The Italian broadcaster RAI has revealed the 3o acts which will participate in the 67th edition of the Sanremo Song Festival. A total of 22 acts will participate in the Campioni (Established) group and additional eight will go for the Nuove Proposte (Newcomers) group.

The list of artist was allegedly leaked three days ago. However, this is the official list as published by RAI. The two groups will have their own competition side-by-side, however only the winner of the Campioni group will have the right of representing Italy in Eurovision 2017.

Campioni Group

More than 800 entries were examined and shortlisted to the final 22.

1. Al Bano – Di rose e di spine
2. Alessio Bernabei – Nel mezzo di un applauso
3. Bianca Atzei – Ora esisti solo tu
4. Chiara Galiazzo – Nessun posto è casa mia
5. Clementino – Ragazzi fuori
6. Elodie – Tutta colpa mia
7. Ermal Meta – Vietato morire
8. Fabrizio Moro – Portami via
9. Firoella Mannoia – Che sia Benedetta
10. Francesco Gabbani – Occidentalis karma
11. Gigi D’Alessio – La prima stella
12. Giusy Ferreri – Fatalmente male
13. Lodovica Comello – Il cielo non mi basta
14. Marco Masini – Spostato di un secondo
15. Michele Bravi – Il diario degli errori
16. Michelle Zarrillo – Mani nelle mani
17. Nesli & Alice Paba – Do retta a te
18. Paola Turci – Fatti bella per te
19. Raige & Giulia Luzi – Togliamoci la voglia
20. Ron – L’ottava meraviglia
21. Samuel – Vedrai
22. Sergio Silvestre – Con te

Al Bano previously represented Italy in Eurovision 1976 and 1985, both times in a duet with his wife, Romina Power. This will be his 15th appearance in Sanremo, the latest being in 2011.

Nuove Proposte Group

Six out of the eight participants of this group were chosen among twelve acts in the Giovani group. Another two were chosen via Area Sanremo, a camp for young musicians held by RAI offering a training program and master classes. Last year, this group saw Francesco Gabbani taking the first prize with his instant hit Amen. He participates in the Campioni group this year.

Qualified via Giovani:

• Chiara Grispo – Niente è impossibile
• Francesco Guasti – Universo
• La Rua – Tutta la vita questa vita 
• Lele – Ora mai 
• Maldestro – Canzone per Federica 
• Marianne Mirage – Le canzoni fanno male 
• Leonardo Lamacchia – Ciò che resta
• Tomasso Pini – Cose che danno ansia

Qualified via Area Sanremo:

• Braschi – Nel mare ci sono i coccodrilli
• Valeria Farinacci – Insieme

Sanremo 2017 Dates (Full explanation of the festival’s mechanism)

• 07/02: Night 1 (Campioni section begins)
• 08/02: Night 2 (Campioni section continues; Nuove Proposte begins)
• 09/02: Night 3 (Campioni and Nuove Proposte sections continues)
• 10/02: Night 4 (Campioni section cover night; Nuove Proposte winner decided)
• 11/02: Night 5 (Campioni winner decided)

Since its comeback to the Eurovision Song Contest in 2011, Italy used Sanremo to choose its representative (except for 2014). Last year, Stadio were declared as winners with a total of 43% of the votes at the Top 3 stage. However, they were unable to compete due to tour commitments, and runner up Francesca Michielin was sent to finish 16th in Stockholm with Nessun grado di separazione, entitled No degree of seperation for the international contest.

Stay tuned to ESCToday for more news regarding Sanremo and Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2017