Italy's Eurovision Entry

Italy will send Sal Da Vinci to the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with “Per sempre sì,” after his win at the Sanremo Festival in March. (eurovisionworld.com) In Italy, Sanremo doubles as the country’s Eurovision selection: the festival winner gets the first option to take the Eurovision spot, and Rai can name another act if the winner declines. Sal Da Vinci accepted the place on March 1, 2026. (eurovisionworld.com) (thateurovisionsite.com) Rai’s Sanremo coverage and RaiPlay list “Per sempre sì” as Sal Da Vinci’s final-night song at the 2026 festival, where he performed it on the Ariston stage in Sanremo. RaiNews said the song “conquista il pubblico,” or won over the audience, during the festival run. (raiplay.it) (rainews.it) That route matters because Italy does not usually run a separate Eurovision national final. Since returning to Eurovision in 2011, the country has typically used Sanremo to produce its act, making the festival result the key decision point for Italy’s entry. (esctoday.com) “Per sempre sì” is a romantic ballad built around a vow of lifelong commitment, with lyrics promising “forever yes” and referring to marriage, children and a promise made “before God.” Public lyric pages for the 2026 entry show lines in both Italian and Neapolitan. (eurovisionworld.com) (youtube.com) Early reaction has centered on the song’s domestic popularity and its online spread after Sanremo. RaiNews reported in March that “Per sempre sì” was circulating widely online in multiple languages, while fan outlets and reaction channels quickly posted reviews of Italy’s entry. (rainews.it) (eurovisioncentral.com) (youtube.com) Coverage outside Italy has also framed Sal Da Vinci as an unusual Eurovision pick because he arrives with a long career and a style tied closely to Neapolitan pop rather than a purpose-built Eurovision sound. That gives Italy a 2026 entry rooted in the same song that won the country’s biggest music festival. (aussievision.net) (eurovisionworld.com) The next test is whether a Sanremo winner built on home-country momentum can convert that support on the Eurovision stage. For now, Italy’s 2026 bet is clear: send the song that won Sanremo, unchanged in identity and already familiar to a large domestic audience. (eurovisionworld.com) (raiplay.it)