During the 76th edition of the Italian Song Festival in Sanremo, singer Ermal Meta stirred emotions with his song "Stella Stellina." The artist dedicated the song to the youngest victims of the conflict in the Gaza Strip. On his shirt collar, he displayed the hand-embroidered name "Amal," announcing that each evening he would present a different name of a Palestinian child who lost their life due to the war. This gesture elicited an emotional reaction from the host, Carlo Conti.

Symbolic embroidery on the outfit

Ermal Meta placed the name Amal, meaning hope, on his shirt collar as a tribute to Palestinian children.

Message of the song Stella Stellina

The song is dedicated to the nameless victims of the conflict, combining oriental sounds with a lullaby form.

Reaction of the festival host

Carlo Conti supported the artist's message, appealing for flowers not to end up on children's graves.

During the 76th festival at the Sanremo Ariston Theatre, Albanian-Italian artist Ermal Meta performed the song "Stella Stellina," a kind of lullaby dedicated to children affected by war. The singer, who won the festival in 2018, this time decided to use the stage to highlight the tragedy of civilians in the Gaza Strip. A central element of his performance was a symbolic gesture – the name "Amal" appeared on the artist's shirt collar, which in Arabic means "hope." Meta explained in interviews that these are the names of specific, deceased children, which he embroidered himself to give them a voice back. Since the outbreak of war in the Gaza Strip in October 2023, humanitarian issues concerning Palestinian children have repeatedly been the subject of artistic demonstrations on European music stages.The festival host, Carlo Conti, while presenting the artist with flowers, reinforced the message by saying that flowers should only be used for celebration and should never end up on the graves of children who fall victim to the madness of adults. Meta's performance received a huge response on social media, where the artist explained that the heroine of his song is a nameless child, yet one bearing all the names in the world, such as Aysha, Layla, or Hind. The song "Stella Stellina" previews the singer's sixth studio album titled "Funzioni Vitali," scheduled for release on February 27, 2026. Although the artist initially prepared a song about his daughter Fortuna, he ultimately decided on a song with a broader, geopolitical context. Meta's presentation fits into the tradition of politically and socially engaged performances at the Sanremo Festival, which for years has served as a platform for public debate in Italy. The artist himself emphasized that children growing up in the shadow of war change irreversibly, and their suffering should serve as a warning to the whole world. By combining music with an oriental sound and a visual symbol of loss, he polarizes and simultaneously unites the audience around the theme of empathy. „I bambini dovrebbero fare rumore, non silenzio.” (Children should make noise, not silence.) — Ermal Meta

Mentioned People

  • Ermal Meta — Singer of Albanian origin participating in the Sanremo Festival.
  • Carlo Conti — Host of the 76th edition of the Sanremo Festival.