The secrets behind the world’s longest-running music event: The Sanremo Festival continues to generate millions – where does the money go? All the numbers revealed.

Sanremo Festival 2025 concluded but continues to resonate across Europe. The tension, drama, and excitement peaked with the unforgettable victory of Olly, who overnight became a symbol of a new generation in Italian music. Olly, who announced yesterday his refusal to represent Italy at Eurovision 2025—leaving the spot to Lucio Corsi—won the hearts of millions and became the hottest name in the charts and media. However, beyond the spectacular performances and the grand victory, this year’s festival was primarily an economic powerhouse, setting new financial records and generating an unprecedented economic impact of €245.1 million — a €40 million increase compared to 2024.

The most famous festival in Italy is not just a musical event but also a financial machine rolling in millions of euros. This year’s 75th edition, held from February 11 to 15, marked the return of Carlo Conti as host and artistic director after four years under Amadeus, who transformed the festival into a social media and youth sensation.

The Financial Impact of Sanremo 2025

Alongside the artists, guests, and headlines, Sanremo 2025 was primarily a massive business venture, generating an unparalleled economic impact. The festival’s expenses are estimated at around €20 million, an increase of €2 million compared to last year. This amount includes the Ariston Theatre rental (€1.6 million), staff salaries, festival name rights, and Carlo Conti’s salary, which amounted to approximately €500,000 for hosting and artistic direction—similar to the €700,000 received by Amadeus in 2024.

Alongside Carlo Conti, 12 guest hosts graced the stage, including Mahmood, Italy’s representative in 2019 and 2022, and Alessandro Cattelan, who hosted Eurovision 2022 in Italy. While Gerry Scotti waived his fee, other hosts earned between €20,000 and €40,000 each. Fees for special guests such as Mahmood or Damiano David, the lead singer of Måneskin, ranged between €50,000 and €100,000 per performance.

The contestants themselves do not receive a salary but were reimbursed for expenses amounting to €62,000, with an additional €3,000 per band member. For the cover night on the fourth evening, guest performers received between €3,000 and €5,000, depending on the act. Record labels invested between €100,000 and €150,000 per artist participating in the festival.

Revenues and Economic Growth

Sanremo 2025 broke new financial records: sponsorship and advertising revenues reached €67 million—a significant increase compared to €60 million in 2024 and far higher than the €50 million recorded in 2023. A 66% rise in average ratings in 2024 allowed the national broadcaster, Rai, to raise advertising rates by approximately 7%. Additionally, ticket prices for the Ariston Theatre increased by 19%, with attendees paying between €110 for balcony seats and €730 for a final night front-row seat.

Sanremo 2025’s total economic impact, according to reports, reached €245.1 million, with an added value of €97.9 million and the creation of 1,459 jobs. Of this sum, the direct production impact amounted to €20 million, the indirect impact reached €20.3 million, and long-term economic effects added another €7.6 million.

Compared to 2024, when the festival’s economic impact was €205 million, Sanremo continues to prove itself as a massive economic engine for Italy. Festival attendees and industry professionals contributed an additional €25 million and 220 more jobs. Even the famously extravagant Sanremo floral arrangements, costing hundreds of thousands of euros each year, have become a symbol of the grandeur and investment behind the festival.

Italy at Eurovision 2025

“Volevo essere un duro” (translated as: “I Wanted to Be Tough”) is the song performed by singer Lucio Corsi, which came second at the 75th edition of the Sanremo Festival. The song was written by the singer himself along with Tommaso Ottomano. This was the singer’s first-ever appearance at the festival. The song is performed in Italian.

According to Sanremo Festival rules, after the winner declines, the offer passes to the festival’s runner-up, Lucio Corsi. It should be noted that the Italian Sanremo Festival, which also serves as Italy’s Eurovision national selection, is the most prestigious music festival in Italy and has been held for 75 years. To this day, in most cases, the winner of Sanremo is granted the right to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest. For most artists competing in the esteemed festival, Eurovision is not the primary goal and does not play a significant role in their decision to participate. It is not uncommon for the festival’s winner to refuse to represent Italy at Eurovision; however, the last time this occurred was in 2016.

The song describes the identity conflict and the inner struggle of the narrator who wants to overcome his weaknesses and strengthen. It expresses the frustration and longing to be “tough,” a person who doesn’t worry about the future and is unaffected by the harsh reality around him. The song uses images like robots, sumo wrestlers, and criminals to illustrate the ideal figures of strength and self-confidence that the narrator wants to connect with. The song portrays a picture of life in which the narrator tries to fit these roles but always finds himself returning to his true essence, which is less secure and more vulnerable.

During the song, the narrator deals with the realization that he is unable to meet these expectations he has set for himself and that the world has set before him. He describes the difficulty of being an “ordinary person” in a world that demands strength and courage over time. The song ends with the recognition and acceptance of the narrator’s true identity, that he is nothing beyond Lucio, the simple and real person behind the characters he tried to be.

Who is Lucio Corsi?

Lucio Corsi, born on October 15, 1993, in Grosseto, Italy, is an Italian singer-songwriter and musician. He grew up in the village of Vetulonia near where his family runs a restaurant. His mother is a painter, while his father has worked in various roles including as an employee of the Italian national broadcaster Rai and as an artist working with leather. Corsi’s love for music was sparked by watching the movie “The Blues Brothers” as a child, and he began writing songs at a very young age, performing in bars and squares of his hometown from 2011.

He began composing instrumental pieces of progressive rock before turning to lyrical writing. After finishing his high school studies in Grosseto, he moved to Milan with the aim of developing his musical career, initially living near Naviglio Pavese, then in Via Ripamonti, and eventually in Niguarda. This participation was the singer’s first ever in the Italian Sanremo Festival.

Source: Firstonline, Firstonline

Eurovision 2025: This will be Italy’s 50th participation in Eurovision. Italy joined the contest in 1956, was one of the seven founding countries, and has won three times over the years. Italy’s most recent victory was at Eurovision 2021 with the song “Zitti e buoni” performed by the band Måneskin.