Norbert from ESC Dublin to Amsterdam reports that Italy starts tonight the first evening of the annual San remo festival, which is in its 74th edition this year. The eventual winner of the five-day festival will represent Italy in Malmö. If they are not willing, RAI will appoint a candidate itself. However, the last time that happened was in 2016.
The thirty candidates also include a number of former participants in the Eurovision Song Contest. We see Il Volo (ESF’15), Mahmood (ESF’19 and ’22), Ricchi e Poveri (ESF’78) and Emma (ESF’14). Diodato, winner in 2020, will also be present.
The thirty candidates are guaranteed all five days. Voting takes place on all days, by different juries, and all results count towards the final determination of the top 5 on Saturday. All candidates will be discussed tonight. On Wednesday and Thursday the group will be split in two with fifteen performances each time. As usual, Friday will be all about covers where the candidates will perform a song together with a guest artist. On the final day, the thirty candidates will sing their own song again.
The candidates:
* Alessandra Amoroso – Fino a qui
* Alpha – Vai!
* Angelina Mango – La noia
* Annalisa – Sinceramente
* BigMama – La rabbia non ti basta
* Bnkr44 – Governo punk
* Clara – Diamanti grezzi
* Dargen D’Amico – Onda alta
* Diodato – Ti muovi
* Emma – Apnea
* Fiorella Mannoia – Mariposa
* Francesco Renga and Nek – Pazzo di te
* Fred De Palma – Il cielo non ci vuole
* Gazzelle – Tutto qui
* Geolier – I p’ me, tu p’ te
* Ghali – Casa mia
* Il Tre – Fragili
* Il Volo – Capolavoro
* Irama – Tu no
* La Sad – Autodistruttivo
* Loredana Bertè – Pazza
* Mahmood – Tuta gold
* Maninni – Spettacolare
* Mr. Rain – Due altalene
* Negramaro – Ricominciamo tutto
* Ricchi e Poveri – Ma non tutta la vita
* Rose Villain – Click Boom!
* Sangiovanni – Finiscimi
* Santi Francesi – L’amore in bocca
* The Kolors – Un ragazzo una ragazza
There will be various guest appearances and guests in the coming days. Marco Mengoni is already a guest presenter tonight and will also perform. John Travolta will visit on Wednesday and Eros Ramazzotti on Thursday. Gigliola Cinquetti is one of the guests on the final evening. Sixty years ago she won the San remo Festival and a few weeks later the Eurovision Song Contest with Non ho l’età.
The broadcasts start around 8:40 PM and can be followed via Rai Uno and also online. Videos of all performances will be posted on the festival’s official site shortly afterwards.
Featured image – Wikipedia