Festival organizers are considering introducing a separate Eurovision Song Contest qualifier, potentially eliminating the traditional cover performance evening.
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The 2027 edition of the Sanremo Music Festival is under consideration for significant structural changes, according to reports released May 31. Stefano De Martino, the artistic director and host of the 77th Festival scheduled for February 2027 on Rai 1, is evaluating a series of modifications to Italy's most prominent music competition.
Among the proposed changes is the introduction of a separate competition to select Italy's representative for the Eurovision Song Contest. According to reports first published by Giuseppe Candela on Dagospia, record labels have requested and obtained approval for this new format.
The most discussed innovation concerns the fourth evening of the festival. The historically significant cover night—a long-established and popular segment of Sanremo—could be replaced by a new "Eurovision evening." Under this proposal, artists would perform their Sanremo entries again, but in a "Eurovision version" featuring elaborate stage designs and custom choreography tailored to Eurovision standards.
The winner of this separate Eurovision evening would advance directly to the Eurovision Song Contest, independent of the overall festival winner. This structure would result in two distinct victors emerging from the 2027 festival: the traditional Sanremo champion and a separate Eurovision representative.
De Martino is also reportedly considering reducing the number of competing artists in the main competition, though specific details on this reduction remain unclear.
The proposal has generated considerable discussion among industry observers and the public. The concept of replacing the cover night—a segment with deep historical roots in the festival—with a Eurovision-focused competition represents a departure from Sanremo's traditional format.
The exact specifications and full scope of the proposed "Eurovision evening" remain undefined in available reports, leaving questions about how the format would function in practice and what criteria would govern artist selection and performance standards for this new segment.
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