Italy is set to make one of the biggest changes to the Sanremo Music Festival in decades, with organisers confirming that the 2027 edition will feature a dedicated evening focused exclusively on selecting the country’s Eurovision Song Contest representative.
The announcement comes from Stefano De Martino, who takes over as the festival’s new artistic director and host for Sanremo 2027. Speaking about the revamped format, De Martino confirmed that one of the festival’s five nights will be devoted entirely to determining which artist will represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest in Bulgaria.
A New Approach to Selecting Italy’s Eurovision Entry
For more than a decade, the winner of the Sanremo Music Festival has traditionally been offered the opportunity to represent Italy at Eurovision. If the winner declined, RAI would invite another competing artist based on the festival’s final ranking.
Under the new format, Eurovision selection will become a central part of the festival itself. A dedicated “Eurovision Night” will showcase performances specifically aimed at choosing Italy’s representative, placing greater emphasis on the country’s participation in the international contest.
While RAI has yet to publish the complete voting rules for the new evening, organisers say further details will be announced closer to the festival.
What Happens to the Famous Cover Night?
One of the biggest questions surrounding the announcement is the future of Cover Night—one of Sanremo’s most beloved traditions, where competing artists perform classic Italian or international songs, often alongside guest performers.
Early rumours suggested the long-running feature could disappear entirely to make room for the Eurovision-focused evening. However, organisers have instead confirmed the addition of the new Eurovision Night as part of a broader format refresh, with further details about the remaining programme still to be revealed.
A Reflection of Eurovision’s Growing Importance
The move highlights Eurovision’s increasing significance within Italy’s music industry. Since returning to the contest in 2011, Italy has become one of Eurovision’s strongest-performing nations, consistently finishing near the top of the scoreboard and winning the contest in 2021 with Måneskin.
By giving Eurovision its own dedicated night during Sanremo, RAI hopes to strengthen the selection process while giving audiences a clearer role in choosing the artist who will represent Italy on one of the world’s biggest entertainment stages.
With Sanremo remaining Italy’s premier music event, the introduction of a Eurovision-focused evening is expected to attract significant attention from both Italian audiences and Eurovision fans across Europe, making the 2027 edition one of the most anticipated in recent years.