When Spain was celebrating national cinema at the Goya Awards and the United Kingdom was awarding the best British pop at the BRIT Awards, Italy was already immersed in the 76th edition of Sanremo, the popular festival that not only chooses the song that will represent Italy in Eurovision, but also enjoys enormous popularity in itself, being a benchmark for what the Benidorm Fest could become in our country. Sanremo 2026 was held at the Ariston – after a dispute over brand rights – for five days, from February 24 to 28, with a total of 30 songs presented, some awarded with special prizes, and the participation of prominent guest artists.
The winning song
‘Per semper sì’ by Sal Da Vinci has won Sanremo with 22.17% of the votes and has confirmed that he will represent Italy in Eurovision. According to Los 40, the 56-year-old “young artist” presents a nice disco-pop song dedicated to love and marriage. Da Vinci is not a newcomer, but a well-known singer on the Neapolitan music scene, with more than 30 years of experience, although his name is not recognized nationally or internationally like those of Laura Pausini or Eros Ramazzotti.
This is how the top 5 songs from Sanremo 2026 were:
1.- Sal Da Vinci – Per semper sì
2.- Sayf – You mi piaci mucho
3.- Ditonellapiaga – What a nuisance!
4.- Arisa – Magica favola
5.- Fedez and Marco Masini – Male necessario
The song that should have won
The best song of Sanremo 2026 did not win, but it came third and was awarded the Best Composition award. ‘What a nuisance!’ is a fun satire of snobbery that points to “Milan fashion”, “Italian politics” or “Pilates classes” and that reflects a very current pop sensibility, with an electro-house production that briefly becomes bossa, suddenly. Ditonellapiaga, its interpreter, has already competed in Sanremo in 2022.
The kiss of Levante and Gaia
Ditonellapiaga did win the cover night, where he sang ‘Lady is a Tramp’ with TonyPitony, although the most talked about moment of this fourth Sanremo evening was the kiss shared by Levante and Gaia at the end of their performance of ‘I maschi’ by Gianna Nannini. Levante – a contestant in the edition – has denied that RAI censored the kiss, after viewers noticed the rapid change of shot. “There was no censorship about the kiss between Gaia and me. We had never done it in rehearsals; it was something completely spontaneous,” declared the Sicilian artist, suggesting that the focus be placed on another type of censorship that Sanremo encourages, where “there are very few women competing.”
I know one thing that the lesbians don’t fanno but I will lose the land of gaia and Levante in 4K HD ecc ecc pic.twitter.com/1canD96C2s
— aleocchio🍄 (@alessialelle) February 28, 2026
Guest: Alicia Keys
Sanremo receives a multitude of guest stars every year, and the most international this year has been Alicia Keys, and not Madonna, as had been rumored, since Ciccone was in Milan during the same weekend and Patty Pravo was competing in the contest. Keys performed ‘L’Aurora’ in Italian alongside Eros Ramazzotti, as well as ‘Empire State of Mind’. It should be noted that her visit to Sanremo has a special meaning for her, since Alicia has Italian roots on her mother’s side and her maternal grandparents.
Laura Pausini’s message of peace
Laura Pausini’s career is closely linked to Sanremo, since the artist became known after winning the competition in 1993 with the iconic ‘La solitude’. In her ninth participation in the festival, Pausini has served as co-presenter with Carlo Conti, has starred in memes inspired by Titanic and has not stopped singing, from her own songs to a version of ‘Heal the World’ by Michael Jackson, very pertinent in the week in which the United States and Israel have attacked Iran, leaving 555 dead, although the message extends to other current conflicts and wars.
Guests: The Ketchups
After being sampled by Rusowsky in the great ‘DAISY’ (2025), Las Ketchups have once again experienced a moment of glory, appearing as guests in the fourth Sanremo “serata”, the version of the covers. The daughters of Tomate have accompanied Elettra Lamborghini in ‘Aserejé’, who was competing with ‘Voilà’, a song that is nothing like ‘Diva’ by Dana International. Lamborghini, granddaughter and well-known Italian television personality, has been developing a musical career since 2018 and is married to Afrojack, but ‘Voilà’ was not the best option and came in 21st position.
Sayf, breakout star, noted for his dreadlocks
With 21.88% of the votes, Sayf has come close to winning Sanremo 2026 and has become the revelation star of the edition. Although his electro-swing ‘Tu mi piace mucho’ has not been as talked about as… his dreadlocks. Adam Viacava, born in Genoa in 1999, has Tunisian roots and his hairstyle has been widely commented on online with unflattering comparisons. Anfis Tassone, afro hair specialist, believes that the criticism comes from ignorance and racism: “Italy is a racist country, it is a country that judges,” he declared. Above all, he has celebrated that Sayf wears his dreadlocks on a stage like the Ariston because “every representation matters.”
