Italian broadcaster RAI have revealed a first look at the stage design for the upcoming 2020 Sanremo Music Festival. The first of the shows starts in little over a week. The winner at the contest will have the opportunity to represent Italy in Rotterdam at the 2020 Eurovision Song Contest.
The stage was designed by Gaetano Castelli, his eighteenth time, who shared with RAI his design choices:
My choice – he says – was to completely eliminate the automations, replacing them with volumetric scenographic elements designed to expand the scenic space and acquire as deep as possible. And in this space I make the light “dance”.
Reduced, but not eliminated the scale, Castelli brings the orchestra back to the sides of the stage – in the mystical gulf – and has worked above all on the integration of elements of the scenography, video and lighting equipment
The main stage, the backdrops and the scenes contain video and scene-luminous apparatuses which, for the first time, are completely integrated with the lights of the director of photography Mario Catapano. The scene acquires dynamism thanks to its sinuous forms, perspective devices and synchrony with the musical rhythm of all the luminous and graphic effects, personalized for each artist and underlined by the dynamism of the shot signed by Stefano Vicario
Gaetano Castelli
Sanremo 2020 will be the 70th edition
Sanremo 2020 (Festival di Sanremo) will be celebrating it’s 70th edition, to be broadcast from 4th to 8th February 2020 live from the Ariston Theater in Sanremo. Popular Italian presenter Amadeus was appointed host and artistic director.
The full list of artists and their songs:
- Achille Lauro – Me ne frego (I don’t care)
- Alberto Urso – Il sole ad est (The sun to the east)
- Anastasio – Rosso di rabbia (Red with anger)
- Bugo e Morgan – Sincero (Sincere)
- Diodato – Fai rumore (Make noise)
- Elettra Lamborghini – Musica e il resto scompare (Music and the rest disappears)
- Elodie – Andromeda
- Enrico Nigiotti – Baciami adesso (Kiss me now)
- Francesco Gabbani – Viceversa (Vice versa)
- Giordana Angi – Come mia madre (Like my mother)
- Irene Grandi – Finalmente io (Finally I)
- Junior Cally – No grazie (No thanks)
- Le Vibrazioni – Dov’è (Where is it)
- Levante – Tiki Bom Bom
- Marco Masini – Il confronto (The comparison)
- Michele Zarrillo – Nell’estasi o nel fango (In ecstasy or mud)
- Paolo Jannacci – Voglio parlarti adesso (I want to talk to you now)
- Piero Pelù – Gigante (Giant)
- Pinguini Tattici Nucleari – Ringo Starr
- Rancore – Eden
- Raphael Gualazzi – Carioca
- Riki – Lo sappiamo entrambi (We both know it)
- Rita Pavone – Niente (Resilienza 74) (Nothing (Resilience 74))
- Tosca – Ho amato tutto (I loved everything)
Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
Italy was one of the seven countries that competed in the very first contest in 1956. So far, it participated at Eurovision 45 times, winning twice in 1964 and 1990. The country regularly participated at Eurovision until 1997 when it withdrew for 14 years. Italy returned to the contest in 2011, represented by Raphael Gualazzi with “Madness of love” earning 2nd place. Since returning, Italy ranked in the top 10 in seven out of nine occasions, including three top 3 finishes in 2011, 2015 and 2019. In Tel Aviv, Mahmood continued the successful run of Italian entries, finishing in second place, just 27 points shy of the coveted trophy.
What do you think of the stage design? Will you be watching Sanremo? What do you think Italy’s chances are in 2020? Be sure to stay updated by following @ESCXTRA on Twitter, @escxtra on Instagram and liking our Facebook page for the latest updates! Also, be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to see our reactions to the news in the run up to Rotterdam!
