Yesterday, during the first official press conference, held in Casinò di Sanremo, Fabio Fazio and Luciana Littizzetto, the two hosts of the 2013 Sanremo Festival, have announced the italian and international guests of the event.

A huge cast that will include well known singers like Andrea Bocelli, Caetano Veloso, Antony from Antony and The Johnsons, Asaf Avidan and Carla Bruni, famous conductors as Daniel Barenboim and Daniel Harding, who will celebrate a tribute to Giuseppe Verdi, international top models Bar Rafaeli and Bianca Balti, and, probably, also Pippo Baudo, 13 times hosts of Sanremo Festival, and Raffaella Carrà, international singer and presenter of the 2000 Sanremo Festival, of the show Salvemos Eurovisión in 2008 on TVE, and commentator for Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2011.

There will be also a lot of ESC past contestants taking part in the show: Al Bano Carrisi, Eurovision participant in 1976 and 1984 with Romina Power for Italy and backing vocal singer for Switzerland in 2000, Toto Cutugno, winner of the Eurovision Song Contest in 1990 with the song Insieme:1992, and Ricchi e Poveri, who represented Italy in 1978.

The actor Beppe Fiorello will be interviewed about his paticipation in the Tv movie Volare, inspired by the songs and life of Domenico Modugno, three times italian representative at the ESC in 1958, 1959 and 1966. In 1958 the singer won the Sanremo Festival with the song Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare) and also came third in the Eurovision Song Contest that year.

Watch the artists of the Giovani Category singing Nel blu dipinto di blu (Volare), by Domenico Modugno, here.

Finally, Antonella Ruggiero, who was the leader of the italian group Matia Bazar and took part with them in the 1979 Eurovision Song Contest, will sing together with Marta Sui Tubi, one of the contestants in the Big Category this year.

As it was announced by RAI, the Italian broadcaster, the 2013 Eurovision Song Contest representative will be one of the participants in Sanremo festival 2013. Italy is participating directly in the grand final of Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, to be held in 18 May.