RAI (the Italian broadcaster) has released an official list of the artists that will compete for a spot at Italy’s Sanremo festival, with a more prominent name among them: Emma Muscat.
Every year, Italy hosts the Sanremo Giovani, a music festival showcase Italy’s emerging young talent in the industry. Historically, it has sent multiple artists every year to the prestigious Sanremo Festival, Italy’s long-running annual music festival and also its Eurovision pre-selection. This year, the stakes are a bit higher, as only one artist will advance, meaning that only the winner will be eligible to go on to Sanremo 2027.
All of the participating names have been revealed, and one in particular may ring bells in even the more recent Eurovision fans’ heads: Emma Muscat. She was the representative for Malta at Eurovision 2022 with the song “I Am What I Am”, ultimately remaining in the semi-final and not qualifying for the Grand Final. But Emma Muscat is back again now with a chance to get to the Eurovision stage yet again, though it would be for Italy this time around, competing in Sanremo Giovani with the song “Romanticamente” with 59 others.
Can she really get back to Eurovision?
Although this competition is mainly a gateway to the larger main Sanremo festival, there is a notable precedent for an artist to reach Eurovision via Sanremo Giovani, and that is the case of Mahmood. He entered Sanremo Giovani in 2018, went on to Sanremo 2019 and eventually reached Eurovision that year in Tel Aviv, even finishing quite successfully as a runner-up with “Soldi”. However, though it is possible for Emma Muscat to follow in Mahmood’s footsteps, there is still a long way ahead of her.
Of the 60 artists in the Sanremo Giovani, just 15 will quality for the next round, where 15 other artists will join them from a parallel “Area Sanremo” pathway. Finally, just 6 of these artists will be selected to reach the Sanremo Giovani grand final on December 11, 2026. And of course, the winner will move on to a spot in the Sanremo Festival 2027, giving them just a good a shot as any in the competition to earn a spot at the Eurovision 2027 stage in Burgas, Bulgaria.
Here are all the names competing in Sanremo Giovani 2026, along with their songs:
- Abat-Jour – Acqua di Mare
- Albe – Vuoi o non vuoi
- Alessandra Tumolillo – Giorni normali
- Ansia – Bimba Dormi
- ARIANNA ROZZO – VIEN’
- Asja – Ma non è vero
- Axel – La Comunicazione
- Basim – Distanza
- BIANCA – Non Mi Passi Più
- ceneri – Chimera
- CHIARA VINCI – Non è Solo Un Gioco
- CIALUNA – TUTTA L’ANSIA CHE HO
- CLAE – CiaCiaCiaCiao
- Daniel Cosmic – Grandine
- Davide De Luca – Hai ragione tu
- Dubrazil – Por Favor
- Emma Muscat – Romanticamente
- Enne – Nilo
- Florinda – Senza ‘E Te
- frambo – NON DISTURBARE
- FRASA – YESSSMAN
- Futura – Castelli di Rabbia
- Gallas – Fermo
- GIORGIA ARI – NORD AMERICA
- Hermes – Touch Me
- Ilaria Kappler – Il filo bianco
- Iora – Niente di Importante
- Jacopo Sol – UN’ECCEZIONE
- Jones Junior – Il telefono
- KAWAKAMI – DIAMANTE
- Khamilla – Tormento
- LA BASE – NON TI CHIEDERÒ
- LAYANA – Lettera d’addio
- Lea Gavino – L’ennesima canzone
- Les Votives – NON IMPORTA
- LioN – Poesie vuote
- Lor3n – Non è una canzone d’amore
- Maddalena – Fa Moda
- Malemà – Solo insieme a te
- MilleAlice – Aria
- Neartica – Foto mossa
- nodialpettine – Mi sento ridicolo
- OCCHI – La guerra dei bottoni
- OrioN – FRASTUONO
- Petit – SEI TU
- Plasma – ENERGIA MECCANICA
- Poli Ok – Questo non è amore
- QUARTO – CHE FIGATA
- rob – NON IMPARO MAI
- SANTACHIARA – ossitocina
- Santamarea – Tutto questo mare dentro
- SANTI – L’America ha fallito
- SARAI – I Bot
- Selina – Maledetta Icona
- Selma – Io sognerò
- Seltsam – Che guaio l’amore
- Shizarina – Bugie
- tiposchegge – adessormai
- Tommaso Vulpio – parole perse
- Ube – Se Verrà la Pioggia
Everyone on this list has a chance to reach Eurovision, along with all the Sanremo Festival participants. Perhaps we’ll see another returning artist for the Eurovision annals in Emma Muscat, as she begins her journey in the Sanremo Giovani along with 59 other contestants, all vying for a ticket to the next round and maybe even to the big stage at the Eurovision Song Contest 2027.
Italy at Eurovision 2026
Sal da Vinci was Italy’s representative in Vienna, Austria, for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with the song “Per Sempre Si”. He garnered 281 points and earned a 5th place finish for Italy.
