Less than a week before Sanremo 2016 kicks off at Teatro Ariston in Sanremo, it seems we have clear favourite for the trophy and the right to represent Italy in the upcoming Eurovision Song Contest in Stockholm. Giovanni Caccamo & Deborah Iurato with their Via da qui are by far the hot favourites to win according to bets.
Sanremo’s 66th festival starts next Tuesday but the betting continues. Last year, Il Volo was the clear favourite to win according the bets and eventually also won. This year Giovanni Caccamo & Deborah Iurato were the top favourites to win from the beginning, as soon as the full list of this year’s candidates was announced. Both of them are Sicilians, young and became famous after one of them won last year’s newcomers category in Sanremo (Giovanni) and the other won Amici reality show in 2014 (Iurato).
Second with betting is Lorenzo Fragola who, as he has already said his entry, recorded also in English and in case of a win we might have not only Spain but also Italy for a first time opting for a full English song in the Eurovision Song Contest. Lorenzo is the X Factor 2014 winner. In the third place we find Noemi who became also famous after her participation in X Factor 2013 and Annalisa who was fourth last year with song Una finestra tra le stelle.
For 2016 Rai decided to keep the same format they used in 2015 for Eurovision. The winner of Sanremo will get the right to represent the nation in Eurovision. If the winner doesn’t wish to represent Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest, Rai will select another artist who took part in the Campioni division of Sanremo. The song could be the Sanremo winning song or another song that will be chosen between the artist and Rai.
The exact programme of Sanremo 2016 is as follows:
Serata 1: February 9th (Tuesday)
Serata 2: February 10th (Wednesday)
Serata 3: February 11th (Thursday)
Serata 4: February 12th (Friday)
Serata 5: FINALE – February 13th (Saturday)
We have to wait a few more days to find out who will be Il Volo’s successor and wave the Italian flag in Stockholm.
Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest
Italy has participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 40 times since making its debut at the first contest in 1956. It was one of only seven countries that competed in the very first contest. Italy competed frequently in the contest until 1997. After a fourteen-year absence, the country returned for the Eurovision Song Contest 2011, with a respectable second place achieved by Raphael Gualazzi and Madness of Love. Italy has won the contest twice (1964, 1990).
Along with Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom, Italy is one of the Big 5 who are automatically allowed to participate in the grand final because they are the five biggest financial contributors to the European Broadcasting Union (EBU).
This year in Vienna, Il Volo was one of the favourites to win. They finished third, but the Italian group was rated first in the televoting.
Below you can watch a compilation of the last 5 years of Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest. We did our best to find our greatest footage, and maybe you’ll see something you haven’t seen before.
