After winning the 76th edition of the Festival di Sanremo, Sal Da Vinci has officially confirmed that he will represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with “Per sempre sì“, despite having a sold-out concert scheduled in the United States on May 16.
Sal’s confirmation
As per tradition, the Sanremo winner is given first refusal to represent Italy at Eurovision. Should the artist decline, broadcaster RAI reserves the right to internally select another act from the Festival line-up. In this case, had Sal Da Vinci declined the offer, Sayf (who previously expressed support for Levante’s stance on Israel’s participation) would have been next in line, followed by third-place finisher Ditonellapiaga.
However, Sal Da Vinci has now ended speculation by confirming he will travel to Vienna for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, despite the dates clashing with a sold-out show in the United States. The Neapolitan singer has reportedly chosen to prioritise Eurovision and is making arrangements to resolve the scheduling conflict.
From Sanremo triumph to Eurovision stage
Sal Da Vinci won Sanremo 2026 with “Per sempre sì” after advancing to the Superfinal alongside Sayf, Ditonellapiaga, Arisa and Fedez & Marco Masini. The final result (determined by a split vote of 33% press jury, 33% radio jury and 34% televote) saw him secure overall victory.
In the Superfinal, Sal Da Vinci prevailed with 22.2% of the vote. The outcome was exceptionally close, with Sayf finishing just behind on 21.9%. Ditonellapiaga followed with 20.6%, while Arisa received 18.9% and Fedez & Marco Masini completed the Top 5 with 16.5%.
Notably, Sayf won the televote, placing 2.8 percentage points ahead of Sal Da Vinci. However, stronger support from the press and radio juries ultimately proved decisive.
The song was written by Alessandro La Cava, Eugenio Maimone, Federica Abbate, Federico Mercuri, Francesco Sorrentino, Giordano Cremona and Salvatore Michael Sorrentino himself, and quickly became one of the Festival’s most-streamed tracks.
The full Sanremo 2026 ranking
| Order | Artist | Entry | Placing |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Francesco Renga | Il meglio di me | 23 |
| 2 | Chiello | Ti penso sempre | 25 |
| 3 | Raf | Ora e per sempre | 18 |
| 4 | Bambole di pezza | Resta con me | 13 |
| 5 | Leo Gassmann | Naturale | 28 |
| 6 | Malika Ayane | Animali notturni | 19 |
| 7 | Tommaso Paradiso | I romantici | 10 |
| 8 | J-Ax | Italia starter pack | 15 |
| 9 | LDA & AKA 7even | Poesie clandestine | 11 |
| 10 | Serena Brancale | Qui con me | 9 |
| 11 | Patty Pravo | Opera | 24 |
| 12 | Sal Da Vinci | Per sempre sì | 1 |
| 13 | Elettra Lamborghini | Voilà | 26 |
| 14 | Ermal Meta | Stella stellina | 8 |
| 15 | Ditonellapiaga | Che fastidio! | 3 |
| 16 | Nayt | Prima che | 6 |
| 17 | Arisa | Magica favola | 4 |
| 18 | Sayf | Tu mi piaci tanto | 2 |
| 19 | Levante | Sei tu | 14 |
| 20 | Fedez & Masini | Male necessario | 5 |
| 21 | Samurai Jay | Ossessione | 17 |
| 22 | Michele Bravi | Prima o poi | 22 |
| 23 | Fulminacci | Stupida sfortuna | 7 |
| 24 | Luchè | Labirinto | 12 |
| 25 | Tredici Pietro | Uomo che cade | 16 |
| 26 | Mara Sattei | Le cose che non sai di me | 29 |
| 27 | Dargen D’Amico | AI AI | 27 |
| 28 | Enrico Nigiotti | Ogni volta che non so volare | 20 |
| 29 | Maria Antonietta & Colombre | La felicità e basta | 21 |
| 30 | Eddie Brock | Avvoltoi | 30 |
Who is Sal da Vinci?
Born Salvatore Michael Sorrentino in New York in 1969 during his father’s US tour, Sal Da Vinci grew up in Naples and has built a decades-long career spanning music and theatre. The son of Mario Da Vinci, a prominent figure in Neapolitan song, he began performing at just six years old.
Over the course of his career, he has released numerous albums and enjoyed significant commercial success, most recently with “Rossetto e caffè“, which achieved platinum certification in 2025. Sanremo 2026 marked his return to the competition after 17 years, following his third-place finish in 2009 with “Non riesco a farti innamorare“.
With his Eurovision participation now confirmed, Italy’s attention turns to preparations for Vienna, where Sal Da Vinci will perform “Per sempre sì” on the Eurovision stage this May.
As a member of the Big Five, Italy automatically qualifies for the Grand Final.
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.
Are you happy with the winner of Sanremo 2026? As always, please let us know what you think by getting involved in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads, tumblr, and Bluesky for more information about Eurovision 2026!
Source: Sal Da Vinci / RAI
Photo Credit: Sal Da Vinci
Euan T