The 68th edition of the Italian Song Festival is a record-breaking edition. On the viewers’ side, more than 12 million watched the first evening. And then there is the tourist attendance, which is also exceptional this season.
Hotel occupancy rates in Sanremo and Bordighera attest to this: 80 to 90% depending on the establishments.
San Remo is the unifying event for Italians. It keeps them on edge for a week and has no equivalent in Europe. However, the festival remains relatively unknown in France, but it is very popular in Italian-speaking countries such as Switzerland, San Marino, Slovenia, Malta, and Albania.
Created in 1951 in the seaside resort of San Remo, Liguria, this musical competition is primarily a talent scout, although this role is now contested by the many talent shows that have sprung up on Italian TV channels.
One of the first to gain fame thanks to the festival was Domenico Modugno, in 1958, whose famous refrain “Volare,” a symbol of a joyful Italy in the midst of an economic boom, has gone down in history.
Since then, dozens of artists like Adriano Celentano, Toto Cotugno, Eros Ramazzotti, Andrea Bocelli, or Laura Pausini have had their careers take off after appearing on the stage of the Ariston Theatre.
The event has also long been used to select the artist and song representing Italy at the Eurovision contest, which was conceived in 1956 modeled on its Italian cousin.
During five evenings lasting over four hours, broadcast in prime time, about thirty Italian artists, both established and young talents, are subjected to public voting and a jury of professionals.
