The Sanremo Festival 2026 achieved its highest viewership since 1990, drawing nearly 9.5 million viewers to their televisions. The event's fourth night, dedicated to cover performances and duets with invited guests, became a key point of this year's competition. Despite the media success, experts point to an unprecedented drop in the popularity of the songs on streaming services, which may force changes in the promotional strategies of the artists participating in the contest.

Record TV Viewership

The festival recorded a 60.6% market share, a result not seen in over three decades.

Streaming Crisis

No song reached one million streams on Spotify, which is an alarming signal for the industry.

Night of Duets and Covers

The festival's fourth night focused on interpretations of classics with invited music stars.

This year's edition of the Sanremo Festival goes down in history thanks to record viewership results, which reached a 60.6% market share. This is the best result recorded since 1990, confirming the event's unwavering position in Italy's mass culture. Artistic director Carlo Conti expressed satisfaction with statistics regarding the younger audience, which is a significant signal for the future of the format. During the fourth night, 30 performances consisting of covers and duets were presented on the stage of the Ariston Theatre, which are evaluated by both a professional jury and viewer votes. Despite the television success, the music market is noting a surprising downward trend in the digital sphere. For the first time in five years, none of the festival songs surpassed the barrier of one million streams on Spotify within 24 hours of their premiere. Experts analyzing the data suggest this may be due to market saturation or a change in listener habits, who are now more eager to engage in social interactions than in passive music playback. On social media, performers like Sal Da Vinci and Fedez in a duet with Masini are leading the way, confirming the enormous importance of visual and communication strategy in the fight for victory. The Festival of Italian Song in Sanremo has been held continuously since 1951. Over the decades, it has become a model for many European music competitions, including the Eurovision Song Contest, for which Sanremo was a direct inspiration.An interesting aspect is also the competition within "FantaSanremo," a popular fantasy-type game that engages millions of fans and influences artists' behavior on stage. Humorous additions, such as performances by special guests including comedian Alessandro Siani, complement the competitive seriousness. Simultaneously, the festival becomes a platform for important personal confessions – model Bianca Balti shared a moving reflection on her battle with cancer, which was warmly received by the audience and organizers. „Felice per l'alto share dei giovani.” (Happy about the high share among young people.) — Carlo Conti

Mentioned People

  • Carlo Conti — Artistic director and main host of the Sanremo Festival 2026.
  • Bianca Balti — Italian model who performed at the festival and shared personal health experiences.
  • Alessandro Siani — Italian actor and comedian, special guest of the festival's fourth night.