Why the return of "Grand Prix del verano 2026" matters to politicians less than a year before the municipal elections

The Grand Prix del Verano is ready to return to La 1. RTVE has confirmed that the new edition of the veteran contest will premiere on Monday, July 13, at 9:45 PM, with Ramón García as presenter, accompanied by Lalachus and the new co-presenter Gorka Rodríguez. The first program will pit Polinyà (Barcelona) against Cantalejo (Segovia), two municipalities that arrive with significant neighborhood mobilization and that, moreover, are governed by parties of different political leanings.

What towns participate and who is in charge there?

Twelve municipalities from all over Spain will compete in this edition:

The count is as follows: 6 municipalities from PSOE, 5 from PP, and 1 independent. The format will feature six qualifying programs, two semifinals, and a grand finale, in addition to bringing back classic challenges like Los Troncos Locos and La Cucaña, along with new dynamics such as Grand Prix Presenta and the so-called Carta Dorada.

A premiere with two different colored mayorships

The first duel will pit two municipalities governed by different parties against each other. Polinyà is governed by the PSC, with Javi Silva as mayor, while Cantalejo has a PP mayoralty, headed by Máximo San Macario. This political contrast turns the premiere into a symbolic confrontation between two town halls of different leanings, although the spirit of the program continues to be purely festive.

After the list of participating municipalities was made public, the Cantalejo City Council even organized a public call to fill the Plaza de España during the recording of the program's promotional video, inviting residents to come in costume and participate in the party organized by RTVE. For its part, the Polinyà City Council officially announced on its social networks the municipality's participation in the Grand Prix del Verano 2026, celebrating the choice of the Catalan town as the contest's representative.

The key to the Grand Prix program

The Grand Prix does not only hand out heifers, tarts, and millions of viewers. It also offers something much more difficult for any mayor to achieve: hours of prime-time television with their municipality as the protagonist and without it seeming like propaganda.

Because, behind the spectacle, there is a showcase that no political strategist would despise. During the broadcast, millions of viewers discover the heritage, landscapes, history, and traditions of towns that would otherwise hardly have a tourism promotion campaign of such scope. Practically priceless advertising for many town halls and which also arrives at the best possible moment: less than a year before the municipal elections.

And there is another detail that works in favor of the mayors. The mayor stops being the politician who inaugurates works or appears in a plenary session to become the host of the town. He greets, encourages the neighbors, appears in the stands, and shares the spotlight with the contestants. It is a close, friendly, and emotional image that an institutional act or a rally can hardly offer.

Television does the rest. The program builds the narrative of a united municipality, proud of its identity, and dedicated to its team. The streets shine, the heritage is exhibited, the neighbors fill the stands, and the atmosphere transmits optimism, cohesion, and a sense of belonging. In the end, that collective photograph also ends up being projected onto whoever institutionally represents the town.

Nobody votes for a mayor for winning the Grand Prix. But in politics, visibility matters, and a lot. While some municipalities only appear on television when there is a tragedy or a controversy, the participants enjoy several hours of national promotion associated with positive values such as coexistence, neighborly involvement, and pride in their land. And in a pre-election year, that exposure can be worth more than many carefully designed communication campaigns.