RAI, the Italian national broadcaster has confirmed its participation at the forthcoming 2016 Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm, Sweden.
RAI is yet to reveal the mechanism it will use to select the 2016 Italian Eurovision entry and act. It is more thank likely that Italy might opt yet again via the Sanremo Song Contest. More details regarding the 2016 Italian Eurovision project and plans will be disclosed in due course.
Italy is the 27th country to join the Eurovision party in Stockholm.
In 2015 Italy selected its Eurovision act and entry via the Sanremo Song Festival. The winners of the 2015 Sanremo Song Festival, Il Volo were awarded the golden ticket to represent Italy at the 2015 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. The Italian trio achieved an honorable 3rd place in the grand final with Grande Amore.
The story so far
Since its return to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011, Italy has selected its Eurovision representatives via the Sanremo Song Festival: Raphael Gualazzi (2011), Nina Zilli (2012) Marco Mengoni (2013), Il Volo. But this changed in 2014 when RAI opted for an internal selection and Emma Marrone was given the grand honour of representing Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in Copenhagen with her entry La mia citta. In 2015 Italy returned to Sanremo in order to select its Eurovision act and entry and sent Il Volo to Vienna.
Italy debuted at the Eurovision Song Contest in 1956 and was one of the founder members of the contest. The country has won the event 2 times in 1964 with Gigliola Cinquetti and 1990 with Toto Cotugno. Italy withdrew from the event in 1998 and returned back in 2011.
Stay tuned to Esctoday.com for the latest information on Italy and the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest.
