Junior Eurovision 2025: Spanish performance in front of the jury
Lucas Paulano, the ten-year-old representative of Spain at Eurovision Junior 2026, performed his song 'Cuore Bello (Te quiero, te quiero)' during the Jury Show held at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali. The performance featured a stage production directed by Javier Pageo that visualized personal memories through light effects, including a structure of 523 bulbs transforming into a Ferris wheel. This specific event served as the general rehearsal where professional juries from the 16 participating countries cast votes that account for half of the final result, while the remaining half is determined by public voting via JESC.TV. The article highlights the artist's strong vocal and expressive delivery, noting that he utilized audience presence to enhance his performance after previous successful rehearsals.
Spain’s representative at Eurovisión Junior 2026, ten-year-old Lucas Paulano, finished in second place with 184 points during the final held in Malta. He trailed the winner, Armenia’s Naré, who secured 202 points for her song "BOO!". Paulano received 108 points from the professional jury and 76 from the public vote. This result marks a silver medal finish for Spain, following France’s victory in the previous edition. The contest took place over the weekend in the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali, concluding a week of rehearsals and technical checks for the 16 participating nations. Paulano performed last among the sixteen competitors, singing his entry "Cuore Bello (Te quiero, te quiero)". The performance was designed as a journey through the artist's personal memories, transforming intimate moments into a shared visual experience. The staging began in a representation of his bedroom, where he discovered a box containing cherished items, including a plush rabbit named Doudou, a football medal, and a fairground ride ticket. As the music progressed, the space evolved into a cosmic universe filled with luminous spheres. A central structural element composed of 523 light bulbs transformed throughout the song, shifting from a doorway symbolizing the interior of the heart to a giant Ferris wheel. The lighting palette moved from blue tones to a multicolored explosion, finally settling on golden hues to symbolize happiness and unity. The artistic direction was led by Javier Pageo, who based the concept on the Latin etymology of the word "remember," which implies passing again through the heart. The production aimed to connect the performer’s emotional journey with the audience. To achieve this, the stage featured a lighting system intended to synchronize the beats of Paulano’s heart with illuminated wristbands worn by spectators. The television broadcast utilized approximately 75 different camera angles to maintain dynamism. A notable sequence involved a steadicam shot opening the performance, guiding viewers from the private room into the expanding memory landscape. Paulano rehearsed specific hand gestures and subtle head movements to align with these camera moves. Prior to the final, Paulano completed two individual rehearsals without an audience. During the second rehearsal, the Spanish delegation tested a new wardrobe option. While retaining the asymmetric jacket and trousers silhouette, the outfit changed from brown to sky blue. The costume included a distinctive pin shaped like the province of Jaén, maintained by stylist Raúl Amor. These adjustments were made to optimize the visual impact against the stage lighting and the large LED screens displaying the memory visuals. Cesar Vallejo, head of the Spanish delegation, described the team as "very excited" after reviewing the rehearsal footage, noting that Paulano was vocally impeccable. María Eizaguirre, Director of Communication and Participation, stated that the team had passed the test and continued refining the performance for its final run. The voting process combined scores from national professional juries and public votes. The public could cast their ballots free of charge via the online platform JESC.TV. Before the main final, a Jury Show was held on Friday, allowing the professional panels to submit their scores, which accounted for half of the total result. Paulano arrived in Malta on Saturday prior to the event and spent the days leading up to the final practicing extensively. Armenia claimed its third title in the history of the competition, narrowing the gap with record holders France and Georgia, both of whom have four victories. France, the reigning champion from the 2025 edition won by Lou Deleuze, declined to host the current year. Consequently, the European Broadcasting Union designated Malta as the venue. This mirrors the situation in 2024, when Spain hosted because France had won the previous cycle. The 2026 lineup included participants such as Maria from the Netherlands, who opened the show with "Stronger Together," and Harry Georgiou from Cyprus, who performed "Who I Can Be." Other contestants represented Portugal, Montenegro, San Marino, Poland, Italy, Ukraine, North Macedonia, Ireland, Albania, and Georgia. The running order was determined by a draw conducted on September 28, 2025, by Eliza Borg, Malta’s representative in 2025. Countries were sorted into pots based on song style and rhythm. The winning country gains the right to organize the next edition. For Spain, the second-place finish adds another memorable moment to Paulano’s young career, capping off a week focused on translating his inner world into a collective spectacle for millions of viewers worldwide. The performance concluded with a handwritten phrase displayed on screen: "Tonight will shine forever in my heart."
Spain’s representative for Eurovision Junior 2026, Lucas Paulano, completed his second individual rehearsal at the event venue in Malta. The session served as the final technical run-through before live audience rehearsals begin, allowing the production team to refine lighting, stage movement, and visual projections. Paulano performed his entry, 'Cuore Bello (Te quiero, te quiero),' which he described as an emotional journey through personal memories. The Spanish delegation confirmed they are making final adjustments to the staging and costume, including testing a new light blue suit variant designed to complement the stage visuals. Officials expressed high confidence in the performance, noting that the artistic proposal aims to create a deeply immersive experience for viewers.
Bias read (Center): The article covers a cultural and entertainment event (Eurovision Junior), which is apolitical in nature. The tone is celebratory and promotional, focusing on artistic preparation and positive feedback from organizers, but there is no political controversy, policy debate, or partisan framing present
Why factuality (85): The article accurately reports the specific details of the second rehearsal, including the song title 'Cuore Bello', the year 2026, and the presence of Cesar Vallejo as head of delegation. It aligns with standard reporting on this event. However, the text appears truncated at the end ('ha vuelt'), w
Why objectivity (40): The tone is highly promotional and enthusiastic rather than neutral. Phrases like 'dream coming true,' 'arms wide open,' and 'very excited' reflect a fan-centric perspective typical of entertainment coverage, lacking the dispassionate distance expected of objective journalism.
ABC (España)IndependentCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 95
The Eurovision Junior 2026 contest takes place this Saturday in Malta, featuring 16 competing countries. The event is hosted by Malta after France declined to organize the edition following their victory in 2025. The European Broadcasting Union announced the running order on September 28, which was determined through a random draw conducted by Malta’s 2025 representative, Eliza Borg. Spain has been drawn to perform last, at position 16, with artist Lucas Paulano singing the song 'Cuore Bello (Te Quiero, Te Quiero)'. The show begins at 21:00 local time, and the winner will be decided by a combination of professional jury votes and public voting.
Bias read (Center): The article covers a musical competition, which falls under entertainment and sports categories rather than politics. The tone is purely informational, detailing the schedule, participants, and logistical changes regarding the host country. There is no political controversy, policy debate, or loaded
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (95): The writing is strictly informational and neutral. It reports the scheduling, the organizational decisions by the EBU, and the lineup without injecting subjective opinions, emotional language, or predictions. It serves purely as a factual guide for viewers.
RTVE NoticiasState / PublicCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 85
Armenia has secured its third victory at the 2026 Junior Eurovision Song Contest held in Malta, winning with the song 'BOO!' performed by Naré. Spain placed second in the competition, represented by Lucas Paulano who performed 'Cuore Bello (Te Quiero, Te Quiero)' and received 184 points compared to Armenia's 202. The event marked the 24th edition of the contest, featuring performances from 16 participating countries. Presenters included previous winners Gaia Cauchi and Destiny Chukunyere, along with Keane Cutajar. France completed the podium in third place, maintaining its status as one of the most successful nations in the contest's history alongside Georgia.
Bias read (Center): The article covers a musical competition which falls under the category of sports and entertainment rather than politics. The tone is celebratory and descriptive, focusing on performance quality, point totals, and historical context of past winners without engaging in political debate or partisan sl
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (85): The tone is enthusiastic and celebratory, typical of entertainment coverage ('puro espectáculo', 'triunfado'). While it uses positive adjectives like 'preciosa' and 'divertida', it does not engage in heavy-handed bias or dismissive language toward competitors. It presents the results clearly while m
RTVE NoticiasState / PublicCenterFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 70
Lucas Paulano, the ten-year-old representative of Spain at Eurovision Junior 2026, performed his song 'Cuore Bello (Te quiero, te quiero)' during the Jury Show held at the Malta Fairs & Conventions Centre in Ta' Qali. The performance featured a stage production directed by Javier Pageo that visualized personal memories through light effects, including a structure of 523 bulbs transforming into a Ferris wheel. This specific event served as the general rehearsal where professional juries from the 16 participating countries cast votes that account for half of the final result, while the remaining half is determined by public voting via JESC.TV. The article highlights the artist's strong vocal and expressive delivery, noting that he utilized audience presence to enhance his performance after previous successful rehearsals.
Bias read (Center): The article covers a musical competition, which falls under apolitical entertainment topics. The tone is descriptive and celebratory regarding the artistic performance and technical staging, containing no political arguments, policy debates, or partisan framing. Therefore, the political charge is 0,
Why factuality: no official source document/info detected
Why objectivity (70): The tone is highly promotional and supportive of the Spanish representative. Phrases like 'had signed two impeccable rehearsals,' 'gave everything to conquer the jury,' and 'step further' indicate strong advocacy for Lucas Paulano. While not maliciously biased, it lacks neutrality by framing the per
How each side covered it
The same event, grouped by the political lean of the outlets covering it.
progressive
center
conservative
★
How each side covered it
Support independent, bias-aware news and unlock the social pulse, community voting, and every other Supporter feature.
Spain
