Italians and Italian-music lovers alike should better cancel all their social appointments this week, as from tonight and until well into the first hours of next Sunday the Belpaese will be focused on one thing and one thing only: the 76th Sanremo Music Festival. Live from teatro Ariston in the Ligurian coastal city of Sanremo five nights of Italian music, but really about anything else, will add another name to the Olympus of Sanremo winners. The real question is: are you ready?
Buonasera Eurovision, this is Sanremo calling. Italy’s favourite television week is about to kick off. Co-hosts Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini are ready to take millions of viewers accross Italy, Europe and the World through the 76th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival. 30 artists have been internally selected to compete in this year’s edition.
How to watch
The 76th Sanremo Festival will air live at 20.40 CET. Eurofans can watch it on the following channels:
- Rai 1
- RaiPlay.it
This year’s contestants
The Campioni section, from which the winner will be elected, have been announced on 30 November 2025:
- Arisa – Magica favola
- Bambole di pezza – Resta con me
- Chiello – Ti penso sempre
- Dargen D’Amico – Ai ai
- Ditonellapiaga – Che fastidio!
- Eddie Brock – Avvoltoi
- Elettra Lamborghini – Voilà
- Enrico Nigiotti – Ogni volta che non so volare
- Ermal Meta – Stella stellina
- Fedez e Masini – Male necessario
- Francesco Renga – Il meglio di me
- Fulminacci – Stupida fortuna
- J-Ax – Italia Starter Pack
- LDA e AKA 7even – Poesie clandestine
- Leo Gassmann – Naturale
- Levante – Sei tu
- Luchè – Labirinto
- Malika Ayane – Animali notturni
- Mara Sattei – Le cose che non sai di me
- Maria Antonietta e Colombre – La felicità e basta
- Michele Bravi – Prima o poi
- Nayt – Prima che
- Patty Pravo – Opera
- Raf – Ora e per sempre
- Sal Da Vinci – Per sempre sì
- Samurai Jay – Ossessione
- Sayf – Tu mi piaci tanto
- Serena Brancale – Qui con me
- Tommaso Paradiso – I romantici
- Tredici Pietro – Uomo che cade
Several former winners are competing this year: Arisa (2009 and 2014), Ermal Meta (2018, with Fabrizio Moro), Marco Masini (2004) and Francesco Renga (2005). Eurofans will recognise Ermal Meta, who represented Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2018 with Non mi avete fatto niente, placing fifth, and Raf, who took part to the 1987 Eurovision with Umberto Tozzi with Gente di mare, reaching the third place. Another notable participant is Patty Pravo, whose first appearance dates back to 1970 and is at her 11th participation.
The programme
Five long nights of musical entertainment are ahead of us. This is the detailed programme:
First night – Tuesday 24 February
All 30 Campioni will perform on the first night. At the end of the performances the five most voted acts will be announced. The media room, TV and web juries will be allowed to vote. Can Yaman will be co-hosting next to Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini. Guests of the night are Olly (winner of Sanremo 2025), Gianna Pratesi, Tiziano Ferro, Gaia and Max Pezzali.
Second night – Wednesday 25 February
The night will open with the four Nuove proposte, with two battles to determine the finalists. Votes will come from the media room, TV and Web juries (33%), as well as from the radio jury (33%) and the televote (34%). Then, fifteen of the 30 Campioni will take to the stage with their own entries and will be voted by the radio jury (50%) and by the televote (50%). The five most voted acts will be announced in random order at the end of the night.
Co-hosts are Gianluca Gazzoli, Pilar Fogliati, Achille Lauro (Eurovision 2022, San Marino) and Lillo. Guests of the night are sportstars Arianna Fontana, Francesca Lollobrigida, Lisa Vittozzi, Giacomo Bertagnolli and Giuliana Turra, as well as Bresh and Max Pezzali.
Third night – Thursday 26 February
The second set of 15 Campioni will perform their own entries again and will be voted by the radio jury (50%) and by the televote (50%). The five most voted acts will be announced in random order at the end of the night. The two finalists of the Nuove proposte will perform again and the winner will be determined by the media room, TV and Web jury (33%), the radio jury (33%) and the televote (34%).
Co-hosts are Gianluca Gazzoli, Irina Shayk and Ubaldo Pantani. Guests are Eros Ramazzotti, Alicia Keys, Virginia Raffaele and Fabio De Luigi, The Kolors and Max Pezzali.
Fourth night – Friday 27 February
Friday is the night dedicated to covers. The 30 Campioni will perform a song of their choice, either Italian or international. The juries and the televote will determine the winner of this special trophy. Co-host is Bianca Balti, guests are Francesco Gabbani (Italy, Eurovision 2017) and Max Pezzali.
Fifth night – Saturday 28 February
If you have made it this far, the fifth and final night will provide you with six additional hours of TV entertainment. All 30 Campioni will be on stage performing their song for the third time. The media room, TV and Web jury (33%), the radio jury (33%) and the televote (34%) will vote again. At the end of all performances Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini will announce the final ranking from the 30th to the 6th position. The vote will be opened again for the five finalists, again for the media room, TV and Web jury (33%), the radio jury (33%) and the televote (34%). This new vote will be added to the previous one to determine the ultimate winner of the 2026 Sanremo Music Festival.
Co-hosts of the final night are Giorgia Cardinaletti and Nino Frassica. Guests are Andrea Bocelli, the Pooh and Max Pezzali.
Who will follow Olly and his Balorda nostalgia on the coveted list of Sanremo winners? The answer should be known between 01.00 and 01.30 AM of Sunday 1 March 2026. So get comfortable, this is only the beginning.
