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The Sanremo Festival was first held in Sanremo in 1951 to promote Italian music and increase tourism to the beautiful town.
It is now the longest-running televised music competition in the world, and it is widely believed to have inspired the creation of the Eurovision Song Contest.
The four-day event is much more than a celebration of Italian music, as the winner will receive the automatic right to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest.
As a result, an incredible 13 million viewers tune in annually to watch famous singers compete with rising talent.
If you’re excited for the competition’s return, continue reading for the latest information on the Sanremo Festival 2026, including its date, location, host, voting process, and broadcast details.
When is the Sanremo Festival 2026?
The Sanremo Festival 2026 will be held a little later than usual, as it has been moved to prevent clashing with the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina.
The much-loved music festival is scheduled to start on Tuesday, February 24, 2026, and conclude on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Where Will It Take Place?
As always, the Sanremo Festival will be hosted at the Teatro Ariston in Sanremo, Liguria, Italy.
Who Will Host the 2026 Sanremo Festival?
You might be thrilled to learn Carlo Conti will return as host and artistic director of the Sanremo Festival in 2026.
He has hosted the event on four non-consecutive occasions, as he stepped into the role from 2015 to 2017 and returned in 2025.
Conti’s role as artistic director might bring a few welcome tweaks and changes to the event. For instance, he’s introduced an earlier finish time of 1.45 am for the Grand Final, and he’s expected to only announce the Top 10 instead of the full rankings of all artists.
While there hasn’t been an official announcement, well-known Italian personalities are expected to join Conti as rotating co-hosts.
What’s the Voting Process?
The Sanremo Festival differs from other televised music competitions, as it doesn’t have a judging panel to determine the contestants’ fate.
Instead, it uses a voting system comprised of a press jury, radio jury, and televoting, which vary each night.
The press jury is comprised of journalists from online media and TV, the radio jury features representatives from radio stations across Italy, and the televoting process allows the public to vote via SMS or phone calls.
The winner is determined equally by press, radio, and televoting in the Grand Final, as each accounts for 33% of the vote.
What Will the Winner Receive?
The winner of the Sanremo Festival 2026 will receive first refusal to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026.
What’s more, they will be presented with the Golden Lion Trophy, which they will lift on stage following the announcement.
Also, it is often viewed as a huge platform for superstardom in Italy, providing the winner with many opportunities once the competition is over.
Where Can I Watch the Sanremo Festival 2026?
As always, the Sanremo Festival will be broadcast on the Italian state broadcaster, RAI 1, which will air every night of the iconic festival. Alternatively, you can watch it live or on-demand on RaiPlay.
If you live outside Italy, RaiPlay often removes geo-blocking to allow international audiences to watch the music competition. Therefore, you can tune in via the RaiPlay website or its app free of charge.
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