The inspiration behind Eurovision and Italy’s national final, Festival di Sanremo, has been postponed by a week. It will now air from February 11th to 15th, 2025.
Sanremo rescheduled
Roberto Sergio of RAI explained that the decision was made due to conflicts with the Coppa Italia, the national championship for Italian football. Sanremo was previously scheduled to take place between February 4th and 8th, but those dates conflicted with the Coppa Italia quarterfinals. RAI announced the move at their annual schedule presentation in Naples.
What is Festival di Sanremo?
Italy’s renowned Festival di Sanremo is, in many ways, the original Eurovision–the contest we know and love was modeled after it, after all! First broadcast in 1951, it is the longest-running annual TV music competition in the world. Sanremo was developed as a way to revitalize the city of Sanremo’s economy and reputation after the Second World War, and has since split into two smaller contests: the “Big Artists” section, whose winner gets first refusal to represent Italy in Eurovision, and the “Newcomers” section, first included in 1984. Scores are determined through public voting and two groups of juries, and the festival takes place across five nights.
Italy’s Eurovision Journey
Italy has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest since the very beginning and have always been considered a powerhouse in the contest. The country has won the contest on three occasions in 1964, 1990 and 2021. Italy withdrew after 1997, returning again in 2011 with Raphael Gualazzi who sang ‘Madness Of Love’. Raphael placed second in the 2011 Eurovision Song Contest after scoring 189 points.
Italy’s most recent entry in 2024 was “La Noia” by Angelina Mango. At the close of voting, Italy scored a total of 268 points in the Eurovision 2024 Grand Final, placing 7th. Of these, 164 points came from the juries, whilst the remaining 104 points came from the televote.
Will you be tuning in to Sanremo this year? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we head towards Eurovision 2025!
News Credit: Informazione.it
Photo Credit: RAI
Giwrgos Oiko