Spanish broadcaster RTVE has presented Lucas Paulano's song Cuore Bello (Te Quiero, Te Quiero) for the Junior Eurovision 2026 contest in Ta' Qali, Malta.
The announcement comes as RTVE Corporation Board of Directors president José Pablo López confirmed before a parliamentary committee that the public broadcaster intends to maintain its boycott of the main Eurovision Song Contest in 2027.
The entry, Cuore Bello (Te Quiero, Te Quiero), combines Spanish with other languages. Its lyrics revolve around memory, recollections, and the lasting impact of people who shape individual lives, seeking to convey personal growth through shared family experiences.
The track was written and composed by Dangelo, Blas Cantó, and Carlos Almazán, with Paulano contributing directly to the creative process. Paulano earned his selection after winning the television talent competition La Voz Kids in 2025.
Paulano will defend the Spanish entry on October 24 in Ta' Qali, a central Maltese town that hosts major entertainment events. The performance marks Spain's 12th participation in Junior Eurovision, an international song contest organized by the European Broadcasting Union for young performers.
Spain previously won the competition with María Isabel, and has also been represented by artists including Dani Fernández, Melani García, Soleá, Sandra Valero, and Gonzalo Pinillos. Paulano will attempt to deliver Spain's second overall victory in the children's event.
RTVE will premiere the official music video for Cuore Bello (Te Quiero, Te Quiero) on Monday at around 9:45 p.m. CEST. Following its television debut, the track will be released across major digital streaming platforms.
Broadcast details and commercial package
RTVE has confirmed that Junior Eurovision 2026 will air on its flagship television channel La 1 as well as its digital streaming platform RTVE Play. The coverage plans were included in the public broadcaster's commercial sponsorship dossier for the upcoming season.
Details of the commercial offering were first disclosed by news outlet ESCPlus España after reviewing the official documentation prepared by the corporation.
The grand final in Ta' Qali will take place on Saturday, October 24, with broadcast starting at 9:00 p.m. CEST. This marks the first time in the history of Junior Eurovision that the show airs in the prime-time slot traditionally reserved for the senior Eurovision Song Contest, a shift designed to maximize television viewership.
Paulano was chosen through an internal selection process conducted by RTVE. Broadcaster executives described the effort as a continuation of their commitment to developing emerging musical talent and promoting European entertainment formats.
To monetize the broadcast, RTVE designed a main sponsorship package priced at 27,400 euros, excluding value-added tax. The package provides advertising visibility across La 1, youth channel Clan, and RTVE Play, along with regional broadcasts in the Canary Islands.
The corporation is also offering specialized digital advertising options on RTVE Play. These include an ad pause feature priced at 12,600 euros plus VAT and a first impact position priced at 25,000 euros plus VAT.
The digital advertising package guarantees 300,000 impressions of non-skippable 20-second advertisements. These commercials will run before, during, and after Junior Eurovision programming on RTVE Play, covering rehearsal videos, artist interviews, and special features in addition to the live show.
Continued boycott of Eurovision 2027
Speaking before the parliamentary Mixed Commission for Parliamentary Control of RTVE, López confirmed that the broadcaster remains committed to boycotting the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest. The 2027 edition of the main festival is scheduled to take place in the Bulgarian coastal city of Burgas on May 11, 13, and 15, 2027.
López explained that the suspension proposal will be formally submitted to RTVE's Board of Directors, which holds the final authority over Spain's participation.
The confirmation came in response to questioning from Sumar deputy Francisco Sierra Caballero, who demanded that RTVE maintain its boycott of the event due to Israel's participation.
Addressing the committee, López focused on the situation in Gaza, stating that no person with basic human sensitivity could watch the suffering of the Palestinian population without condemning it.
López defended RTVE's stance over the past year, highlighting that the Spanish broadcaster worked alongside other European public media organizations to push for reform. Broadcasters sought updates to the governance rules of the European Broadcasting Union, stronger safeguards against political instrumentalization, and stricter neutrality standards for event sponsorships.
Ethical concerns and board governance
López conceded that joint efforts by European broadcasters had failed to achieve all of their objectives, leaving what he described as an evident unresolved ethical issue surrounding the competition.
He stressed that RTVE does not view the current situation with complacency. Because of those remaining concerns, López announced that he will ask the governing board to approve a formal suspension of Spain's entry for the 2027 contest in Burgas.
The final decision rests with RTVE's 15-member Board of Directors. The governing body currently includes five members nominated by the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), four by the People's Party (PP), two by Sumar, and one member each from Podemos, Republican Left of Catalonia (ERC), the Basque Nationalist Party (PNV), and Together for Catalonia (Junts).
Under corporation rules, securing approval for the boycott requires a majority vote of nine out of the 15 board members.
