Sanremo Festival 2026: Ditonellapiaga Triumphs in Duets Night Ahead of Grand Final

Thursday evening at the Teatro Ariston was marked by musical collaborations that dominated the Italian media space. The Covers Night brought victory to the duo Ditonellapiaga and Tony Pitony, whose interpretation won acclaim from both professional juries and the audience. Tony Pitony, described by critics as an "incorrigible underdog," became the true revelation of the edition, at times breaking the conservative convention of the spectacle. The artistic success is confirmed by digital data – the Sanremo Human Index recorded a sharp 66% increase in conversations, indicating enormous engagement from the younger audience, despite an overall drop of about three million traditional TV viewers compared to 2025. The Sanremo Festival, inaugurated in 1951 at the municipal casino, has shaped Italian cultural identity for decades and became the direct inspiration for the creation of the Eurovision Song Contest.Artistic director Carlo Conti, during the official press conference, emphasized the festival's importance as a bastion of freedom and democracy in difficult geopolitical times. Meanwhile, backstage, feverish speculation about the final verdict continues. Although Fedez and Masini were initially the favorites, the latest bookmaker odds suggest a change in leaders. On social media, Sayf, Nayt, and Samurai Jay remain unbeatable, their posts and performances generating over a million interactions. The final decision will be made during the grand final, where televoting will play a key role. The final showdown will be two-stage: first, the top five will be selected, and then, after resetting the scores, the decisive battle for the golden lion statuette will take place. Parallel to the official results, millions of Italians follow the rankings of FantaSanremo, where significant shifts occurred after the duets night. The group Bambole di Pezza has taken the lead, showing that the festival lives its own life in the online space regardless of jury verdicts. The organizers have already announced the presence of special guests in the final and have begun sketching plans for 2027, suggesting that the Sanremo brand, despite minor viewership fluctuations, remains a cornerstone of the Italian entertainment industry. „Oggi arrivano notizie terribili e noi siamo qui a fare festa, musica, in un Paese libero e democratico” (Today terrible news arrives and we are here to celebrate, make music, in a free and democratic country) — Carlo Conti

Perspektywy mediów: Media focus on inclusivity and the digital success of young artists like Ditonellapiaga, highlighting the modern face of Sanremo. Conservative commentators point to the 3 million viewer drop and criticize some performances as too provocative for the traditional audience.