RAI, the Italian national broadcaster has announced that it will be revealing the 2018 Sanremo Song Festival competing artists tonight, including the 20 Big and 8 Newcomer candidates.

The 2018 Sanremo Song Festival will be held at the Ariston Theatre in Sanremo and will run from 6-10 February, with the Grand Finale set on Saturday 10 February. The shows will be hosted by Claudio Baglioni and Michelle Hunziker.

The 2018 Sanremo competing  candidates will be revealed today on the Sarà Sanremo show on Rai Uno at 21:15 CET.

The winner of the 2018 Sanremo Song Festival (Big Category) will be eligible to represent Italy at the forthcoming 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon.

Italy in Eurovision

Italy is one of the founder members of the Eurovision Song Contest having debuted in the very first contest in Lugano back in 1956. The country has won the competition twice (1964, 1990).

Italy has sent some of its most celebrated singers to the contest: Domenico Modugno, Albano and Romina Power, Toto Cotugno, Gianni Morandi, Fausto Leali, Umberto Tozzi, Marco Mengoni, Nina Zilli, Ana Oxa, Mattia Bazaar, Gigliola Cinquetti, Franco Battiato, Luca Barbarossa, Il Volo, Emma Marrone, etc.

Italy withdrew from the event in 1997 and after lots of convincing the country was back in the game after a 13 year hiatus. The Italians returned with great honours in 2011 when Raphael Gualazzi came 2nd in Düsseldorf.

We can say that Italy is definitely the most successful country among the BIG 5 as it has achieved 5 Top 10 placings in the past 7 editions.

In 2017, Francesco Gabbani took Italy by storm and walked away with the Sanremo trophy and flew to Kyiv to represent Italy at Europe’s favorite television show.

Despite being the hot favourite to bag the Grand Prix he achieved an honorable 6th place with his mega hit Occidentali’s Karma.

The 2018 Eurovision Song Contest is scheduled to be held on 8, 10 and 12 in Lisbon, Portugal.