Italian broadcaster RAI has announced that internationally recognised actor Can Yaman will join Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini as a co-host during one of the nights of the Festival di Sanremo 2026.
Who is Can Yaman?
Can Yaman, 36, has gained widespread fame through his acting roles in international television series such as Sandokan and El Turco, as well as projects in Italy, Spain, and beyond. His multilingual abilities, in Turkish, Italian, English, and Spanish, have helped establish him as a global entertainment figure, making his inclusion in the Sanremo hosting lineup a notable highlight for the 2026 edition.
The Turkish performer is set to take on hosting duties for the first evening of the five-night event on 24 February at the Teatro Ariston.
Sanremo 2026 Hosting Lineup
The 76th edition of the long-running Italian song festival will run from 24 to 28 February 2026. Carlo Conti returns as both artistic director and main host, with Laura Pausini alongside him every night. Can Yaman’s hosting appearance on the first night adds an international flair early in the competition.
Also previously announced as co-hosts for other evenings are stars such as Achille Lauro.
How Sanremo 2026 will work
Sanremo 2026 keeps its classic five-night format:
- Night 1 (Tuesday):
All 30 artists perform their songs for the first time.
- Night 2 (Wednesday):
Half of the lineup returns to the stage. The remaining 15 perform the next night. Nuove Proposte battles begin.
- Night 3 (Thursday):
The other 15 artists perform while the Nuove Proposte final happens.
- Night 4 – Cover Night (Friday):
Each artist performs an Italian or international cover released before 31 December 2025, joined by a guest performer. The Cover Night does not influence the final ranking.
- Night 5 – Final (Saturday):
All 30 big artists perform again, the ranking narrows to a Superfinal, and the overall winner of Sanremo 2026 is crowned!
As confirmed in the Festival rulebook, the studio versions of all songs will be released on 25 February at 00:00 CET, right after every artist has performed their entry during the first night.
About San Remo
Italy’s renowned Festival di Sanremo is, in many ways, the original Eurovision–the contest we know and love was modelled 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 revitalise 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 has 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 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.
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News Source: RAI
Photo Credit: RAI