The Sanremo Music Festival has never lacked star power, but the 2026 edition reads like a snapshot of four decades of Italian music in one lineup. Thirty artists will step onto the Teatro Ariston stage from Feb. 24–28, mixing returning champions, established chart names, cult rappers, pop veterans and first-time entrants drawn from Italy’s shifting landscape of genres and generations. Carlo Conti returns as artistic director and host, continuing the format he steered in 2015–17 and again in 2025.
Tommaso Paradiso enters the competition for the first time as a solo artist after a decade fronting Thegiornalisti, the band whose radio hits helped push indie pop into the mainstream in the late 2010s. Paradiso, who left the group in 2019, has since released albums built around nostalgic pop production and expanded into film writing and directing.
Chiello, born Rocco Modello, also debuts. First known as part of the trap collective FSK Satellite, he became a leading Gen-Z voice through solo albums that blended rap and melodic pop. His appearance follows a guest performance last year but marks his first time competing.
Serena Brancale returns with a larger following than when she debuted in 2015. A classically trained multi-instrumentalist from Bari, she has moved between jazz, R&B and Barese-language pop. Her 2024 single “Baccalà” shifted her into national attention and introduced dialect into mainstream radio rotation.
Fulminacci, winner of a Targa Tenco for best debut album in 2019, last competed in 2021. His work has positioned him as one of Italy’s most respected young cantautori, and he has writing credits for several contemporary pop artists.
Ditonellapiaga, whose 2022 duet “Chimica” with Donatella Rettore became a major hit, brings a blend of alt-pop and disco. Since her debut she has released two albums and built a strong presence in Italian clubs and festivals.
One of Sanremo’s highest-profile pairings arrives with Fedez and Marco Masini. Fedez, a chart-topping rapper with a large media footprint, has competed once and appeared twice at Sanremo as a performer or writer. Masini, from Florence, enters as a two-time festival winner with a career stretching over three decades.
Leo Gassmann, winner of Sanremo Giovani 2020 and a finalist in 2023, returns with a growing mainstream following. Sayf, a Genoa-born rapper of Tunisian descent associated with the GENOVARABE movement, joins the competition as a newcomer after a string of recent singles raised his national profile.
Arisa returns with one of the strongest records among active Sanremo artists. She won the Newcomers section in 2009, the Big category in 2014 and has multiple podium finishes and critics’ prizes.
Tredici Pietro, son of Gianni Morandi, enters the festival with steady credibility in the current Italian rap scene. His solo and collaborative work since 2018 has marked him as part of the new wave of legacy-connected artists building careers on their own terms.
Sal Da Vinci, raised between Naples and the United States, brings decades of experience in Neapolitan pop and musical theater. He last competed in 2009 and has maintained an active live career rooted in traditional southern sounds.
Samurai Jay, part of Naples’ growing R&B and trap landscape, arrives with collaborations across that city’s rap community. His Sanremo debut signals further mainstream interest in the region’s current musical output.
Malika Ayane, who trained at Milan’s conservatory and performed with the Teatro alla Scala children’s choir, returns with a long history at the festival, including top placements and multiple critics’ awards.
Luchè, a leading figure in Neapolitan rap and co-founder of Co’Sang, competes for the first time. His solo work and label leadership have shaped the city’s rap scene for more than a decade. Co’Sang’s 2024 reunion produced one of the year’s top-selling albums.
Raf enters as one of the festival’s most recognizable veterans. Known internationally for “Self Control,” he later represented Italy at the 1987 Eurovision Song Contest with Umberto Tozzi. His catalogue stretches from Italo-disco to 1990s and 2000s adult pop.
Bambole di Pezza, an all-female pop-punk group formed in Milan in the late 1990s, make their Sanremo debut after returning to national activity during Italy’s recent pop-punk revival.
Ermal Meta returns with one of the festival’s strongest competitive records. Born in Albania and raised in Puglia, he led two bands before going solo, won the festival in 2018 with Fabrizio Moro and represented Italy at Eurovision.
Nayt, an independent rapper known for the “Raptus” trilogy and subsequent albums with a strong, dedicated fan base, joins Sanremo after a decade of work in Italy’s rap underground and mainstream.
Elettra Lamborghini returns after her 2020 entry. Known first through reality television, she shifted into Latin-pop and reggaeton with several charting singles and a debut album that earned multiple certifications.
Michele Bravi, who won X Factor Italia in 2013, last competed at Sanremo in 2022. His work has focused on intimate songwriting shaped by personal challenges and a distinctive vocal style.
J-Ax, a central figure in Italian rap through Articolo 31, solo work and television roles, competes for the first time despite a long public career and multiple collaborative projects, including the duo he formed with Fedez.
Enrico Nigiotti, known for autobiographical songwriting and a 2019 Sanremo appearance, returns with a catalogue that includes work written during stints on both Amici and X Factor Italia.
Maria Antonietta and Colombre compete together after years of creative collaboration. Maria Antonietta is known for indie-rock releases and published writing, while Colombre, formerly of Chewingum, has earned critical recognition for atmospheric indie pop and production work.
Francesco Renga, who won Sanremo in 2005 and first gained fame with the band Timoria, reenters with a long history at the festival and a catalogue that has remained part of Italian radio for more than 20 years.
Mara Sattei, known for collaborations with her brother Thasup and for her 2023 Sanremo entry written by Måneskin’s Damiano David, returns after establishing herself as a crossover pop and electronic artist.
LDA and Aka 7even, both former Amici contestants, join forces after individual Sanremo appearances. LDA, son of Gigi D’Alessio, and Aka 7even, winner of the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Italian Act, bring two large Gen-Z fan bases into the competition.
Dargen D’Amico, whose 2022 entry became one of that season’s biggest radio hits, returns after multiple roles as writer and performer. His career spans early-2000s Milan rap, independent label work and recent television appearances.
Levante, a Sicilian singer-songwriter and novelist, returns for the first time since 2020. Her hit “Alfonso” helped redefine Italian indie a decade ago, and “Tikibombom” remains one of Sanremo’s most recognized recent entries.
Eddie Brock, the stage name of Edoardo Iaschi, enters as one of the youngest competitors. His rise has come primarily through social media and club performances, positioning him as part of Italy’s fast-moving digital cantautore scene.
Patty Pravo, one of Italian pop’s most enduring figures, returns more than 55 years after her Sanremo debut. Known for “La bambola,” “Pazza idea” and a career marked by reinvention, she has earned multiple critics’ awards at the festival but has never won the main prize.
Sanremo 2026 reflects one of the broadest fields in recent memory. Eighteen of the 30 artists have previously competed in either the Big or Newcomers categories. Four are former winners: Marco Masini, Francesco Renga, Arisa and Ermal Meta. Two have represented Italy at Eurovision, Raf in 1987 and Meta in 2018. Twelve artists are making their competitive debuts, including Paradiso, Chiello, Sayf, Tredici Pietro, Samurai Jay, Luchè, Bambole di Pezza, Nayt, J-Ax, Maria Antonietta, Colombre and Eddie Brock. The field ranges from long-established artists to first-time entrants, highlighting the generational span that has long defined the festival.
The song titles will be unveiled in December during the Sanremo Giovani final, with the full performances held across five nights at the Teatro Ariston. The winner will receive the first option to represent Italy at the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna.
