Italian broadcaster Rai has confirmed that this year’s Sanremo will go ahead in March.
The show must go on
Rai has insisted that the festival will not be delayed due to COVID-19. In a statement, they said:
The 71st edition of the Sanremo Festival will be held from 2 to 6 March. The confirmation came at the end of a meeting between the Rai top management of the structures involved in the organisation of the event and the artistic director Amadeus, in the presence of the managing director Fabrizio Salini.
Among the topics addressed during the meeting, the health and organisational protocol that will be submitted to the competent authorities in a short time in order to provide for a presence of the public in the stalls of the Ariston Theater.
Rai’s statement on Sanremo 2021
Work is currently underway to have an audience at the Ariston Theatre in complete safety. Moreover, it is possible that the amount of accredited journalists in attendance will be reduced drastically. An estimate of 70 or 80 will be allowed to represent various media outlets.
Concerns from record companies
Enzo Mazza, CEO of Fimi (Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana), has spoken about the concerns coming from record companies on the artist’s safety.
“So far we have mainly talked about the surrounding area, concerns for restaurants, traders, for Piazza Colombo (a hotel in Sanremo). We have talked about the public as a hypothesis to guarantee their safety. But the festival is made up of many elements, starting with the competing artists who must be brought from the hotels to the Ariston for rehearsals and performances, with very precise rules to minimise risks.
As for what happens outside, there are rules and they are foreseen by the new decree: if the concerts cannot be held, if the restaurants are closed, I don’t understand what we are talking about. Those provisions are valid for all of Italy and therefore also for Sanremo.”
Enzo Mazza
26 acts will be taking part in this year’s Festival di Sanremo, they are:
- Aiello – Ora (Now)
- Annalisa – Dieci (Ten)
- Arisa – Potevi fare di più (You could have done more)
- Bugo – E invece sì (Instead yes)
- Colapesce e Dimartino – Musica leggerissima (Very light music)
- Coma_Cose – Fiamme negli occhi (Flames in the eyes)
- Ermal Meta – Un milione di cose da dirti (A million things to tell you)
- Extraliscio feat. Davide Toffolo – Esordienti (Beginners)
- Fasma – Parlami (Talk to me)
- Francesca Michielin e Fedez – Chiamami per nome (Call me by name)
- Francesco Renga – Quando trovo te (When I find you)
- Fulminacci – Santa Marinella
- Gaia – Cuore amaro (Bitter heart)
- Ghemon – Momento perfetto (Perfect moment)
- Gio Evan – Arnica
- Irama – La genesi del tuo colore (The genesis of your colour)
- La Rappresentante di Lista – Amare (To love)
- Lo Stato Sociale – Combat Pop
- Madame – Voce (Voice)
- Malika Ayane – Ti piaci così (You like yourself like that)
- Måneskin – Zitti e buoni (Silent and good)
- Max Gazzè e Trifluoperazina Monstery Band – Il farmacista (The pharmacist)
- Noemi – Glicine (Wisteria)
- Orietta Berti – Quando ti sei innamorato (When you fell in love)
- Random – Torno a te (I come back to you)
- Willie Peyote – Mai dire mai (La locura) (Never say never (The madness))
Italy in Eurovision
Italy were amongst the seven countries that took part in the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest in 1956. Before their first win, Italy scored two third place finishes in 1958 and 1963. Italy’s first win came in 1964 with Gigliola Cinquetti’s “Non ho l’età” in 1964 which won the contest in Copenhagen with 49 points. Their next top three didn’t come until 1974 – again with Gigliola Cinquetti. “Si” finished in 2nd place, behind Sweden’s ABBA.
In 1990, Toto Cutugno became Italy’s second, and most recent, winner with “Insieme: 1992”. It won the contest with 149 points. Italy took part a further 4 times in the 1990s, before taking a 13-year break from the contest from 1998 to 2010.
They returned to the contest in 2011 and has since finished in the top three on three occasions – 2nd in 2011, 3rd in 2015 and 2nd in 2019. Diodato was selected to represent Italy in 2020 with “Fai rumore” before the contest was cancelled.
Who are you most excited to see perform at this year’s Sanremo? Let us know in the comments!
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