As Carlo Conti prepares for his final year hosting Italy’s Sanremo Festival, rumors suggest a former winner and veteran singer may join him on stage in 2026.
Carlo Conti’s announcement that Sanremo Festival 2026 will be his last as artistic director and host immediately sparked a wave of speculation in Italy. Now, the main question everyone is asking is not only which songs will compete but also who will stand beside him one last time as he wraps up his tenure. The answer might be both surprising and emotional: reports increasingly point toward a well-known singer – an authentic Sanremo icon – Giorgia Todrani, who is allegedly clearing her schedule ahead of February 2026.
Sanremo: The Inspiration Behind Eurovision
The traditional Italian “Festival Di Sanremo” is one of Italy’s most significant annual music events, held in the coastal city of Sanremo. It famously served as the inspiration for the creation of the Eurovision Song Contest. The festival also acts as Italy’s optional national selection, where the winner earns the first right to represent the country at Eurovision.
The Strong Rumor: Giorgia Returning to the Main Stage?
Increasing speculation suggests that alongside artistic director and host Carlo Conti, the acclaimed singer Giorgia Todrani, aged 54, is expected to co-host next year’s edition. Giorgia has a rich history with the festival, having won it in 1995 with the song “Come saprei”, though she did not represent Italy at Eurovision as the country did not participate that year.
In recent editions, Giorgia made notable comebacks to the Sanremo stage. She competed in 2023 with “Parole dette male”, earning sixth place, and returned in 2025 with “La Cura Per Me“, where she also finished sixth, despite being considered one of the frontrunners for victory.
The Tour That Sparked the Rumor
According to the Italian news agency AdnKronos, changes in Giorgia’s schedule strongly suggest that she may join Conti in hosting the festival. In November, Giorgia is set to release her new album “G” and launch a national tour. However, fans quickly noticed a planned pause in the tour that coincides precisely with Sanremo’s week of events (February 24-28).
Conti’s Successor? A Clue About the Future
During the summer, Giorgia herself expressed her desire to return to Sanremo as artistic director. This prompted speculation that her possible co-hosting role in 2026 might serve as preparation for her to take over full hosting duties in 2027—after Conti’s official departure.
It’s worth noting that Giorgia is no stranger to hosting. In the past year, she presented the Italian edition of X Factor and previously co-hosted one of Sanremo’s nights in 2024 alongside Amadeus. Since her last Sanremo appearance, Giorgia has enjoyed major success: her song “La Cura Per Me” achieved platinum status, and her two most recent singles also performed strongly on the charts.
Festival Di Sanremo 2026: What Should We Expect?
Despite the emotions surrounding his farewell, Conti is far from resting. He has already started listening to proposed songs for the upcoming festival – from rising talents to established stars – since the submission period remains open.
As always, preparations mean long days and sleepless nights. This year, unlike 2025, the festival will feature the traditional 26 songs, even though the rules permit up to 30.
“This time I have to be strict, even ruthless, to cut four songs. The choice keeps me awake!”
He shared with a smile and a candid look that reflected his love for the craft.
On December 14th, the official list of competing songs will be revealed.
Sanremo Giovani
Ahead of the main festival, the Sanremo Giovani contest will take place – a qualifying competition for young performers aged 16–29. This event culminates on December 14th with a grand final where four contestants are chosen to advance to the main festival in February, performing alongside Italy’s established artists. Although they participate separately from the veteran acts, these young performers get a valuable platform. The category’s winner earns the title of “New Discovery of the Year”, though cannot represent Italy at Eurovision.
A Historic First: Public Tender for the Festival
Following a ruling by Italy’s Supreme Court mandating a public tender for producing the festival, the long-standing exclusive arrangement under which RAI handled production is set to change. For the first time, other production companies will be able to bid to organize the festival, though RAI – the national broadcaster – will remain responsible for broadcasting it.
According to RAI’s agreement with the city of Sanremo, the festival will continue to take place in the city at least through 2028, and RAI will keep broadcasting the event to millions of viewers in Italy and abroad, even if it isn’t the sole producer.
Dates and Format of Festival Di Sanremo 2026
Like every year, the festival will span five nights, structured as follows:
-
First Night (Tuesday, February 24th, 2026):
24 artists will perform their competing songs. A jury composed of professional journalists from television and online media will vote. RAI will then announce, in random order, the top five entries receiving the highest scores. -
Second Night (Wednesday, February 25th, 2026):
12 artists will perform. Voting will be split between the public (50%) and a radio jury (50%). The top five will be announced randomly. -
Third Night (Thursday, February 26th, 2026):
The remaining 12 artists will perform. Voting will again be divided between the public (50%) and the radio jury (50%). The top five will be announced randomly. -
Fourth Night (Friday, February 27th, 2026):
Contestants will perform cover versions of existing songs in Italian, English, or other languages. They may collaborate with guest performers. Voting will be divided between the public (34%), a professional jury of journalists (33%), and a radio jury (33%). Results from this night will not count toward the overall competition. -
Fifth Night (Saturday, February 28th, 2026):
All 24 artists will perform again with their competing songs. The public vote will be added to the cumulative scores from previous nights to determine the five superfinalists. These five will then perform again, with the winner chosen based on votes from the public (34%), the journalists’ jury (33%) and the radio jury (33%). The performance with the highest score will be declared the winner of Sanremo 2026.
In addition to the main competition, the festival will feature the “Nuove Proposte” category for young artists. On the second and third nights, four emerging performers will showcase their songs. One artist from each night will advance to the final, where, on the fourth night, the winner will be chosen through a mixed vote of the public (34%), journalists (33%), and the radio jury (33%).
Italy at Eurovision 2025
“Volevo essere un duro” (in English: “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. The song finished fifth in the grand final with 256 points.
Italy returns to the Eurovision Grand Final Top 5 after last year achieving “only” seventh place.
Eurovision 2026: This will be Italy’s 51st 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.
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +072-50-9441919
Noy Yehoyada is an Israeli journalist and content creator at the EuroMix team since 2024, bringing a personal, feminine, and LGBTQ+ voice into the Eurovision sphere. A devoted Eurovision fan since the age of 16, she plays an active role in covering the contest—including on-site reporting at Eurovision 2025 in Basel and across European pre-party events. Alongside her writing and commentary, Noy plans the editorial schedule for the website, closely tracks national selections and song reveals, participates in live broadcasts, and creates digital content focusing on representation, musical diversity, and emotional connections.
Beyond her work at EuroMix, Noy has over six years of experience in the cosmetics and pharma industries, with a background in sales, personal consulting, and managing beauty departments. She enjoys pop, rap, contemporary art, and traveling in Europe—and especially loves songs that make her want to dance, as well as those that tell a story.
