Forget the stag dos: Benidorm is becoming Britain’s next TV crime scene

Benidorm may be better known for beach bars, British tourists and lively nights out, but a new Channel 5 drama is giving the Costa Blanca resort a murder mystery makeover. Starring John Hannah, Benidorm Is Murder will bring sun, suspects and Spanish bar life to screens in 2026.

Benidorm is swapping beach towels for murder clues

Benidorm is about to get a new role on British television: not just holiday hotspot, but crime scene. 

The Costa Blanca resort will provide the backdrop for Benidorm Is Murder, a six-part Channel 5 detective drama due to air in 2026. The series stars Scottish actor John Hannah as Dennis, a former UK detective who has left policing behind to run a bar in Spain.

That quieter life in the sun does not last long. According to distributor ZDF Studios, Dennis is drawn back into detective work when murders begin disturbing his new life in Benidorm.

He is helped by Rosa, his Spanish barmaid, played by Carolina Bécquer, who brings her own love of crime dramas to the unlikely partnership.

For viewers who enjoy Death in Paradise, The Mallorca Files or The Good Ship Murder, the formula will feel quite familiar: warm scenery, a central detective, suspicious deaths and a lighter tone than darker police procedurals.

Could the setting of sun-soaked bliss give the drama an extra twist?

Benidorm is not just any sunny location. For many British viewers, it carries decades of holiday memories, family trips, nightlife, package deals and strong opinions.

That makes the setting unusually recognisable. The show is not placing murder mysteries in a distant fictional paradise, but in a real Spanish resort where British tourism and local life meet every day.

Benidorm town hall said the city passed three million tourists and more than 16 million overnight stays in 2025, underlining how important the resort remains to Spain’s tourism economy.

The drama uses a place many of those tourists and residents will know, visit, live near, or think they know from its reputation.

The result could be a crime series with a familiar wink: bars, beach life and British holiday culture, but with a body count. 

How local filming brought British and Spanish extras together

The production has already had a visible local footprint in Benidorm.

In October 2025, Benidorm town hall announced that a British television series then called Death in Benidorm was looking for extras ahead of filming in the city. The open casting call took place at the Meliá Benidorm hotel and sought men and women aged between 20 and 65.

The notice said extras of any nationality could apply, but Spanish and British extras were especially needed.

That detail suggests the series is leaning into Benidorm’s real mix of residents, workers and tourists, rather than using Spain as a generic sunny backdrop.

Why the new Benidorm drama may tempt Death in Paradise fans

The talks of comparison with Death in Paradise is of course going to keep people busy up until the release. Both dramas use the contrast between murder and beautiful surroundings, building tension without losing the escapist appeal that keeps cosy crime viewers coming back.

A UK air date has not yet been confirmed beyond the 2026 release window. ZDF Studios announced the drama has 6 episodes with a runtime of 60-minutes each, while the Italian Global Series Festival has listed Benidorm Is Murder has a UK/Spain world premiere in July 2026.

The next details to watch for are the official UK broadcast date, trailer, episode guide and whether familiar Benidorm locations can be spotted once the series airs.