The OTI Festival 1996 (, ) was the 25th edition of the OTI Festival, held on 14 December 1996 at the of the in Quito, Ecuador, and presented by Christian Johnson and Ximena Aulestia. It was organised by the (OTI) and host broadcaster the (ACTVE).
Broadcasters from twenty-two countries participated in the festival. The winner was the song "" performed by Anabel Russ representing Spain; with "" by representing Argentina placing second; and "" by representing Peru placing third.
The (OTI) designated the (ACTVE), formed by broadcasters such as Ecuavisa, Gamavisión, and Teleamazonas, as the host broadcaster for the 25th edition of the OTI Festival. The association staged the event in Quito. The venue selected was the of the . The house of Ecuadorian culture is a cultural organization founded in 1944 that has several halls and theaters, including the National Theatre, which seats 2,015 people.
Broadcasters from twenty-two countries participated in this edition of the OTI festival. The OTI members, public or private broadcasters from Spain, Portugal, and twenty Spanish and Portuguese speaking countries of Ibero-America signed up for the festival. From the countries that participated in the previous edition, Brazil and Canada were absent.
Some of the participating broadcasters, such as those representing Chile, Ecuador, and Panama selected their entries through their regular national televised competitions. Other broadcasters decided to select their entry internally.
One performing artist had previously represented the same country in previous editions: had won the festival for Argentina in 1988.
The festival was held on Saturday 14 December 1996, beginning at 18:00 ECT (23:00 UTC). It was presented by Christian Johnson and Ximena Aulestia. The musical director was Claudio Jácome Harb, who conducted the orchestra when required. The stage was designed by Oswaldo GuayasamÃÂn.
The winner was the song "" performed by Anabel Russ representing Spain; with "" by representing Argentina placing second; and "" by representing Peru placing third. The first prize was endowed with a monetary amount of US$30,000, the second prize of US$20,000, and the third prize of US$10,000. The festival ended with a reprise of the winning entry.
The members of a single jury selected their favourite songs in a secret vote. Only the top three places were revealed. The members of the jury were:
The festival was broadcast in the 22 participating countries where the corresponding OTI member broadcasters relayed the contest through their networks after receiving it live via satellite.
Known details on the broadcasts in each country, including the specific broadcasting stations and commentators are shown in the tables below.