“Il Festival” is coming….
From 26th February to 1st March!
The Festival della canzone italiana (in English: Italian song festival) is a popular Italian song contest running since 1951 and held annually in the city of Sanremo. Usually referred to as Festival di Sanremo, or outside Italy as Sanremo Music Festival, it was the inspiration for the Eurovision Song Contest.
For some years (from 1953 to 1971, except for 1956) each song was sung twice by two different interpreters (singer or band). The festival has been used as the way of choosing Italy’s Eurovision entry from 1956 to 1966, in 1972 and 1997.
The Festival is broadcast live on TV Rai Uno in Eurovision Network since 1955. From 1951 to 1954 it was transmitted only on radio RAI.
The Ariston Theater hosts the annual San Remo Music Festival, the internationally famous song “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu”, also known as “Volare”, was performed at this festival for the first time by Domenico Modugno in 1958. The San Remo festival is so popular amongst Italians that it is often referred to simply as “Il Festival” (The Festival).
