What do we (not) expect from Sanremo 2026 Will this edition of the Festival be lacking in sparks as much as the controversies that preceded it?
For several years, the Sanremo Festival lived in a bubble. This was certainly thanks to Amadeus, but also to a series of fortunate events. The creation of Fantasanremo, which helped increase engagement both online and offline, the return of big names to the competition, songs that became hits, and the multiplication of side events. A positive feedback loop that helped bring the festival back to the center of Italian pop culture. The event everyone talks about, the ultimate place to be. Until now.
The Sanremo Festival of times past
Not everyone, perhaps, remembers what it used to be. For many years (which some look back on with nostalgia), talking about Sanremo was considered uncool, buying the full compilation CD at the end of the festival a true act of devotion. This was the period between a Pippo Baudo starting to lose his touch and the self-celebration of Claudio Baglioni late at night. Back then, the talk mostly revolved around "children of" participants with unproven talent, unknown youngsters who remained unknown, and some fading stars. Today, despite the times having changed, little escapes the radar of social media, the Sanremo Festival seems to be slowly sliding back toward that torpor, with discussions growing less lively and expectations steadily dropping.
@nssgclub In occasione dell’uscita di “Io canto 2”, l’album cover di Laura Pausini, abbiamo potuto ascoltare la cantante raccontarci dell’avventura di Sanremo, la sua preparazione al world tour 2026/2027 e l’idea dietro il nuovo album. L’hai già ascoltato? Diccelo nei commenti! #sanremo #laurapausini #conduttricesanremo #iocanto2 #iocantotour original sound - nssgclub
Beyond the absence of top names in this edition, even controversies and spoilers, once the very essence of the festival, feel stale. No one cared about Carlo Conti’s announcements on TG1. Pucci got upset and won’t be there. And today, the news that sparked the most interest is the presence of Tony Pitony in the cover night. Enough said. Despite historically low expectations, we’ve made a few predictions on what to expect from this Sanremo Festival 2026.
Celebrating the past to ignore the present? What to expect from Sanremo 2026
First point: given the difficult year just passed, there will be no shortage of tributes to those who are no longer with us. The 2025 list is sadly long, with names that made the festival’s history: Pippo Baudo, Peppe Vessicchio, Ornella Vanoni. The challenge won’t just be avoiding clichés, but also preventing these tributes from becoming mere distractions. In recent years, Sanremo tributes have increasingly resembled simple filler segments, looking back, but above all, avoiding looking outward. In a festival struggling to talk about the present, memory risks becoming the only possible language. And that would be a real missed opportunity.
@nssgclub Levante ci racconta il processo dietro a un nuovo capitolo del suo viaggio nell’amore: quello che prende forma sul palco del Festival di Sanremo con “Sei tu”, il brano inedito che segna un’altra tappa del suo racconto emotivo. Dopo MAIMAI, NIENTE DA DIRE, DELL’AMORE E IL FALLIMENTO e SONO BLU, questo percorso confluirà nel nuovo album “Dell’amore il fallimento e altri passi di danza” e prenderà vita dal 29 aprile nei club con il “Dell’amore – Club Tour 2026”. Cosa ne pensi? Faccelo sapere nei commenti! #levante #sanremo #intervista #seitu #cantantisanremo Vivo - Levante
A Sanremate Festival
Second point: the competing songs. Loyal fans, usually nostalgic for the Sanremo of the past, call them Sanremate: melodically charming love songs, strongly mainstream, a gut-level throwback to the 90s. They will be present this year. They work because they are recognizable, comforting, and perfectly aligned with a song idea that doesn’t disturb. The problem is that outside the Ariston stage, they cease to exist. Not because they are bad, but because they no longer tell anyone’s story.
Lots of content, little imagination
Third point: will people talk about it? The feeling is that the festival is slowly losing part of the appeal it gained over the years. Contributing factors include a somewhat rigid Carlo Conti, a recycled Fantasanremo, a format beginning to creak, and the clash (and pretense of ignoring it) with a real world full of conflicts and complexities. Then there’s the natural cycle of any cultural phenomenon. After the peak comes the descent; and this edition of the festival seems to be sliding down at full speed. The competing songs promise no big revelations, Conti’s hosting style is not prone to embracing improvisation or deviations from the script, and the co-hosts and guest lineup - despite Irina Shayk - have failed to generate high expectations. The impression is that Sanremo, now unable to create a true imaginative world, is limited to producing mere content. Clips to share, temporary controversies, moments designed more for commentary than remembrance. The magic seems gone. Who knows, what will become of Sanremo?