Denny Montesi, San Marino’s new Head of Delegation – succeeding Alessandro Capicchioni – has confirmed that the San Marino Song Contest 2026 final will take place on March 1, marking the debut of a new selection format for this year’s edition.
A new format with “Stage Live Academy”
In a video shared by San Marino RTV on Instagram, Montesi revealed that the 2026 contest will feature a new phase titled “Stage Live Academy”, scheduled for February, ahead of the two Semi-Finals and the Grand Final.
“Yes, there will be new features for the San Marino Song Contest – a new phase called Stage Live Academy will be held in February, and the semi-finals will take place in the same theatre as the final, just days before,” said Montesi.
San Marino looks ahead to Eurovision 2026
Speaking about Eurovision, Montesi said preparations are still at an early stage:
“It’s still early. We have to go through all the selections and our national final on March 1. Once we find our new artist, we aim to do better than in recent years. We expect a lot more from ourselves.”
The San Marino Song Contest is expected to be the nation’s format until 2028, following a signed three-year deal between SMRTV, the Secretariat for Tourism and Media Evolution.
San Marino’s Eurovision journey
As one of the smallest countries in Europe, San Marino made its debut in the competition in 2008 with Miodio and the song “Complice”. Since then, they have participated in the competition 14 times, qualifying for the grand final three times. Their best result was in 2019, with Serhat and “Say Na Na Na”.
Italian DJ Gabry Ponte represented San Marino in 2025 with his song “Tutta L’Italia” – the original theme song for Sanremo that year. Performing in the first semi-final, San Marino qualified for the final, where it ultimately placed last with 37 points. 28 points came from the juries, while 9 came from the televote.
Are you excited to see who will represent San Marino in 2026? 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: San Marino RTV
Photo Credit: Alma Bengtsson / EBU
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