The curtain falls on Sanremo 2026 and the Conti era.
Eleven million and 22 thousand viewers, equal to a 68.8% share, watched the finale. This is also a decrease from 2025, which had achieved a record average of 13,427,000 viewers on the final night, equal to a 73.1% share.
This morning the traditional podium press conference, with Sal Da Vinci the winner, Sayf second and Ditonellapiaga third.
"This is the victory of a people, of all those who, like me, have persevered to achieve their dreams," said Sal Da Vinci. "And yesterday, the dream I've had since I was a child came true. It's the victory of all those who come from the bottom."
Then the classic question about Eurovision: "It's something that touches me right now, but at the same time it seems like such a huge undertaking to tackle, such a wonderful undertaking. Bringing Italian music outside our country is a source of pride. I don't know what to say..." Prompted by the journalist, who persistently used the title of his song, "So? Forever...", "Forever, yes, but I've always said so." This year, all the singers were asked if they wanted to participate in the Festival. Out of 30 big names, "27 said yes," Fasulo explained, two said no, and one didn't submit the form," said Rai's Deputy Director of Prime Time Entertainment, Claudio Fasulo.
"Geolier called me this morning. I want to share this award with him, who somehow saw his unfinished work two years ago," he added, referring to the Neapolitan rapper's second-place finish at Sanremo 2024, won by Angelina Mango. He then thought of his wife, to whom his winning song, "Per sempre sì," is dedicated: " Paola was and is an important life partner for me. Thanks to her, I managed to survive in the wolves' den; she always supported and encouraged me. A fantastic woman and mother. We've known each other since '84; our first kiss was in Posillipo, and we've come this far. We haven't spoken much, but we've looked at each other; that's the most beautiful thing. We know each other so well now that we're in symbiosis."
Sayf second: "I'm very happy. Obviously, you start without any expectations, so when you get there, you hope, so it's almost like losing on penalties. Even in my team, there are people who perhaps didn't have this job, so I feel a bit like I've created a new Leicester," he says, referring to the surprise English champions of 2016 under Claudio Ranieri. On the mother he wanted on stage: " My mother is definitely the most important woman in my life. I'm proud to have been able to share this experience with my mother; bringing her on stage was a way to capture that moment, that memory. I surprised her, it wasn't planned."
Ditonellapiaga third : "It's a huge satisfaction. I didn't even expect to be accepted at the festival, so I'd say my expectations were greatly exceeded. I'm thrilled that a song like mine, a song with a distinct pop, electro-pop, and acid house feel, is on the podium. It seems like a complete hallucination to me. I'm happy that a female artist with a name like mine, Ditonellapiaga, which was also quite a difficult name to live by, still made it to the podium alongside these two talented artists."
Meanwhile, Carlo Conti bids farewell to the Festival: "It was a very fun, very exciting experience, lived with great serenity, and I'm also happy with the results: I'm leaving with the gold and bronze medals. When two months ago I definitively said no to the company's desire to re-stage Sanremo, and the company made its decision, I strongly urged," he emphasizes, "to do the handover on video: it seemed like a sign of corporate cohesion, of respect. I liked the idea of being part of a festival that looked to the past, dedicated to Baudo, and the baton to the future with Stefano. I asked to be the one on air to do the handover." Then came the customary thanks, "to all of you journalists, to the competing singers, to the record companies, both major and independent. The important thing was the respect, which is fundamental between us, those who write and the viewers. You know," Conti emphasizes, "that for me the fundamental elements of work and life are respect and honesty." And then a thank you to Sanremo, "and the most important thank you, to Bruno, the fisherman who took me fishing off the coast of Sanremo these days. Long live Rai."
Sayf won the televote with 26.4% of the vote. Winner Sal da Vinci received 23.6%. Arisa came in third with 19.2%, edging out Ditonellapiaga at 18.9%. Fedez & Masini finished fifth with 11.9%. The total vote standings: Sal Da Vinci 22.2%; Sayf 21.9%; Ditonellapiaga 20.6%; Arisa 18.9%; Fedez and Marco Masini 16.5%.
The other numbers. Advertising revenue for the 2026 festival stands at €72 million, "up 10% compared to last year," announced Luca Poggi, CEO of Rai Pubblicità. "A healthy festival that grew from Tuesday to Saturday; there were no declines, but rather, a bucked the past trend, which has consolidated." Williams Di Liberatore, Director of Prime Time Entertainment at Rai, commented. "Sanremo confirms itself as an event of such magnitude that there is no equal in Europe, and we are proud of this. And we have confirmed it this year," he added.