The mayor visits the facilities to check the progress of the work, in which more than a hundred RTVE operators are working
Work begins to transform Palau d'Esports into the stage for Benidorm Fest
The event will hold its semifinals on January 30 and February 1 and the grand final on Saturday, February 3
From a sports field to a television set to host one of the most powerful musical events of the year. Since last Saturday, the Palau d'Esports l'Illa de Benidorm has been hosting the assembly work on all the necessary infrastructure for the celebration of the third edition of the Benidorm Fest, the competition organized by Spanish Radio Television, the Generalitat Valenciana and the City Council of Benidorm to elect the Spanish representative of Eurovision, and which will be held in the city in the week of January 29 to February 4.
The mayor of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, visited the sports venue this Monday to check 'in situ' the progress of these works, accompanied by the councillors of Festivals and Events, Jesús Carrobles, and of Sports, Javier Jordá. There, the municipal delegation has known the deadlines that are managed for the transformation of this infrastructure, work that will last for about twenty more days and in which about 150 RTVE operators will work, which will increase to 300 from next week.
Among the actions that will be carried out in the Palau, the protective floor and some 3,600 square meters of elastic technical floor have already been installed to facilitate the passage of different machinery without causing damage. In addition, light stands, stages and other elements will also be enabled to adapt the venue and provide it with all the technical needs of a television set.
The assembly will last until January 28. Days before that date, the technical tests will begin and, finally, starting on the 26th, rehearsals will begin with the 16 finalists and with the presenters selected by Spanish Television to host the galas for this edition.
After he visited Palau, the first mayor highlighted that in just three editions the Benidorm Fest “has become a benchmark” and that “it has come to revolutionize the musical panorama of our country, capturing the interest of a large audience and also reaping dozens of awards and recognitions”, such as a Special Mention in the prestigious Ondas Awards; two awards from the FestVal de Vitoria; or three Iris awards from the Television Academy, among many others.
Likewise, Toni Pérez recalled that the Benidorm Fest will hold its two semi-finals on January 30 and February 1, while the grand final gala will be on February 3. This program will be completed with a 'Euroclub' party, which will take place on January 31 at 'Ku' nightclub, and a free concert scheduled for February 2 at Plaza de la Hispanidad, as well as a new edition of 'Tapa Fest' in hospitality establishments.
The public who cannot watch the competition from the Palau d'Esports but want to experience the competition in Benidorm will also be able to follow the galas live from the screens that will be installed at the Tecnohito.
In addition to winning the Bronze Microphone, the winner of Benidorm Fest will have the honour of representing Spain in the 68th edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, which will be held from May 14 to 18, 2024 in Malmö, Sweden.