It’s the Eurovision down season, and don’t you for a second think we’re going to stop speculating, arguing, and pushing our heated opinions. Our latest series will look at the national finals of Eurovision, and discussing how we would reform the national finals of Eurovision. Today we’re having a look at Sanremo.
In part seven of this series Euan, Kittens and Angus discuss what changes they’d make to Italy’s national final.
What is 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.
Do we like what the NF does so far, and do we think there’s a chance of it producing a winner?
Euan
Sanremo is so good at what it does it must be said. Virtually every single year Italy is at Eurovision, it’s with a song that has a chance of winning the contest most notably excluding 2022 because that the absolute hell was that mess of a song and performance. This isn’t because Italy magically has better music that all the other countries in Europe, or a shear accident. Rai has been so careful to make sure that the best quality of songs and best artists in the country are going to the contest. Seldom does it feel like a big name is there because they’re a big name; they have to actually put the work in to earn a spot in the show. Something that’s extremely commendable and that many other countries need to follow suit with.
Kittens
If I was writing this in 2023, I would have SO MUCH to say. But the last edition of Sanremo was near perfect. Angelina was a perfect choice from that lineup, although it’s fair to say there’s a few others who could also have taken the crown and done an outstanding job. Compared to the struggle that was 2023 as a show, it felt like big improvements were made to the final this year, especially in the song selection department, and some true talent shone through – in another year, ‘La Noia’ might well have been a winner, and it clearly won the hearts of both the jury and the public, with good scores on both.
Angus
There is much to praise Sanremo for. It is a showcase of multiple corners of the Italian music scene, it captures the attention of those in and beyond Italy’s borders. Whether you watch it or not, Sanremo week is always a true event. Some of the things that could be identified as issues, such as running behind schedule, the song selection, some of the results, and running behind schedule are also part of its charm. So while I personally am not a fan of Sanremo, I can also clearly see why so many people love it so much. As for sending a winner, well, Sanremo produced a winner fairly recently. Italy also is fairly competitive at Eurovision almost every year, so there are no issues there.
What changes would we make to the National Final?
Euan
The most important thing they should do that would drastically improve Italy in Eurovision is actually have a national final element to the show. It’s intrinsically linked to Eurovision; so it should actually fit the contest itself. The first refusal with a random song is silly, as was the jury that picked any of the acts competing irrespective of where they finished. The top five super final should form a basis of what act could potentially go to Eurovision. The five that make it to that super final should be automatically drafted into a national final following Sanremo, with the acts having to submit a song that is Eurovision ready because some of cuts made to Italian entries to make them compliant have been utterly heinous. It also means that acts have the opportunity reassess whether their entry in Sanremo could win a small NF or Eurovision itself. Sanremo is a completely different kettle of fish and that needs acknowledged. Secondly, reverse any decision that’s been made about Giovanni since the 2024 contest. It’s a great thing and a brilliant mechanism for bringing in fresh talent and shouldn’t be chucked away.
Kittens
Is it wrong that I wish they actually DON’T make too many changes? The big thing that made the show more enjoyable for me this year was definitely the variety of song choices. Compared to the previous year where it was primarily a glut of somewhat dull ballads, this year had such good variety and it feels like that was an important step. I’d love to see some of this years artists return, and also discover some new joys in new artists, while ensuring Sanremo retains all the glitz and glamour of the show as it is.
Angus
I think that there are some things that RAI should try achieving. I appreciate the variety we got in 2024 and would love to see even more. While coming through via Giovani did feel like a death sentence to any chance at a good result, I will sorely miss it in 2025. In general, while I somewhat appreciate the points system, I think it would be good if some of the different juries got changed or scrapped, and the same is true for the superfinal. I also agree with Euan that a bigger connection with Eurovision would be good. That doesn’t mean that Sanremo should lose its unique character or anything, but maybe the artists that want to go to Eurovision should at least have a Eurovision-ready version of their song prepared. Whether they can only compete with that version or a separate segment is created where the artists show off their sub-3 minute versions I will leave up to RAI.
Do we think any reforms are likely to happen to this NF?
Euan
Yes, and they really need to stop making terrible decisions and bring back Amadeus to make strange, yet good, decisions. I think with the current way that reforms are going a lot of charm could be lost from the show.
Kittens
Unfortunately yes, but this is an inevitable side effect of the situation. The elephant in the room for Sanremo is Amadeus no longer being involved, and we’ve already been made aware of some changes happening to the format of the show beyond just the new presenter and artistic director Carlo Conti. When there’s so much change happening already, it feels almost impossible to know what’s going to happen in 2025. Personally, I need to see them keep up the momentum from the previous year and not lose their stride – I hope it is just not infected too much with people wanting to put their own stamp on things, while still capturing positive change.
Angus
Sanremo always gets tweaked here and there, but I don’t expect any fundamental shifts. Sure, Amadeus is no longer the artistic director. But exactly how much did he really control and influence every element of Sanremo? Even if he had complete control of the whole thing, will Conti dare to make any truly big or impactful changes? Only time will tell, but I think that at least in 2025 and 2026 many of the changes will be fairly small in their impact.
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.
What do you think about our reforms? As always, let us know what you think by commenting down below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky for all the latest Eurovision news!
News Source: That Eurovision Site
Photo Credit: Ansa/Ettore Ferrari
Tim J