The curtain has risen on the 75th Sanremo Song Festival with the highly anticipated Prima Serata, an evening filled with music, surprises, and outstanding performances. As a cornerstone of Italian musical tradition, the festival will determine which artist will represent Italy at the 69th Eurovision Song Contest, set to take place this May in Basel, Switzerland.
A New Era Under Carlo Conti
Renowned presenter and the festival’s new artistic director, Carlo Conti, took over hosting duties, succeeding Amadeus. With his extensive experience and natural stage presence, Conti set the tone for a night of spectacular performances. Joining him on stage were Antonella Clerici and Gerry Scotti.
The evening opened with a heartfelt tribute to the late Italian composer Ezio Bosso, as the Sanremo orchestra played his piece Following a Bird while images of him were displayed on the LED screens. Conti then welcomed viewers before swiftly moving on to the competition, with the dynamic Gaia being the first artist to take the stage at Teatro Ariston. Closing the night’s performances were The Kolors, the last of the 29 competing artists in this year’s festival.
Special Guests of Prima Serata
The Prima Serata featured several distinguished guests. Among them was the internationally acclaimed Israeli singer Noa, who performed alongside Palestinian singer and actress Mira Awad, rekindling their 2009 Eurovision duet There Must Be Another Way. The duo delivered another moving message of hope and peace with their rendition of Imagine.
Italian music legend Lorenzo Jovanotti, one of the country’s most iconic artists, electrified the audience with a 20-minute medley of hits, including L’ombelico del mondo, Il più grande spettacolo dopo il Big Bang, I Love You Baby/Fuori Onda/A Te, and his latest single Un mondo a parte.
Meanwhile, on Piazza Colombo’s Suzuki Stage, Raf, an esteemed Italian singer-songwriter with a career spanning from the 1980s, took to the stage to warm up the chilly northern Italian night with his classic hit Self Control.
The 29 Artists of Prima Serata
- Gaia – Chiamo io, chiama tu
- Francesco Gabbani – Viva la vita
- Rkomi – Il ritmo delle cose
- Noemi – Se t’innamori muori
- Irama – Lentamente
- Coma_Cose – Cuoricini
- Simone Cristicchi – Quando sarai piccola
- Marcella Bella – Pelle diamante
- Achille Lauro – Incoscienti giovani
- Giorgia – La cura per me
- Willie Peyote – Grazie ma no grazie
- Rose Villain – Fuorilegge
- Olly – Balorda nostalgia
- Elodie – Dimenticarsi alle 7
- Shablo feat. Guè, Joshua & Tormento – La mia parola
- Massimo Ranieri – Tra le mani un cuore
- Tony Effe – Damme ‘na mano
- Serena Brancale – Anema e core
- Brunori Sas – L’albero delle noci
- Modà – Non ti dimentico
- Clara – Febbre
- Lucio Corsi – Volevo essere un duro
- Fedez – Battito
- Bresh – La tana del granchio
- Sarah Toscano – Amarcord
- Joan Thiele – Eco
- Rocco Hunt – Mille vote ancora
- Francesca Michielin – Fango in paradiso
- The Kolors – Tu con chi fai l’amore
Prima Serata Voting & Results
The voting for Prima Serata was conducted exclusively by accredited journalists, divided into three categories:
- Press (33% of the total vote)
- Television (34% of the total vote)
- Internet (33% of the total vote)
At the end of the night, the top five standout artists were revealed.
- Brunori Sas – L’albero delle noci
- Giorgia – La cura per me
- Lucio Corsi – Volevo essere un duro
- Simone Cristicchi – Quando sarai piccola
- Achille Lauro – Incoscienti giovani
You can watch all the Prima Serata performances via RaiPlay .
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Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest…
