Rai releases Sanremo 2027 rules introducing Eurovision performance night and AI restrictions

Festival schedule and contestant roster

Rai published the official regulations for the 77th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival on 21 September 2026, setting the framework for the event hosted and directed by Stefano De Martino. De Martino presented the details during a morning press conference at the Rai studios on Via Mecenate in Milan. The competition will run across five consecutive evenings from 16 February to 20 February 2027 at the Teatro Ariston in Sanremo, broadcast live on Rai Uno and streamed on RaiPlay. A total of 24 artists will participate in the competition, consisting of 23 direct selections chosen by the artistic director alongside the winner of the Sanremo Giovani contest, which will be decided on 18 December 2026. Every contestant will take the stage on each of the five nights, giving audiences four opportunities to hear each competing track alongside a dedicated cover session.

Eurovision qualification through Performance Night

The primary procedural change in the 2027 rulebook separates Italy's Eurovision Song Contest qualification from the overall festival victory. On Friday 19 February 2027, the fourth evening, titled Serata Performance, all 24 contestants will re-interpret their original entries using tailored staging, choreographies, and performance modes designed specifically for the Eurovision format. A hybrid voting panel comprising an International Jury of Experts across scenic and musical disciplines and the popular jury will judge the performances. The artist topping the standalone classification on Friday evening will earn the nomination to represent Italy at the 2027 Eurovision Song Contest. Scores from this fourth night will not be added to the cumulative tally used to decide the general winner of the Sanremo Festival.

Requirements for language, duration, and artificial intelligence

The regulatory text sets exact creative boundaries regarding language, song length, and technological assistance. Competing original entries must be performed in Italian, though regional dialects, foreign terms, and neo-idioms are permitted as long as they do not alter the broader Italian character of the lyrics, a condition evaluated by the artistic direction. Original songs cannot exceed three minutes and 30 seconds, while covers performed on the third evening can last up to four minutes. The regulation introduces an explicit clause banning the use of artificial intelligence tools that replace, alter, or distort human creative contributions. Rai and the artistic direction reserve the right to apply technological tools to inspect song composition, while commercial distribution or digital streaming remains prohibited until the final song finishes on the opening evening.

Voting systems across the five nights

The competition uses distinct jury weightings across the week before reaching Saturday's final verdict. On the first night, Tuesday 16 February 2027, the press, television, and web jury holds 67% of the voting weight, while public televoting and online ballots account for the remaining 33%. Wednesday's second night pairs the radio jury with the popular vote, while Thursday's cover round combines press, radio, and public juries to determine an independent evening winner without impacting the main standings. On Saturday 20 February 2027, cumulative points from Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday establish the general ranking, from which between three and five top-ranked finalists will be revealed in random order. A final vote, featuring a 50% public vote contribution alongside accrued points, will then decide the 77th festival winner.