RAI, the Italian national broadcaster, has confirmed that Italy will participate at the forthcoming 2025 Eurovision Song Contest in Switzerland next year and published the rules and regulations for Sanremo 2025.

Thus Italy joins the list of countries that have so far confirmed their participation at the 2025 Eurovision edition.

The 2025 Italian Eurovision act and entry will be yet again determined via the Italian Sanremo Song Festival as has been tradition in recent years. The winner of Sanremo 2025 will represent Italy at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest.

The 2025 Sanremo Song Festival will be held from 11-15 February at the Ariston Arena in Sanremo.

Sanremo 2025 rules state the following about the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest and the 2025 Italian Eurovision act:

The winning artist of the 75th Italian Song Festival will participate, representing Italy, in the 2025 edition of the Eurovision Song Contest, at the request of RAI. 

The artists interested in participating in the afore-mentioned event and their record companies will however be required to deliver in advance to Rai – within the time frames that will be indicated by the latter based on the production needs of the event – the duly signed acceptance form for participation in the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 (provided by the Festival Organization).

In the event that the Winning Artist of the Festival does not deliver the form within the indicated time frames, RAI reserves the right to choose the Artist representing Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025 according to its own unquestionable criteria, without the afore-mentioned winning artist or his
record company having any claim.

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 thrice with Gigliola Cinquetti (1964), Toto Cutugno (1990) and Maneskin (2021).

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, Mahmood 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 10 times in the top 10 of the scoreboard including a victory in 2021.

The southern European country has partaken 48 times in Europe’s favourite television show.

In 2024 Angelina Mango was crowned the winner of Sanremo 2024 and went on to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest with her entry ‘La Noia’, achieving a 7th place in the Grand Final.

Source: RAI
Photo credit: EBU