After winning the Sanremo Festival last weekend, Olly was offered the opportunity to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, in Basel. After taking a few days to decide, he has chosen to refuse this opportunity. According to the Sanremo rules, runner-up Lucio Corsi should be selected in his place.
A broken streak of eight Sanremo winners at Eurovision
After winning the 75th Sanremo Festival, Olly was given a week to decide whether he would represent Italy at Eurovision or not. The question was not only a personal one (he stated that he did not take part in Sanremo with the idea of winning, even less so with Eurovision in mind), but also a business one. Indeed, most of Olly’s soldout “LO RIFARÒ. LO RIFAREMO TOUR” dates (May 4th to May 23rd) will clash with Eurovision (with rehearsals likely starting on May 3rd, until the Final on May 17th).
After a few days, Olly has chosen to opt out of Eurovision, and will not represent Italy in Basel. The last winner to do so was Stadio, the rock band that won Sanremo in 2016. At the time, the runner-up, Francesca Michielin (who also took part this year, finishing 21st) ended up going to Stockholm, with a revamped version of her Sanremo song “Nessun grado di separazione”.
The 2025 Sanremo rules indicate that Italian broadcaster RAI should go “down the rankings” to select its Eurovision entry. This would mean that, just like in 2016, the runner-up could step in. This year, it is Lucio Corsi, with his song “Volevo essere un duro”, which finished just 0.4 percentage points behind Olly.
With speculations growing around Olly’s decision in the past few days, Lucio Corsi has already declared that “it would be an honour” for him to step in and go to Eurovision for his country.
Italy will perform in the first semi-final in Basel. As an automatic qualifier (along Spain’s Melodi and Switzerland’s act (which is yet to be revealed)), the country will perform without competing in the show, and go directly to the Saturday final.
Who is Lucio Corsi?
Lucio Corsi is a 31-year-old singer from Tuscany, whose first main musical influences came from experimental and progressive rock artists, like Genesis, as well as Italian rockers such as Ivan Graziani.
After moving to Milan to start his musical career, he released his first EP Vetulonia Dakar in 2014 and has since released three albums, the latest in 2023 (La gente che sogna), with a fourth one planned for this year (Volevo essere un duro).
Taking part in Sanremo for the first time this year, he finished 2nd in the superfinal, just 0.4 percentage points behind Olly.
How do you feel about Olly’s decision? Did you expect him to accept or to refuse? How well do you think Lucio’s song could fare in Basel? Tell us more in the comments below or on social media!
I think that if you’re not prepared to go to esc, then you shouldn’t enter into the competition.
Exciting news about Olly! I think he would have done great at Eurovision, but I understand his decision. Lucio Corsi has some big shoes to fill!