Pop, rock, rap, ballads, different rhythms: a fundamental mix for presenting today's Italian music. Compared to last year, I think there's even more variety and freshness at Sanremo, and each performance is designed as a show in itself, for an edition of the Festival that we dedicate with great affection to our 'maestro', Pippo Baudo.
Carlo Conti – in command for the fifth time after the 2015, 2016, 2017, and 2025 editions – thus sums up the 76th edition of the Italian Song Festival, which will air from the Ariston Theater from Tuesday, February 24th to Saturday, February 28th in prime time on Rai 1, Rai Radio2, RaiPlay, and Rai 4K. "I'm fine, I'm calm, serene, we worked well, I'm very happy with the rehearsals, all the singers are satisfied. The sound is great, the images are beautiful, so I hope to bring home all this energy that will be released from the Ariston stage," says Conti.
Laura Pausini will be alongside him on all five nights. The competition will feature the 30 Big Artists with new songs, along with four Newcomers, two winners of Sanremo Giovani and two from Area Sanremo.
All the singers will be accompanied by the Festival Orchestra, conducted by Pinuccio Pirazzoli, composed as always of professional musicians, some selected by Rai and some provided by the Sanremo Symphony Orchestra Foundation, and by vocalists.
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THE COMPETITING SONGS:
Arisa – Magical Fairytale
Rag Dolls - Stay with me
Chiello - I always think of you
Dargen D'Amico - AI AI
Finger in the Plague - What a nuisance!
Eddie Brock - Vultures
Elettra Lamborghini - Voilà
Enrico Nigiotti - Every Time I Don't Know How to Fly
Ermal Meta - Little Star
Fedez & Marco Masini - Necessary Evil
Francesco Renga - The Best of Me
Fulminacci - Stupid Bad Luck
J-Ax - Italia Starter Pack
LDA & Aka7even – Clandestine Poems
Leo Gassmann - Natural
Levante - It's you
Luchè - Labyrinth
Malika Ayane - Nocturnal Animals
Mara Sattei – Things You Don't Know About Me
Maria Antonietta & Colombre - Happiness and That's It
Michele Bravi – Sooner or Later
Nayt - Before that
Patty Pravo - Opera
Raf - Now and Forever
Sal Da Vinci - Forever Yes
Samurai Jay - Obsession
Sayf - I like you so much
Serena Brancale - Here with me
Tommaso Paradiso - The Romantics
Thirteen Peters - Falling Man
THE NEW PROPOSALS:
Angelica Bove - Brick
Nicolò Filippucci - Lagoon
Blind, El Ma & Soniko - My DMs
Mazzariello - Manifestation of Love
The winner of the Big category will have the right to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will take place from 12 to 16 May in Vienna, Austria.
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The lineup night by night:
PRIME EVENING
The thirty Big Artists will perform and be voted on by the Press, TV, and Web Jury. The results of the voting will determine a ranking of the top 30 artists, but only the top five positions in the ranking will be published, without any order of placement.
Hosts Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini will be joined by Turkish actor Can Yaman.
The evening's super guest will be Tiziano Ferro , who will return to the Ariston stage 25 years after the release of the single Xdono and the album Rosso Relativo and to present his new album Sono un grande.
Every evening, live connections with the Tuscan coast off the Riviera: Max Pezzali will be accompanied in the first appointment by Olly, winner of the 2025 Festival.
Gaia will sing in Piazza Colombo.
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SECOND EVENING
15 artists will perform in the Big category, and will be voted on by the audience at home and the Radio Jury. At the end, a ranking of the evening's 15 songs will be drawn up and in this case too, only the top five positions in the ranking will be released without any order of placement.
There's also room for Newcomers, accompanied on stage by Gianluca Gazzoli: four artists will perform, divided into two direct challenges. Televoting, the Press, TV, and Web Juries, and the Radio Juries will vote on the songs. The two most voted artists, one for each challenge, will advance to the third evening.
The co-hosts will be Achille Lauro, actress Pilar Fogliati, and comedian Lillo.
Bresh will perform in Piazza Colombo.
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THIRD EVENING
The other 15 artists competing in the Big category will perform, and will once again be voted on by the audience at home and the Radio Jury. At the end, a ranking of the evening's 15 songs will be drawn up and in this case too, only the top five positions in the ranking will be released without any order of placement.
For the New Proposals category, accompanied on stage by Gianluca Gazzoli, the two finalists will compete. The winner will be decided by televoting, the TV and Web Press Room Jury, and the Radio Jury.
The co-hosts will be Russian supermodel Irina Shayk and comedian Ubaldo Pantani.
Special guests will be Eros Ramazzotti and international star Alicia Keys, as well as Virginia Raffaele and Fabio De Luigi.
The Kolors in Piazza Colombo.
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FOURTH EVENING
The thirty competing artists will perform an Italian or international cover song alongside a guest . Televoting, the TV and Web Press Room Jury, and the Radio Jury will vote on the performances. The artist with the most votes will be declared the winner of the cover night.
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Here are all the duets:
Arisa with the Teatro Regio di Parma Choir – What Women Don't Say
Rag Dolls with Cristina D'Avena – Cat's Eyes
Chiello with pianist Saverio Cigarini – I Fell in Love with You
Dargen D'Amico with Pupo and Fabrizio Bosso – About Us
Ditonellapiaga with TonyPitony - The Lady is a Tramp
Eddie Brock with Fabrizio Moro – Take Me Away
Elettra Lamborghini with Las Ketchup – Aserejé
Enrico Nigiotti with Alfa – En and Xanax
Ermal Meta with Dardust – Golden Hour
Fedez & Masini with Stjepan Hauser – Wonderful Creature
Francesco Renga with Giusy Ferreri – Lonely Boy, Lonely Girl
Fulminacci with Francesca Fagnani – Words words
J-Ax with Ligera County Fam. – And life, life
LDA & Aka 7even with Tullio De Piscopo – Slow Pace
Leo Gassmann with Aiello – It was all already planned
Levante with Gaia – The males
Luchè with Gianluca Grignani – Half-Falco
Malika Ayane with Claudio Santamaria – You Burst Inside My Heart
Mara Sattei with Mecna – The Last Kiss
Maria Antonietta & Colombre with Brunori Sas – The World
Michele Bravi with Fiorella Mannoia – Tomorrow Is Another Day
Nayt with Joan Thiele – The Song of Lost Love
Patty Pravo with Timofej Andrijashenko – I'll Leave You a Song
Raf with The Kolors – The Riddle
Sal Da Vinci with Michele Zarrillo – Five Days
Samurai Jay with Belén Rodríguez and Roy Paci – Baila Morena
Sayf with Alex Britti and Mario Biondi – Hit the Road Jack
Serena Brancale with Gregory Porter and Delia – Besame Mucho
Tommaso Paradiso with Stadio – The Last Moon
Thirteen Peters with Galeffi, Fudasca & Band – Life
The guest will be top model Bianca Balti.
Francesco Gabbani will sing in Piazza Colombo.
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FINAL
All 30 Big Artists will perform in the finale, voted for by televoting, the TV and Web Press Room Jury, and the Radio Jury. For the last time, only the top five will be announced, with no ranking order. The overall ranking will be based on the aggregation of the results from the first three nights (excluding the cover night). The five most voted artists will perform again and will be subject to a new vote by the three juries to determine the winner.
Co-hosts will be journalist Giorgia Cardinaletti and Nino Frassica.
Special guest Andrea Bocelli.
Finally, Pooh will perform in Piazza Colombo to celebrate their 60-year career.
(Unioneonline/D)
