24 hours of a eurofan at Benidorm Fest 2024

The networks are smoking;

Nerves are unleashed on the Alicante coast.

With good reason: Benidorm, the tourist capital of the Spanish coast, is generating maximum expectations this week around the third edition of the Benidorm Fest, an event organized by Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE), whose semi-finals will take place this Tuesday, January 30 and Thursday February 1st.

Whoever wins the final gala on Saturday, February 3, will represent Spain in the largest musical spectacle in the world, the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held in Malmö, the southern tip of Sweden, on May 11. .

“Benidorm is no longer associated only with the Imserso trips or with its traditional festival, now extinct: with the Benidorm Fest, dandruff has been eliminated, the event has been rejuvenated in a modern and daring way, and today it is followed with full attention by consolidating itself as a reference preselection at the European level,” says José Luka, co-director of Eurovision-Spain, the reference portal for this musical competition for two decades.

It is about enjoying Benidorm in the low season, without large crowds, moderate prices and free beds, as 85% of the hotel floor remains open in winter.

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The festival will take place on the outskirts, between the cities and the AP-7 highway, so that both the Palau d'Esports l'Illa de Benidorm, headquarters of the Benidorm Fest, are within walking distance of the Bus Station (tickets are sold out in two minutes), like the big clubs that will host the

post-parties

.

Penelope, an icon of Levantine nightlife for 56 years, together with Privilege, her annex, will bring together nearly 6,000 followers of Eurovision-Spain throughout this week starting at midnight, parties animated, among others, by DJ Dani and DJ X .avi Petard.Pop.

Its rival, the Ku Benidorm nightclub, will host the Euroclub party on the 31st and two EuroFansClub parties, on the 2nd and 3rd of February.

On Friday the 2nd, Rosa López, representative of Spain in the 2002 Eurovision Song Contest, will sing several songs.

This entire week will be lived with music, parties, events and activities in the center of the Alicante city, which complement the galas and which, in the end, justify the trip and thus fully experience and share the festival during this monomaniacal week.

The 16 songs that compete are already on the lips of all Eurofans – the term “Eurofan” is accepted by the Royal Academy – in a permanently jubilant, enjoyed state;

They are the ones who know best if a topic will work or not.

If in summer they may go unnoticed on the streets, such mimicry does not occur in the winter of Benidorm.

They are generally over 35 years old, and 83.9% are men, according to data from the Visit Benidorm Foundation;

They care about trends and fashions, some wear t-shirts of their favorite performers and show a clear affinity with the LGTBI community.

It is not uncommon to find families with several generations of Eurofans.

9.00 Churros and batons

For the first snack we went to have coffee and churros at Churrería Rafael

(1)

, the most famous in the city and which is the competitor of Chocolatería Valor

(2)

, whose business origin is very close to Bernidorm, in La Vila Joiosa. .

Many visitors use La Creu Café as a meeting place, for its chocolate with churros, meringue millefeuille or petisú.

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11.00 Music on the beach

If a study had to be carried out in Spain on the tourist sand area par excellence, the two kilometers of sand that make up Levante beach would most likely be chosen as a laboratory.

This will be another festival hotspot due to the

beach clubs,

very veteran, which act as a daytime base for the large discos.

A

meeting point

of the Benidorm Fest will be set up at the Penelope Beach Club

(3)

, between breakfasts, video clips,

a set

for interviews and DJ's specialized in Eurovision.

Just 100 meters away is another classic, in this case with the most spacious terrace on Levante beach, the Ku Lounge Café

(4)

, whose atmosphere and decoration are so reminiscent of Ibiza.

This festival week will incorporate Eurovision DJs and live shows, without prejudice to the fact that throughout the month of February performances by tribute bands to Elvis Presley (Wednesday), Tina Turner (Thursday), Abba - it couldn't be missed - (Friday) and Michael Jackson (Sunday), in this case played by what passes for his best imitator, Ben Jackson.

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Who else analyzes the staging of each song, the choreography, the lights... a media-musical puzzle that evolves as the weeks go by.

A good example was starred by Chanel in 2022, which arrived without pain or glory, but which achieved, thanks to the strength of her direct performance, third place in Eurovision.

We will see some connected to local radio stations specialized in Eurovision, such as EuroLive Radio.

The Balcón del Mediterráneo

(5)

, right on the stone spur of the city, is another of the points guaranteed for the passage of singers and photographers, and where TVE carries out many interviews.

If the winners of Roland Garros are photographed the next day next to the Eiffel Tower, the same thing happens in Benidorm, this time next to the snowy and iconic tiled balustrade all the way to the sea.

Perhaps that is why the terrace of the El Castell cafeteria-ice cream parlor

(6)

, next to the wall sections from the 14th and 16th centuries, is one of the liveliest and where there is the greatest chance of seeing celebrities passing by.

Tourists in Benidorm in the Levante beach area. Mònica Torres

14.00 Tapa Fest

Apart from having the traditional Basque Zone to devour tapas and pinchos - La Cava Aragonesa

(7)

and La Tapería

(8)

are infallible references -, this edition of the Benidorm Fest reissues the Tapa Fest,

tapas contest in which 21 participating establishments design a very elaborate tapa, at a price of 3 euros.

Diners will be able to rate them and thus participate in a draw for two tickets for the final of the contest, which includes a

meet and greet

(chats, taking photos, asking for autographs) with the artists.

You can vote until February 1, although this miniature cuisine can be enjoyed throughout the week.

Additionally, five minutes from the Euroclub in Plaza de la Hispanidad, we have the Italian restaurant The Pizza Factory

(9)

, with artisanal pizzas fermented for 72 hours.

The most requested is the one with a potato base and covered with truffle and parmesan cheese;

The Roman style one is also attractive - square, without edges and thicker dough - made with French mushroom, serrano ham, goat cheese and caramelized onion.

A reference burger restaurant in the old town is UPtown Burger

(10)

, with three types of meat to choose from.

The restaurant Ray's 2 Fish & Chips attests to the British footprint in Benidorm, centered around battered fish fillet with chips and, for dessert, crispy

of Apple.

Economical prices.

17.00 At the viewpoint

El Tossal de La Cala is an archaeological site from the 1st century BC elevated in the southwest end of Benidorm, separating Poniente beach and La Cala de Finestrat.

There we find El Mirador de la Cala

(11)

, perfect for watching the sunrise;

But it is at the foot of the hill where Eurofans come to take photographs at the Mirador de la Música

(12)

, inaugurated in 2022, in front of the Benidorm

skyline

and whose monoliths pay tribute to the two great native festivals: the Little Golden Mermaid alludes to summer Benidorm International Song Festival (1959-2006) —very present under the current wave of

revival

and nostalgia— and the Crystal Microphone, in allusion to its winter avatar, the Benidorm Fest.

A feeling of respect and belonging predominates among Eurofans.

"Here there is no room for fans segregated by candidacy, but rather a global concept prevails: before looking for a winner in Eurovision, we are eager to see the best that Spain can give in music, following the example of the San Remo Song Festival: “Italy is usually

the top 5

in Eurovision,” clarifies Jakob Traxler, from the Eurodrama show promoter.

Then, for some shopping, Jardín by The Marco

(13)

is a beautiful old house renovated and converted into a display of silver jewelry, bags in the garden, as well as creams and lotions.

Even more curious is the Duck World

(14)

, with palmipedes of different shapes and colors that are more fun.

21.00 Dancing in front of Tecnohito

Benidorm Fest 2023 party at Tecnohito.David Revenga (Visit Benidorm)

Discounting the Palau d'Esports and the large nightclubs, the Plaza de la Hispanidad, popularly known as “the Triangular Plaza”, with its suspended LED rings, will be ground zero of the Benidorm Fest, since the City Council has erected the Euroclub there , meeting point for free

Benidormfesters

, artists, delegations and accredited press, from where the event will be broadcast live through a stage equipped with giant LED screens, right in front of the Tecnohito

(15)

, a sort of 22-cylinder meters high covered with a mesh of LED screens.

On this stage, the free Great Euroclub International Party will be held on Friday, February 2, the eve of the grand final, in which Blanca Paloma, Gonzalo Hermida, Rosa López, the

drag queen

Sharonne and unclassified semi-finalists will perform.

Not far away is the Tecnopada

(16)

, a bus shelter lined with an elongated LED screen.

To the most Eurovision and electropop cliches of

Here to Stay,

championed by Sofia Coll —one of the favorite songs—

,

or the eighties and feminist nods of

Zorra,

by the duo Nebulossa, is added

Summer Love

by Marlena,

Caliente,

by Jorge González or María Peláe's flamenco bet with her

Sender,

who will have to fight with the cliché that the

duende

finds it difficult to gain followers beyond our borders.

00.00 End of party

You have to come to Benidorm very soaked with the 16 artists of this edition.

Familiar, for example, with

reggaepop

or music assigned to the urban genre, with Almácor's

Brillos Platino

as a prototype—pay attention to its catchy chorus.

And even better if we master the festival phraseology, be it the

brillilli

of glitter, sequins and rhinestones, the

random

(a song that neither fu nor fa) or the

schlager,

a Eurovision genre typical of Scandinavia - Sweden, above all - and Central Europe, which will be represented somehow at the Benidorm Fest for

Sé qué soy,

by Angy Fernández.

We will have the first drink at the Marrs Bar

(17)

, in the hands of the Marr family since its opening in 1969, with its pleasant atmosphere,

indie

music and a cocktail menu that includes an orange liqueur distilled by the house itself.

The Naranjito shot is made with this 40-proof spirit, diluted with lime and covered with a slice of orange caramelized with sugar and cinnamon.

Open safely on Fridays and Saturdays.

Local young people usually take national visitors to the

La Sal

pub

(18)

, another name associated with Alicante nightlife.

We will finish the day dancing at the La Posada discopub

(19)

.

The

lively

venues will be abuzz this weekend.

Who will win the Benidorm Fest this year?

If it's about surprising - the Portuguese Salvador Sobral already did it in 2017 -, nothing like the Caribbean bolero sung by a 23-year-old Tenerife native living in Miami.

Or put more bluntly: why can't he win Eurovision St. Pedro with

Two Strangers (String Quartet)?

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