Italy: Sal Da Vinci wins Sanremo 2026 – Will go to Eurovision 2026

Questo è tutto, abbiamo un vincitore!

It has been five long and exciting nights full of Italian music, and with that, Sanremo 2026 has officially come to a close.

The 76th edition of the legendary Festival di Sanremo saw 30 artists take part, with all of them bringing songs that will all share a part in Sanremo history. Not only that, we saw many wonderful interval acts and guests appear to help make this year even more memorable.

Tonight, all 30 acts performed their songs one final time. Once that was done, a vote was released including the results from the first three nights. With all the rankings combined, the top five were uncovered and headed on to the Superfinal which saw:

• Sal Da Vinci - "Per sempre sì"
• Sayf - "Tu mi piaci tanto"
• Ditonellapiaga - "Che fastidio"
• Arisa - "Magica favola"
• Fedez & Masini - "Male necessario"

These five would go through one final round of votes to determine who would take home the Sanremo 2026 trophy. Once the votes came in, split by 33% press jury (TV, online media), 33% radio jury, and 34% televote, it was official: Sal Da Vinci had won Sanremo 2026 with "Per sempre sì."

"Per sempre sì" was written by Alessandro La Cava, Eugenio Maimone, Federica Abbate, Federico Mercuri, Francesco Sorrentino, Giordano Cremona, and Salvatore Michael Sorrentino.

For the final night, Giorgia Cardinaletti and Nino Frassica joined Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini to host a fantastic night of music.

Perchè Sanremo è Sanremo, we know Sanremo is not complete without a list of exciting interval acts.

Tonight we saw the legendary Andrea Bocelli take the Sanremo stage showcasing the elegance his career has brought. He performed his song "Il mare calmo della sera" which won the Nuove Proposte section of Sanremo 1994. Bocelli also gave us a performance of his 1995 Sanremo song "Con te partirò," which placed 4th that year.

For the final night on the Suzuki Stage, Pooh was there with "Uomini soli."

Costa Toscana wrapped up with one final performance from Max Pezzali, who has brought us a week of memorable performances. Tonight he performed two of 883's biggest hits "Come mai" and "Nessun rimpianto."

Sanremo also presents other awards as well. Here are the winners for those:

• Critics Award: Fulminacci
• Press Award: Serena Brancale
• Best Lyrics: Fedez & Masini
• Best Composition: Ditonellapaiga

Carlo Conti announced that he will not be returning as Host and Artistic Director after doing so for two years. Conti revealed on stage tonight that Italian television presenter Stefano De Martino will succeed him for the 2027 edition of Festival di Sanremo in both roles.

With Sal Da Vinci declared the winner of the 76th edition of Festival di Sanremo, it means we have come to a close on another wonderful week of shows and music. Sanremo 2026 overall will write its place in Sanremo history, showcasing the beauty of what Italian music can be.

On that note...ci vediamo il prossimo anno, Sanremo!

Sal Da Vinci

Born Salvatore Michael Sorrentino, in his 56 years Sal Da Vinci has made a name for himself in the Italian and Neapolitan music and acting scene. While born in New York, Da Vinci grew up in Naples, and still primarily resides there.

His father, Marco Da Vinci, famous singer and performer of the Canzone Napoletana, inspired Sal to follow the same career early on.

Having been performing since the age of six, Da Vinci has spent much of his life surrounded by music and theater. 1976 was his debut in the music world recording a cover of "Miracolo 'e Natale" by Alberto Sciotti and Tony Iglio with his father.

Sal Da Vinci has dozens of albums to his name, many with his father, which showcase their presence in the Neapolitan genre. Da Vinci's most recent album was released in 2021 and is called Siamo gocce di mare. His 2024 single "Rossetto e caffè" has accumulated over 74 million streams on Spotify.

He has taken part in Festival di Sanremo before, in 2009 with the song "Non riesco a farti innamorare," which placed third. Da Vinci also notably won Festival Italiano in 1994.

Sanremo 2026

This year marked the 76th edition of Festival di Sanremo. There were be five shows across five nights, all hosted by Artistic Director Carlo Conti, alongside Laura Pausini from the Teatro Artison in Sanremo, Liguria, Italy. 30 songs were presented in Sanremo 2026.

Night 1 - Tuesday, 24 February:

All 30 acts took the stage to perform their song. The top five of Night 1 were released in a random order. Vote determined via 100% press jury (TV, online media). Co-host: Can Yaman.

Night 2 - Wednesday, 25 February:

15 artists performed their songs again. The top five of Night 2 were revealed in a random order. Vote determined via 50% radio jury, 50% televote. Co-host: Achille Lauro

Night 3 - Thursday, 26 February:

The remaining 15 artists performed their songs again. The top five of Night 3 were revealed in a random order. Vote determined via 50% radio jury, 50% televote.

Night 4 - Friday, 27 February:

Cover Night! All 30 artists performed a cover of their choice alongside another singer/artist. The winning cover song was announced at the end of the night (results separate from actual Sanremo winner). Vote determined via 33% radio jury, 33% press jury (TV, online media), 34% televote.

Night 5 - Saturday, 28 February:

L'ultima notte! All 30 acts performed again with the top five (totaled from Nights 1, 2, 3, and 5) advancing to the Superfinal. The top act in the Superfinal took home the Sanremo 2026 crown, and the opportunity to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026. Vote determined via 33% radio jury, 33% press jury (TV, online media), 34% televote.

Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest

Italy has participated in 50 Eurovision contests. They have won three times:

• 1964: Gigliola Cinquetti – Non ho l'età
• 1990: Toto Cutugno – Insieme: 1992
• 2021: Måneskin – Zitti e buoni

Their worst result came in 1966, when they finished last.

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

Italy took a long pause from the Eurovision Song Contest between 1998 and 2010. Since then, Italy has been a "Big-5" country, which means they don't have to go through the Semi-final round and are automatically qualified for the Grand Final.