Sanremo 2026: Conti and Pausini Lead the 76th Edition
The 76th edition of the Festival di Sanremo kicks off on February 24, 2026, running through February 28 at the Teatro Ariston. Hosting duties are entrusted to Carlo Conti, joined by Laura Pausini, who returns to the stage where she made her early career debut.
The scheduling takes into account the overlap with Milano Cortina 2026, as part of a maximum-visibility strategy for RAI. A total of 30 established artists (“Big”) will compete with previously unreleased songs, including Arisa (Magica favola), Ermal Meta (Stella stellina), Malika Ayane (Animali notturni), Patty Pravo (Opera), Tommaso Paradiso (I romantici), and Fedez & Masini (Male necessario).
The evening of February 27 will be dedicated to covers and duets. Announced pairings include Chiello with Morgan (Mi sono innamorato di te), Levante with Gaia (I maschi), Raf with The Kolors (The Riddle), and Michele Bravi with Fiorella Mannoia (Domani è un altro giorno). Confirmed guest performers include Tiziano Ferro, Eros Ramazzotti, Alicia Keys, and Andrea Bocelli.
The voting system remains mixed: the Press Room votes on the first night; Televote and Radio juries on subsequent nights; and a combination of all three components for the covers night and the final, culminating in a five-artist superfinal to determine the winner.
The 30 Competing “Big” Artists and Their Songs
Here is the complete list of competing artists and their original songs:
Arisa – Magica favola
Bambole di Pezza – Resta con me
Chiello – Ti penso sempre
Dargen D’Amico – Ai ai
Ditonellapiaga – Che fastidio!
Eddie Brock – Avvoltoi
Elettra Lamborghini – Voilà
Enrico Nigiotti – Ogni volta che non so volare
Ermal Meta – Stella stellina
Fedez & Masini – Male necessario
Francesco Renga – Il meglio di me
Fulminacci – Stupida sfortuna
J-Ax – Italia Starter Pack
LDA & Aka 7even – Poesie clandestine
Leo Gassmann – Naturale
Levante – Sei tu
Luchè – Labirinto
Malika Ayane – Animali notturni
Mara Sattei – Le cose che non sai di me
Maria Antonietta & Colombre – La felicità e basta
Michele Bravi – Prima o poi
Nayt – Prima che
Patty Pravo – Opera
Raf – Ora e per sempre
Sal Da Vinci – Per sempre sì
Samurai Jay – Ossessione
Sayf – Tu mi piaci tanto
Serena Brancale – Qui con me
Tommaso Paradiso – I romantici
Tredici Pietro – Uomo che cade
Covers Night (February 27)
The fourth evening will focus on covers and duets. Announced pairings include:
Arisa with the Coro del Teatro Regio di Parma – Quello che le donne non dicono
Bambole di Pezza with Cristina D’Avena – Occhi di gatto
Chiello with Morgan – Mi sono innamorato di te
Dargen D’Amico with Pupo and Fabrizio Bosso – Su di noi
Ditonellapiaga with TonyPitony – The Lady Is a Tramp
Elettra Lamborghini with Las Ketchup – Aserejé
Ermal Meta with Dardust – Golden Hour
Fedez & Masini with Stjepan Hauser – Meravigliosa creatura
Francesco Renga with Giusy Ferreri – Ragazzo solo, ragazza sola
Levante with Gaia – I maschi
Malika Ayane with Claudio Santamaria – Mi sei scoppiato dentro al cuore
Michele Bravi with Fiorella Mannoia – Domani è un altro giorno
Patty Pravo with Timofej Andrijashenko – Ti lascio una canzone
Raf with The Kolors – The Riddle
Tommaso Paradiso with Stadio – L’ultima luna
Tredici Pietro with Galeffi, Fudasca & Band – Vita
Guests Across the Five Evenings
Announced guests during the week include:
Tiziano Ferro (opening night)
Eros Ramazzotti (third night)
Alicia Keys (international guest)
Andrea Bocelli (final night)
Musical segments are also planned from the Suzuki Stage in Piazza Colombo featuring Gaia, Bresh, The Kolors, Francesco Gabbani, and Pooh, along with a regular live link from the Sanremo waterfront with Max Pezzali.
Voting System
The format confirms a mixed system:
First night: Press Room (TV and Web)
Second and third nights: Televote + Radio Jury (50%–50%)
Covers night: Televote (34%), Press Room (33%), Radio Jury (33%)
Final: Combined vote and five-artist superfinal
A balance between popular consensus and professional evaluation keeps the competition open until the final announcement.