A showdown is brewing between Italian broadcaster RAI and the city of Sanremo, as negotiations over the future of the festival hit a standstill – and the deadline to reach an agreement is now just days away.
Tensions rise over festival rights and control
According to Il Sole 24 Ore, negotiations between RAI and the Municipality of Sanremo have broken down due to major disagreements over who owns the Sanremo Festival’s format and brand. The core issue is Sanremo’s request to be officially recognised as the rightful owner of the Festival’s intellectual property – a claim that RAI strongly rejects.
The dispute originates from a 2024 court ruling – later upheld in May 2025 by the Council of State – which found RAI’s previous direct management of the Festival to be unlawful. Following this decision, the Municipality of Sanremo launched a public tender for the Festival’s rights from 2026 to 2028, with an option to extend the contract until 2030.
Although RAI was the only broadcaster to respond to the tender, it now seems unwilling to proceed under the current conditions. According to reports, the network has set a deadline of 1 August to reach an agreement – after which it may consider creating its own version of the Festival in a different location.
Key points of contention include Sanremo’s request for 1% of advertising revenue and, more significantly, its claim to the Festival’s brand and creative ownership.
RAI has allegedly communicated informally to the municipality that it is prepared to pull out entirely if these issues are not resolved.
A future outside Sanremo?
If no agreement is reached in time, RAI may choose to organise the 76th Festival of Italian Song independently in 2026 – potentially in a completely different city. Reports indicate that several cities, including Turin, Milan, Viareggio, Rimini, and Naples, have already expressed interest in hosting the event.
Although Sanremo has been the festival’s iconic home since it began in 1951, RAI now seems ready to take a different path if a deal isn’t finalised in the coming days.
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 2025 was “Volevo essere un duro” by Lucio Corsi. At the close of voting, Italy scored a total of 256 points in the Eurovision 2025 Grand Final, placing 5th. Of these, 159 points came from the juries, whilst the remaining 97 points came from the televote.
What do you think – should RAI take the Festival elsewhere, or should Sanremo remain its home? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. And don’t forget to follow That Eurovision Site on Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, Tumblr, and Bluesky for all the latest updates on Sanremo and Eurovision 2026!
News Source: Il Sole 24 Ore
Photo Credit: Daniele Venturelli / Getty Images
Rory Gannon 
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