Lorraine Williamson
The Benidorm Fest 2026 winner wasn’t decided by a single flawless note or a perfectly timed key change. It was decided by momentum — and by a public vote that turned the final minutes into a tight sprint.
Tony Grox & Lucycalys won with “T AMARÉ”, finishing on 166 points and lifting the Sirenita de Oro in a contest that, for the first time, is officially no longer tied to Eurovision.
A festival trying to prove it can stand on its own
Benidorm Fest has spent years living in Eurovision’s shadow. This edition’s break from the contest changes the pressure completely.
Instead of being judged as “Spain’s Eurovision pick”, it is now being judged as a music event in its own right. That shift was visible on the night: the show leaned harder into spectacle, nostalgia, and identity — while the voting revealed a tug-of-war between industry taste and audience instinct.
How the voting fell — jury first, crowd later
RTVE’s breakdown shows the split clearly.
The jury backed ASHA most strongly, awarding her 92 points, with Tony Grox & Lucycalys second on 82. But the public vote swung the result.
In the televote, Tony Grox & Lucycalys took the maximum 48 points, while ASHA received 24. The demoscopic vote (a representative panel) gave Tony Grox & Lucycalys 36 points, compared with 28 for ASHA. The sums made the difference.
In other words, the jury kept it close. The public finished it.
Why ‘T AMARÉ’ landed
A win is never just about the song. It’s also about what it signals.
“T AMARÉ” fused roots and modernity in a way Spanish audiences understand instinctively: flamenco-coded texture, electronic polish, and a performance built for replay. The final tally underlined that it wasn’t merely admired — it was chosen.
Spanish coverage also noted how narrow the margin was at the top, with the final moments driven by suspense rather than a runaway result.
What the prizes tell you about Benidorm’s new direction
The winners take home prize money and the festival trophy, but the bigger question is what Benidorm Fest wants to become now that it isn’t a Eurovision gateway.
El País reports the winners receive €100,000 as performers and €50,000 for the song’s authors, alongside the trophy — a structure that nudges the festival closer to a serious music-industry platform rather than a TV-only event.
The bigger takeaway: Spain’s “audience first” moment
Benidorm Fest has always been half music and half national debate. Tonight’s result adds a new layer: when the festival’s purpose shifts, the public doesn’t simply follow — it pushes back and reshapes the ending.
For RTVE, this is both a success and a challenge. A success because the show still creates a shared moment. A challenge because the voting split suggests the festival is still working out whose opinion defines “the winner” in its post-Eurovision era.
What comes next for the Benidorm Fest 2026 winner
The spotlight now shifts from the stage to what happens after: radio play, streaming traction, and whether “T AMARÉ” becomes the kind of hit that lives beyond the festival bubble.
If Benidorm Fest is going to thrive without Eurovision as its headline purpose, that is the real test — and Tony Grox & Lucycalys have just become the first act to take it on.