RAI has announced that the 77th edition of the Festival di Sanremo will take place between the 16th and 20th of February 2027. The announcement comes as whispers of possible changes to Italy’s Eurovision representative selection method swirl.
A revolution for the upcoming edition
La Repubblica has reported that Stefano De Martino, the artistic director of Sanremo, is looking into changing Italy’s Eurovision selection method.
Stefano de Martino will work alongside Fabrizio Ferraguzzo, the musical director of the show. Together they are reportedly planning a major overhaul of the festival.
The biggest change could come in the form of a night dedicated to the selection of Italy’s representative at Eurovision. This decision usually takes place when the overall winner is given the opportunity to go to Eurovision.
This change would see Italy heading towards a more traditional route for picking their Eurovision representative that aligns with the spirit of a national final show.
Another potential change could include a reduction in the number of competing artists from 30 to 24-26.
Italy’s eurovision history
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 2026 was “Per sempre sì” by Sal da Vinci. At the close of voting, Italy scored a total of 281 points in the Eurovision 2026 Grand Final, placing 5th. Of these, 134 points came from the juries, whilst the remaining 147 points came from the televote.
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Photo credits : RAI
News source : RAI and La Repubblica
Rory Gannon