Benidorm to host outdoor 'Eurovision party' with Spain's votes broadcast live to venue

TO CELEBRATE its leading rôle in choosing this year's Eurovision Song Contest entry for Spain, Benidorm will host a huge open-air party night broadcasting the event live and with warm-up bands giving gigs in the run-up.

Earlier this year, stage and TV actress Chanel Terrero, 30, was voted by the panel of judges as winner of the Benidorm Fest, which was basically a televised audition to decide who would be going to Torino, northern Italy with their country's honour at stake on Saturday, May 14.

Although Chanel, whose catchy number SloMo is already tipped to do well, has lived in Barcelona since she was four, she was born to Cuban parents on their native island, making her the first-ever Latin American candidate to represent the western Mediterranean nation at the Eurovision.

Huge TV screens will be set up in the Plaza de la Hispanidad in the Alicante-province seaside town on the night, and a gigantic stage – also wired to the screens for full-crowd viewing – will host a string of bands and solo artists in a 'Pre-Party' from two hours before.

Semi-finalists from last year's Benidorm Fest, who were inches away from getting chosen for the 2021 Eurovision, include Javiera Mena, Marta Sango, and Unique, all of whom will be performing live from 19.00 on Saturday, May 14 in the square.

Local authorities in the Costa Blanca tourism capital have hinted at surprise guest appearances, too.

Once the cameras in Torino home in on Spain to find out how many points the nation's viewers have given each country, TV presenter Nieves Álvarez will be the one to reveal these results.

She will be broadcasting live from Benidorm on the night, meaning anyone in the Plaza de la Hispanidad might just find their face on camera for a split second in people's homes right across the continent.

The Eurovision, in Spain, is shown on 'channel one', TVE, owned by the national broadcasting company RTVE, which organises the country's candidature for the contest each year.

A television crew from RTVE will be in Benidorm's Plaza de la Hispanidad on the night.

Mayor Toni Pérez says there will be space for up to 4,000 people to join the audience at the 'Pre-Party' and Eurovision screening.

Anyone based in or likely to be heading to Benidorm in a fortnight's time should be aware that the equipment is due to be installed starting from Friday, May 13, meaning some access to the Plaza could be restricted, and that all traffic will be diverted from the square from 17.00 on 'Eurovision Saturday'.