Tutta l’Italia, tutta l’Italia, tutta l’Italia. The famous jingle of the 75th Sanremo Festival is probably the single most recognisable sound of this year’s edition. If fans and juries and debating on who should win the festival, it only takes a couple of second for everyone to be singing along the jingle. Sanremo is also this.

We are at around 15 hours of live television already, and Italy is still far from crowing a winner. Three nights have gone by at Teatro Ariston. We are counting 58 performances, plus numerous national and international guests and the usual other moments which fill this Festival. Sanremo is, after all, a lot more than just a music competition.

Fourteen entries took to the stage of Teatro Ariston on Thursday for their second performance under the direction of Carlo Conti. The televote (50%) and the radio jury (50%) determined yet another top 5 of this year’s Festival. Co-hosts of the third night were Miriam Leone, Elettra Lamborghini, and Katia Follesa.

Ermal Meta (Italy, 2018) former Sanremo winner and Eurovision entrant performed on the Sukuzi stage as special guest. The British band Duran Duran made a special appearance, marking 40 years of their previous concert at Sanremo, during which Eurofans could appreciate the cameo of Victoria de Angelis (Maneskin, Italy 2021). Special guests were also Dario D’Ambrosio and Edoardo Bennato.

Another highlight was the lifetime award to Iva Zanicchi (Italy, 1969), who triumphed three times at Sanremo (1967, 1969 and 1974). She is to date the woman with the highest amount of participations to the festival, 11, and also the woman with the highest number of victories, 3.

During the third night, the final of the Newcomers’ section took place. Finalists were Alex Wyse with Rockstar and Settembre with Vertebre. Winner was Settembre with 51% of the votes.

Tonight’s top 5

The top 5 was announced at the end of the night in random order:

• Coma_Cose – Cuoricini
• Brunori Sas – L’albero delle noci
• Irama – Lentamente
• Olly – Balorda nostalgia
• Francesco Gabbani – Viva la vita

The fourth night

Friday 14 February is reserved to the famous cover night. All competing artists will perfom a cover of a song of their choice, either Italian or international, together with an invited artist of their choice. The press, TV and web jury (33%), the radio jury (33%) and the televote (34%) will all express their preference tonight. However, these votes unlike past years will not be taken into account for the overall ranking.

This is the list of cover performances in alphabetical order. The running order will be revealed closer to the beginning of the show.

• Achille Lauro and Elodie – Tributo a Roma (Medley)
• Bresh with Cristiano De André – Creuza de mä (Fabrizio De André, 1984)
• Brunori Sas with Dimartino and Riccardo Sinigallia – L’anno che verrà (Lucio Dalla, 1979)
• Clara with Il Volo – The sound of silence (Simon & Garfunkel, 1965)
• Coma_Cose with Johnson Righeira – L’estate sta finendo (Righeira, 1985)
• Fedez with Marco Masini – Bella stronza (Marco Masini, 1995)
• Francesca Michielin and Rkomi – La nuova stella di Broadway (Cesare Cremonini – 2013)
• Francesco Gabbani with Tricarico – Io sono Francesco (Tricarico, 2000)
• Gaia with Toquinho – La voglia, la pazzia (Ornella Vanoni, 1976)
• Giorgia with Annalisa – Skyfall (Adele, 2012)
• Irama with Arisa – Say something (A Great Big World and Christina Aguilera, 2013)
• Joan Thiele with Frah Quintale – Che cosa c’è (Gino Paoli, 1964)
• Lucio Corsi with Topo Gigio – Nel blu dipinto di blu (Domenico Modugno, 1958)
• Marcella Bella with Twin Violins – L’emozione non ha voce (Adriano Celentano, 1999)
• Massimo Ranieri with Neri per Caso – Quando (Pino Daniele, 1991)
• Modà with Francesco Renga – Angelo (Francesco Renga, 2005)
• Olly with Goran Bregovic and His Wedding and Funeral Orchestra – Il pescatore (Fabrizio De André, 1970)
• Rocco Hunt with Clementino – Yes I know my way (Pino Daniele, 1981)
• Rose Villain with Chiello – Fiori rosa fiori di pesco (Lucio Battisti, 1970)
• Sarah Toscano with Ofenbach – Overdrive (Ofenbach ft. Norma Jean Martine, 2023)
• Serena Brancale with Alessandra Amoroso – If I ain’t got you (Alicia Keys, 2004)
• Shablo ft Guè, Joshua and Tormento with Neffa – Aspettando il sole (Neffa, 1996) / Amor de mi vida (Sottotono, 1999)
• Simone Cristicchi with Amara – La cura (Franco Battiato, 1996)
• The Kolors with Sal Da Vinci – Rossetto e caffè (Sal Da Vinci, 2024)
• Tony Effe and Noemi – Tutto il resto è noia (Franco Califano, 1977)
• Willy Peyote with Tiromancino and Ditonellapiaga – Un tempo piccolo (Franco Califano, 2005)

Co-hosts of the fourth night are Mahmood (Italy, 2019 and 2022) and Geppi Cucciari. Special guests are Benji & Fede, Paolo and Lunita Kessisoglu and Edoardo Bove.

How to watch

The fourth night of the 75th Sanremo Festival will air live on Friday 14 February at 20.40 CET. Eurofans can watch it on the following channels:

• Rai 1
• RaiPlay.it

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).

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

Last year Angelina Mango represented Italy at the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest in Malmö, Sweden with her entry La noia, placing 7th with 268 points.