Benidorm Fest will help with region’s economic recovery through commitment to youth and music
Ximo Puig says that the event, in which the selection of the representation of Spain in Eurovision will take place, allows Benidorm to be projected as “capital of Mediterranean tourism”.
Monday 24th January 2022 – PRESS RELEASE with Mike Smith
The president of the Generalitat Valenciana, Ximo Puig, has stated that the celebration of the Benidorm Fest will support economic recovery by strengthening European ties and with “an intention to support music and youth” after the hard times experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Ximo Puig oversaw the signing of the agreement between the regional government, Benidorm Council and RTVE for the celebration of the Benidorm Fest before visiting the city’s Palacio de Deportes L’Illa, where the selection of the representation of Spain for Eurovision 2022 will take place on January 26th, 27th and 29th.
“After two years, we are seeing the end of this horrible pandemic,” said the president, who added: “It is time for recovery, and what better way to start the recovery than with a festival like Eurovision and with the Benidorm Festival“.
He explained that the cultural sector and, in particular, the music sector, has been one of the most affected by the restrictions imposed as a result of the health crisis, for which he has highlighted the importance of carrying out initiatives such as this one, in which the Generalitat Valenciana is co-organizer with a contribution of one million euros, an event which also “excites young people” and which are, therefore, a sample of “collective intelligence” that generates hope for the future.
The president has also alluded to the fact that this festival “talks about what unites, which is the common language of music“, because “there is no language as universal as music“, something that, he added, the Comunidad Valenciana knows well , which has adopted it as its “third official language“.
He said that Benidorm Fest will also give the “opportunity” to project Benidorm as the “tourism capital of the Mediterranean“, since it symbolizes the character of the Comunidad Valenciana as a “welcoming land” and open to “overcoming borders that do not distinguish each other because they don’t exist“.
For this reason, he has invited everyone to enjoy these “days of collective enthusiasm and encouragement for what lies ahead, which is nothing more than an effective recovery and a new spring for Europe“.
