last year by 3.2%.
Another fact that explains the good reception of the Benidorm Fest is the number of reproductions recorded on the 'Spotify' and 'YouTube' platforms. The eight songs of the artists who competed in yesterday's semifinal – the finalists St Pedro, María Peláe, Jorge González and Almácor, as well as Marlena, Dellacruz, Yoli Saá and Roger Padrós – add up to a total of 5.8 million in both applications of total views, with Marlena leading the way on 'Spotify' (1.4 million) and Almácor on 'YouTube' (425k).
On the other hand, RTVE released the telephone voting data for this second semi-final this afternoon. María Eizaguirre has detailed that 6,365 votes were received, 4,436 of them via SMS and another 1,939 in calls. Of them, the singer Jorge González was the favorite among the public, with 1,399 votes, which represents almost 22% of the total.
Order of performance in the final
The eight qualifiers for the grand final participated this Friday in a press conference that took place in the Plaza de El Castell, together with the Director of Communication and Participation of RTVE and in which the public, among others, attended. Mayor Toni Pérez and the Councilor for Festivals and Events, Jesús Carrobles.
At this event, the draw for the order in which the finalists will participate in at tonights gala was also carried out, for which the winner of the second edition of the Benidorm Fest, Blanca Paloma, acted as the innocent hand.
As luck would have it, María Peláe was in charge of opening the gala, singing in first position. Following her will be St Pedro, Angy Fernández, Jorge González, Nebulossa, Sofía Coll, Miss Caffeina and, finally, Almácor, who will close the performances competing to be in the Eurovision Song Contest next May in Malmö, Sweden.
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


-ts1694419966.png?ts=1778687113)
