Rumors swirl around Italy’s “Festival Di Sanremo 2026,” as a potential contestant list seems to have leaked way ahead of schedule. Will the official reveal on December 7th confirm it?
The 76th edition of “Festival di Sanremo”, is already making headlines, with speculation spreading like wildfire. Among the latest updates is host Carlo Conti’s confirmed resignation after just two consecutive years. But the biggest question now: has the list of contestants vying for a ticket to Eurovision 2026, scheduled for revealing on December 7th, been revealed earlier than planned? From current reports, the Italians seem less than thrilled…
In recent hours, Italian social media has been buzzing with rumors regarding potential participants expected to take the stage at the Ariston Theatre at the end of February.
According to a report by Adnkronos, one former representative may return: Angelina Mango, Italy’s Eurovision 2024 entrant. After a significant absence from the stage, she is said to be one of the few participants truly exciting Italian fans. Blogger Deianira Marzano fueled the speculation further, writing on social media:
“Angelina Mango’s participation in the upcoming Sanremo Festival is becoming more and more certain! She is expected to present an autobiographical song, or at least one connected to what she has experienced over the past two years”.
Is it? Well, with still more than six weeks to go before the official announcement, it’s too early to guarantee any participant’s inclusion.
The official lineup is expected on December 7th, but for now, here’s the allegedly leaked list that has split public opinion in Italy:
- Blanco
- Diodato
- Ermal Meta
- Fulminacci
- Frah Quintale
- Emma Nolde
- La Nina
- Tommaso Paradiso
- Angelina Mango
- Sangiovanni
- Alfa
- Enrico Nigiotti
- Benji & Fede
- Settembre
- LUK3
- Trigno
- Emma Marrone
- Arisa
- Malika Ayane
- Serena Brancale
- Chiara Galiazzo
- California Dei Coma_Cose
- Sal Da Vinci
- Aiello
- Fedez & Marco Masini
- Madame & Tiziano Ferro
- Tommy Cash
- Michele Zarrillo
- Fausto Leali
- Enrico Ruggeri
- Donatella Rettore
- Patty Pravo
Among The Contestants There Are Many Familiar Names:
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Tommy Cash – represented Estonia at Eurovision 2025 with the song “Espresso Macchiato”, finishing third.
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Ermal Meta – represented Italy at Eurovision 2018 with the song “Non Mi Avete Fatto Niente” alongside Fabrizio Moro, finishing fifth.
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Blanco – represented Italy at Eurovision 2022 with the song “Brividi” alongside Alessandro Mahmood, finishing sixth.
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Angelina Mango – winner of Sanremo 2024 and Italy’s Eurovision 2024 representative with the song “La Noia“, finishing seventh.
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Fausto Leali – represented Italy at Eurovision 1989 with Anna Oxa with the song “Avrei Voluto”, finishing ninth.
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Emma Marrone – Sanremo 2012 winner and Italy’s Eurovision 2014 representative with the song “La Mia Città”, finishing 21st.
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Antonio Diodato – was set to represent Italy at the canceled Eurovision 2020 with the song “Fai Rumore”.
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Madame – co-writer of the song “La Noia”. Also competed twice at Sanremo: in 2021 with the song “Voce”, finishing 8th, and in 2023 with the song “Il Bene Nel Male”, finishing 7th.
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Arisa – Sanremo 2014 winner, participated five more times, in 2009, 2012, 2016, 2019 and 2021 and hosted the festival in 2015.
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Michele Zarrillo – Sanremo 1987 winner, with an impressive 13 participations, most recently in 2020.
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Enrico Ruggeri – Sanremo 1993 winner and 1987 “Big Artists” category champion. In 2018, he competed as part of Decibel, finishing 16th.
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Patty Pravo – competed in “Festival Di Sanremo” ten times, most recently in 2019.
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Donatella Rettore – returned to Sanremo in 2022 after several appearances.
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Chiara Galiazzo – participated three times; her best result was 5th place in 2015.
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Fedez – competed twice: in 2021 with Francesca Michielin with the song “Chiamami Per Nome”, finishing 2nd, and solo in 2025 with the song “Battito”, finishing 4th.
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Marco Masini – competed in 1991 with the song “Perché lo fai”, finishing 3rd, and in 2020 with the song “Il Confronto”, finishing 15th.
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Sal Da Vinci – competed in 2009 with the song “Non Riesco A Farti Innamorare”, finishing 3rd.
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Tiziano Ferro – one of Italy’s biggest pop stars, never before in Sanremo, yet seen as a potential Eurovision-winning figure.
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Tommaso Paradiso – former frontman of Thegiornalisti, known for numerous Italian pop hits, and seen as a strong contender for pan-European appeal.
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Matteo Bocelli – son of the famous tenor Andrea Bocelli, internationally known and now a rumored Sanremo debutant. Thanks to his unique voice and family’s reputation, he can attract a lot of fans across Italy and Europe-wide.
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California dei Coma_Cose – half of the Italian duo Coma_Cose, allegedly launching a solo career from the Ariston stage.
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Sangiovanni – competed at Sanremo 2022 with the song “Farfalle”, finishing 5th.
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Enrico Nigiotti – competed in 2019 with the song “Nonno Hollywood”, finishing 10th.
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Alfa – competed at Sanremo 2024 with the song “Vai!”, finishing 10th.
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Fulminacci – competed in 2021 with the song “Santa Marinella”, finishing 16th.
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Serena Brancale – competed in 2025 with the song “Anema e Core”, finishing 24th.
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Aiello – competed in 2021 with the song “Ora”, finishing 25th.
At this stage, nothing is confirmed. With more than a month and a half until the scheduled reveal, fans and critics alike must wait until Sunday, December 7th, 2025, when host Carlo Conti will make the official announcement.
Dates and Format of Festival Di Sanremo 2026
Like every year, the festival will span five nights, structured as follows:
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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.
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Ilay Gaist is a leading Israeli content creator and writer specializing in the Eurovision Song Contest. He is a well-known commentator with extensive expertise in the contest’s history, rules, and dynamics. His passion for Eurovision drives him to deliver rich, professional, and innovative content to his audience.
Ilay holds a bachelor’s degree in Arabic and has a multilingual background. He also engages in cultural research, with a particular focus on global culinary traditions and the evolution of local cuisines around the world.
