RAI, the Italian national broadcaster has announced today that  winner of the forthcoming 2015 Sanremo Song Festival will be eligible to represent Italy at the 2021 Eurovison Song Contest in Rotterdam next May if he/she wishes to. Hence Diodato will not be invited to represent Italy at the forthcoming 65th Eurovision Song Contest in the Netherlands.

Italy has long had the tradition of sending Sanremo winners or participants to the Eurovision Song Contest. The Sanremo rules and regulations have been released today, where it is stated that the winner of the 2021 Sanremo Song Festival will be eligible to represent Italy at the 2021 Eurovision Song Contest if he/hes wishes to.

The 2021 Sanremo Song Festival will run from 02-06 March with the grand final scheduled on Saturday 06 March at Teatro Ariston in Sanremo. The Italian Song Festival will be broadcast on Rai 1, Rai Radio 2 and Rai Play.

Amadeus will be once again the man behind the iconic Italian song festival. The rules and regulations for Sanremo 2021 are expected to be released in due time.

The competing acts for Sanremo 2021 are expected to announced in December.

Italy has selected its Eurovision act and entry via Sanremo since its return to the competition in 2011 with the exception of 2014 when the country selected Emma Marrone to fly the Italian flag in Copenhagen.

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, Mahmood, 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.

In 2020 Diodato was set to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in Rotterdam with his entry ‘Fai Rumore‘,  but the event was cancelled due to the coronavirus global outbreak.