Italian Festival di Sanremo is famed for bringing on notable international guests throughout its competition run, and this year is no exception! Broadcaster RAI has announced that the Black Eyed Peas will take to the Sanremo stage on the 8th February (the second night of the contest). Additionally, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will join the contest on the 11th February for the final.
Two more of this year’s Sanremo co-hosts have also been revealed by RAI. Volleyball champion Paola Egonu will co-host the contest on 9th February. Actress, writer and presenter Chiara Francini will join hosts Amadeus and Gianni Morandi on 10th February. They join the previously announced co-hosts Chiara Ferragini and Francesca Fagnani.
Other guests in this year’s Sanremo include Al Bano, Blanco, Guè, Mahmood, Massimo Ranieri and Salmo.
What else do we know about Sanremo 2023?
Festival di Sanremo 2023 will take place between 7th – 11th February. 28 artists will take part in the contest – 22 established artists and 6 selected through Sanremo Giovani for newcomer artists. The shows will take place from the Teatro Ariston, Sanremo, across the five nights.
Here’s a little guide as to how each night of the contest will work!
| Night | What Happens? | Voting | Hosts | Guests |
| Night 1 (7th February) | 14 artists will perform their competing entry. | The press jury votes on night 1 | Amadeus Gianni Morandi Chiara Ferragini | Mahmood & Blanco Salmo* |
| Night 2 (8th February) | The remaining 14 artists will perform their competing entry. | The press jury votes on night 2 (and we receive a ranking of all 28 songs over the two nights) | Amadeus Gianni Morandi Francesca Fagnani | Al Bano Black Eyed Peas Fedez* Massimo Ranieri |
| Night 3 (9th February) | All 28 artists will perform their competing entry. | The demoscopic jury and public vote on night 3 | Amadeus Gianni Morandi Paola Egonu | Takagi & Ketra* |
| Night 4 (10th February) | All 28 artists will perform a cover of a song from the 70s, 80s, 90s or 00s with an invited guest. | The press jury (33%), demoscopic jury (33%) and public (34%) vote on night 4 | Amadeus Gianni Morandi Chiara Francini | Guè* |
| Night 5 (11th February) | All 28 artists will perform their competing entry, and the winner will be decided! | The public vote on night 5, with the top 5 artists across all five nights making it to the podium, and a final vote across all three juries, weighted in the same way as night 4, determines the winner from these | Amadeus Gianni Morandi Chiara Ferragini | Salmo* Volodymyr Zelenskyy |
Guests marked with an * will perform on the floating stage – a cruise ship!
Other guests have been announced, including, but their nights have not yet been confirmed.
Italy’s Eurovision Journey
Italy has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since the very beginning and has always been considered a powerhouse in the contest. Italy has won the contest on three occasions: in 1964, 1990 and 2021. After 1997, Italy withdrew for a while, returning again in 2011 with Raphael Gualazzi, who sang ‘Madness Of Love.’ Raphael placed second in the 2011 Eurovison Song Contest, scoring 189 points.
Italy’s most recent entry in 2022 was ‘Brividi’ by Mahmood and Blanco, performed on home soil after rock band Måneskin won the previous contest in 2021. At the close of voting, Italy scoring 268 points in the Eurovision 2022 Grand Final, placing sixth.
Are you excited for Sanremo 2023? Who would you like to see appear as a guest during the shows? As always, let us know your thoughts by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter as we prepare for Eurovision 2023.
News Source: RAI
Photo Credit: Ukrainian Presidential Press Service/Nabil Elderkin
