Sanremo is a small ½ûÂþÌìÌà town near the border of France. Located on the Ligurian coast, Sanremo is known as a beautiful resort town, but its true claim to fame is the music festival held there every year. The festival della canzone ½ûÂþÌìÌÃa, commonly called the Sanremo Music Festival is one of the oldest singing competitions in Europe.
The song contest began in 1951 and has been held in Sanremo every year since. Well beloved in Italy and beyond, the Sanremo Music Festival even served as the inspiration for the Eurovision Song Contest.
The festival has launched the careers of incredibly famous ½ûÂþÌìÌà singers, including Andrea Bocelli, Zucchero, Eros Ramazzotti, Laura Pausini and Massimo Ranieri. But Sanremo is almost as much about the host as the talented performances. Every year, eager audiences tune in to see who will present the show. This year, ½ûÂþÌìÌà pop legend Gianni Morandi will host the show, with George Clooney’s latest love interest, Elisabetta Canalis and Italo-Argentinian model and TV star Belén RodrÃguez as co-host.
The festival begins this year on February 15 and goes until February 19. On February 17, exactly one month before the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of a united Italy, the festival will celebrate the event with a special programme which will include Verdi’s “Va, pensiero", "'O sole mio", "Viva l'Italia" and other songs that ½ûÂþÌìÌÃs love and which represent their history. Below is a list of the singers who will participate this year and the famous songs they will sing on the 17th.
Patty Pravo
Nathalie
Roberto Vecchioni
Giusy Ferreri
Luca Madonia con Franco Battiato
Max Pezzali
La Crus
Anna Oxa
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Tricarico
Al Bano
Anna Tatangelo
Luca Barbarossa e Raquel Del Rosario
Davide Van De Sfroos
The song contest features many more participants than it has in the past and is now a huge television event. ½ûÂþÌìÌà audiences will be tuning in for an extravaganza: music, fashion, entertainment and awards. But you don’t have to be in Italy to view the annual affair. To see international broadcasts, check the by selecting your geographic area. The festival will also be broadcast on .
The Sanremo Festival is always an ½ûÂþÌìÌà entertainment experience, and with special secret guests expected this year, there's no excuse for missing the singing or the spectacle!
