Italy: Il Volo returns to Sanremo – among first 12 acts

The Italian broadcaster RAI has just announced the first 12 contestants for the 69th Sanremo Music Festival in Italy. A total of 24 contestants will compete for the first price in the "Big Artists" category – and the option to go to Eurovision Song Contest 2019 in Tel Aviv.

On the list, you will find one of the big favourites to win Eurovision Song Contest 2015 in Vienna: The trio Il Volo.

Sanremo 2019 – First half

• Paola Turci – "L'Ultimo Ostacolo"
• Simone Cristicchi – "Abbi Cura Di Me"
• Zen Circus – "L'Amore E Una Dittatura"
• Anna Tatangelo – "Le Nostre Anime Di Note"
• Loredana Bertè – "Cosi Ti Aspetti Da Me"
• Irama – "La Ragazza Col Cuore Di Latta"
• Ultimo – "I Tuoi Particolari"
• Nek – "Mi Farò Trovare Pronto"
• Motta – "Dov'è l'Italia"
• Il Volo – "Musica Che Resta"
• Ghemon – "Rose Viola"
• Einar – "Centomila Volte" (qualified from Sanremo Giovani)

Sanremo 2019 – Big Artists & Nuove Proposte

Claudio Baglioni, Sanremo 2019 artistic director and very important author and singer in Italy, has introduced some changes for the next edition of Sanremo. Earlier we have had two categories in Sanremo: "Big Artists" & Nuove Proposte (emerging singer), but next Sanremo will be different. Only one category, "Big Artists", to whom two Nuove Proposte can participate getting the same possibilities of the Big Artists to win the competition and likely to fly to Tel Aviv. There is a show, called Sanremo Giovani, from 16 to 21 December 2018, to select the two Nuove Proposte who will go to the Ariston Theatre of Sanremo.

Claudio Baglioni believes in the young talents and so has decided to spend a week of show for only Nuove Proposte and to give two of them the possibility to win Sanremo.

Sanremo 2019 – Schedule

• Sanremo Night 1: Tuesday 5 February 2019
• Sanremo Night 2: Wednesday 6 February 2019
• Sanremo Night 3: Thursday 7 February 2019
• Sanremo Night 4: Friday 8 February 2019
• Sanremo Final: Saturday 9 February 2019

Italy in Eurovision Song Contest

Italy has been in Eurovision for 44 contests. They have won twice, in 1964 with the song "Non Ho L'étà" and in 1990 with "Insieme: 1992". Worst result was in 1966 where they finished last.

The most known song is "Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu" or better known as "Volare" from 1958. It is also the most covered Eurovision Song Contest song. The song has been covered by famous stars such as Dean Martin, Cliff Richard, David Bowie and many more.

Italy had a long pause from Eurovision Song Contest from 1998 to 2010. Since then Italy has been a"Big-5"-country, automatically qualifying for every year's Grand Final.