T AMARÉ was crowned at Benidorm Fest 2026 and other highlights from the final

We are still emotionally hungover after this February 14th marked the end of the fifth edition of Benidorm Fest, organized by RTVE at the Palau d’Esports with the victory of Tony Grox & Lucycalys and their song T AMARÉ. The duo obtained 166 points in total —adding votes from the professional jury, the demoscopic jury, and the public— and received the Golden Little Mermaid along with a monetary prize of 150,000 euros, distributed among the performers and authors of the song. 

Although this year the edition has not served as a selection to represent Spain at the Eurovision Song Contest due to the country's withdrawal, the final led its time slot in audience figures and gathered more than 4 million unique viewers on television, with particularly high data among young people. The festival also stood out for the public's support for other entries such as Turista by ASHA, which won the Spotify Award, the performance by Rosalinda Galán left the audience breathless with Mataora, for its power and strong personality, as well as the diversity of musical styles present on stage: with the performance by Mayo with Tócame, followed by varied entries that showed the diversity of the contest, from the rock of Kitai to the bachata of Dani J or the intimate registers of Izan Llunas.

Among the most outstanding moments of the gala,  Melody, winner of the contest in 2025, opened the night with  Esa diva, rekindling the nostalgia of the previous edition and showing her vocal strength in an emotional performance.

Blanca Paloma with EAEA and Nebulossa with Zorra shared a medley with colleagues such as Agoney (Arde), Jorge González (Caliente), Almacor (Brillos platino) and Daniela Blasco (Uh nana), contributing stylistic variety and an air of collective celebration on stage. In the case of Nebulossa, the moment when Mery Bas made a reivindicative gesture by lowering the neckline of her dress to show the flag of Palestine painted on her chest, in a sign of support for the Palestinian people in the face of the situation in Gaza, was widely commented on. Although the colors were not in the exact order, the intention of the act maintained all its strength.

Their joint return to the final of the Benidorm Fest 2026 reflects the festival's own feedback, which no longer seeks only a winning song, but artists capable of showing who they are, telling their story, and representing a diverse, current, and uninhibited musical scene, allowing the festival to become iconic. Between nostalgia and melancholy —also present minutes before the start during the awarding of the Golden Little Mermaid to the winners of past editions—, the gala made it clear that this contest is much more than songs: it is a showcase of personalities, talent, and attitude on stage and of making history.

RTVE has confirmed that there will be a sixth edition of Benidorm Fest in 2027, backed by the Benidorm City Council and the Generalitat Valenciana, consolidating the contest as a stable fixture in the Spanish music calendar.