Since their return in 2011, Italy has been a serious contender with various Top 10 results since their return. The nation is going from strength to strength, and we can credit their success to their constant authenticity.
Italy often uses their own song festival, Sanremo, as the format for selecting their act. Regardless of whether Italy is participating at Eurovision, Sanremo is one of the most anticipated events of the year and unsurprisingly it has been confirmed for 2019 with the dates now set.
The festival will take place in February next year between the 5th and the 9th. This edition will be the 69th edition of the show, and this year the singer-songwriter Claudio Baglioni will once again be the Artistic Director of the show. With this role, he will be in charge of finding the right artists and songwriters to take part in the prestigious competition.
Sanremo is often used to help decide which act will represent Italy at Eurovision, with the ‘standard’ format being that the winners of the show have first right to accept or refuse the opportunity. Over the years they have changed the exact selection method, but if we see Italy at Eurovision in 2019, it’s likely that Sanremo will be important in the selection process.
Although Sanremo is confirmed, Italian broadcaster RAI have not yet confirmed that Italy will be present at Eurovision 2019. Last year the nation confirmed their participation around September, so we may have to wait a bit longer to find out for sure.
Who do you want to see participate in Sanremo next year?