The announcement by the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) that Spain will host the Junior Eurovision festival this year, the children’s song contest of European and associated public television stations, has unleashed the race of cities that want to host it, including Barcelona, ??according to proposed its mayor, Jaume Collboni.
The head of the RTVE delegation at Eurovision, Ana María Bordas, has confirmed that there are several candidates and that the public entity will work “in the coming weeks to decide which city has the best conditions.” The 22nd edition of this festival, in which children between 9 and 14 years old compete, will be held at the end of 2024, and the EBU and RTVE will announce in the coming months which will be the host city.
Jaume Collboni published a message on the social network “No place like Barcelona to celebrate Junior Eurovision 2024! Why BCN?” asks Collboni. “Because Barcelona has demonstrated its ability to organize large-scale musical events. From the Estadi Olímpic to the Palau Sant Jordi, our stages have welcomed the best. Because Junior Eurovision is an event with a global projection to enjoy and highlight young talent and the passion for music. And because Barcelona has the necessary conditions and determination to make this edition the best so far.”
The Valencian Generalitat has also conveyed to RTVE its interest in hosting Junior Eurovision, without specifying whether it would be Valencia or Benidorm, and the mayor of Malaga, Francisco de la Torre, has said that he is “open” to the Andalusian city hosting the children’s television contest.
RTVE received the proposal from the EBU to organize this children’s festival, similar to the adult Eurovision but smaller, after the resignation of France, the winning country in 2023 and which had already hosted it twice in the last three years. Reason for the proposal: the Spanish Sandra Valero came second last year in Nice with Ella Loviu’s song.
It will be the first time that Spain hosts this contest, which it won in its second edition in 2004 with Before dead than simple by María Isabel. “Twenty years after its victory, we are excited to finally bring the competition to Spain, and we are grateful to RTVE for agreeing to host this competition, which gives young European artists the opportunity to showcase their talent,” said Martin Österdahl, supervisor Eurovision executive, in a statement.
According to data from the EBU, Junior Eurovision achieves an audience of 33 million viewers throughout Europe. In recent editions, in Spain it has barely exceeded one million viewers. The children’s contest represents a great television showcase for the host city, an average of five thousand overnight stays, and between 100 and 200 accredited journalists. Fewer countries participate than in the adult festival – between 15 and 20 countries attend the junior version – and the rehearsals last only one week. The palace where it is held is expected to have a minimum capacity of 6,000 spectators.
