RAI has officially confirmed that the 24 competing artists for Sanremo, Italy’s Eurovision 2027 selection, will be unveiled on December 11th.
After months of waiting and network speculations, the Italian national broadcaster announces that on December 11th, it will reveal the list of contestants for the Sanremo Festival, one of the most anticipated Eurovision national selections of the year. As every year, the list will be revealed on the program “Será Sanremo” – where in addition to revealing the 23 selected contestants, the Sanremo Giovani competition for young artists will also take place. Within the framework of the young artists competition, the final ticket to the national selection will be distributed to the winner.
The reveal and competition will take place on December 11th, at 21:30 CET. The program will be hosted by Stefano De Martino – the artistic director and host of Sanremo, and Mariasole Polli – an Italian actress and presenter.
A New Era in the Relationship Between Sanremo and Eurovision
RAI published the official regulations for the 2027 Sanremo Festival, which will be held between February 16th and February 20th under the artistic direction of Stefano De Martino. This year, 24 artists are expected to compete, but the most dramatic news concerns the identity of the Eurovision representative: unlike the traditional custom where the festival winner in the grand final goes to the European contest, this year the representative for the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest will be chosen already on the fourth night of the festival (“Performance Night”). On this night, artists will be required to perform their original song in a different arrangement or staging, and the winner of the vote – which also includes an international jury – will win the coveted ticket.
Surprising Changes in the Regulations
For the 77th edition of the Sanremo Festival, which will take place between February 16th and February 20th, 2027, at the Teatro Ariston, the most dramatic innovation in the regulations brings one of the biggest changes in the modern history of the contest: the winner of the Sanremo Festival will no longer automatically represent Italy at Eurovision.
In addition to the change in the selection method, the regulations set strict rules for songs, whose length must not exceed 3 minutes and 30 seconds. For the first time, there is explicit reference completely prohibiting the use of artificial intelligence in writing, composing, or producing songs, with the aim of preserving human creation. In addition, the general voting system will be composed of a weighted tally of the public vote at home, media panels, and radio stations.
The selection of artists and songs is done at the sole discretion of the artistic director, and artists wishing to participate in the contest may submit their proposals until November 23rd, 2026. Artists and their record labels must bear all expenses and costs related to their participation, including musical arrangements, orchestra conductors, additional musicians, equipment, and accommodation. RAI may grant a symbolic financial contribution or participation if necessary, but without commitment.
Artists are prohibited from participating in programs, events, or making public appearances starting from January 2nd, 2027, until the end of the contest. The artist who wins the contest and the artist who wins the Eurovision night are barred from participating in television programs of other networks (other than RAI) through February 25th, 2027, inclusive.
Sanremo 2027: International Stars on the Horizon
As previously reported, Stefano De Martino revealed in an exclusive interview with the Italian magazine TV Sorrisi e Canzoni (and as reported in Italian media outlets, including Quotidiano Nazionale and Cosmopolitan Italia), that Måneskin will be among the prominent guests of the 2027 Sanremo Festival.
According to the report in Cosmopolitan Italia, the return of Måneskin is only part of a wide-scale plan by Stefano De Martino to restore international glamour to Sanremo. Alongside Måneskin, possibilities of bringing top-tier international artists are being examined. The list of hot names that have come up as speculations or production ambitions includes Dua Lipa, Harry Styles, and even the band Oasis, which reunited for an international tour in 2025.
Italy at Eurovision 2026
“Per sempre sì” (in English: “Forever Yes”) is the song that was performed by Sal Da Vinci, who represented Italy, and finished in 5th place with 281 points in the Grand Final of Eurovision 2026 on May 16th, in Vienna, Austria. The song was written and composed by Sal Da Vinci himself together with Alessandro La Cava, Eugenio Maimone, Federica Abbate, Federico Mercuri, Francesco Sorrentino, and Giordano Cremona. The song is performed entirely in Italian.
Eurovision 2027: This will be Italy’s 52nd 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.
