Carlo Conti announces 30 "Big" contestants for the Sanremo 2026 Festival
Artistic Director Carlo Conti revealed the 30 "Big" artists competing in the Sanremo 2026 Festival, scheduled for February 24–28, 2026, including Patty Pravo and Tommaso Paradiso.
November 30, 2025 - 08:05 AM ET • 2 min read
Artistic Director and host Carlo Conti announced the 30 "Big" contestants participating in the Sanremo 2026 Festival during the Tg1 news broadcast on Sunday afternoon. The 76th edition of the Italian music competition is scheduled to take place from February 24 to February 28, 2026, on the Ariston stage in Sanremo.
Conti, who is serving as the director and host for the fifth time, revealed the full list of participants, confirming weeks of speculation regarding the lineup. The selection of 30 artists was made from over 200 proposals submitted to the festival organizers, officials said.
The director stated that his intention for this edition, dubbed the "Conti 2.0 era," is to combine "great returns, legends of Italian music, new formations, independent voices, and sonic experimentation."
The announced lineup features several notable names, including the debut of Tommaso Paradiso, who recently released his new album. Veteran artist Patty Pravo is among the major returns to the competition. Other established artists returning to the Ariston stage include Arisa, Ermal Meta, and Raf.
The festival will also feature several duos, including the pairing of rapper Fedez with veteran singer Marco Masini, and the collaboration between LDA and Aka 7even.
Authorities noted that the announcement, traditionally made earlier, was postponed by seven days following the mourning period for the passing of Ornella Vanoni, a prominent figure in the Festival's history.
Sanremo 2026 Contestants
The 30 "Big" contestants announced by Carlo Conti, in the order they were revealed, are:
- Tommaso Paradiso
- Chiello
- Serena Brancale
- Fulminacci
- Ditonellapiaga
- Fedez & Masini
- Leo Gassmann
- Sayf
- Arisa
- Tredici Pietro
- Sal Da Vinci
- Samurai Jay
- Malika Ayane
- Luchè
- Raf
- Bambole di Pezza
- Ermal Meta
- Nayt
- Elettra Lamborghini
- Michele Bravi
- J-Ax
- Enrico Nigiotti
- Maria Antonietta & Colombre
- Francesco Renga
- Mara Sattei
- LDA & Aka 7even
- Dargen D'Amico
- Levante
- Eddie Brock
- Patty Pravo
The final cast for the Festival will be completed by artists selected from the Nuove Proposte (New Proposals) category, chosen through the Sanremo Giovani and Area Sanremo competitions.