RAI, the Italian national broadcaster, has confirmed to ESCToday that Italy will participate at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in The Netherlands next year.

Buonasera Europe, this is Rome calling! Brace yourself Europe as the  Italians are coming to The Netherlands for Eurovision!

Thus Italy joins the list of countries who have confirmed their intention to participate at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest in Netherlands.

The deadline for participating broadcasters to withdraw their application from the EBU without a penalty concludes on 10 October. So far 37 countries have confirmed their participation at Eurovision 2021.

The Italian broadcaster is yet to confirm the mechanism it will use to select its Eurovision entry and act for Rotterdam. Since its return to the contest in 2011 Italy has had the tradition of selecting its hopeful and entry via its iconic Sanremo Song Festival with the exception of 2014 when Emma Marrone was selected via an internal selection.

Italy in Eurovision

Italy is one of the founder members of the Eurovision Song Contest having debuted in the very first contest in 1956. The country has won the event twice with Gigliola Cinquetti (1964)and Toto Cutugno (1990).

The country has been represented at the Eurovision Song Contest by its most celebrated and internationally acclaimed artists throughout its Eurovision history: Ana Oxa, Domenico Modugno, Albano, Romina Power, Franco Batiatto, Umberto Tozzi, Matia Bazar, Marco Mengoni, Emma Marrone, Il Volo, Francesco Gabbani, Raphael Gualazzi, Massimo Ranieri, Ricardo Fogli, etc.

Italy withdrew from the competition in 1998 and returned to Eurovision in 2011 after a 13 year hiatus. Since their return to the contest the Italians have enjoyed great success in the event placing 7 times in the top 10 of the scoreboard.

The southern European country has partaken 45 times in Europe’s favourite television show.

Diodato was set to represent Italy at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with his entry ‘Fai Rumore‘, but he was not able to grace the Eurovision stage in Rotterdam due to the untimely cancellation of the event due to the COVID-19 pandemic.