When does Sanremo 2026 start and when does the Festival end?

Il 2026 Festival of Sanremo start later Compared to the habits of recent years, the musical festival hosted by Carlo Conti will kick off Tuesday 24 February and it will end Saturday February 28, For a total of five consecutive nights live from the Ariston Theatre. The delay is not accidental and responds to a precise editorial choice by Rai. Knowing the official dates helps you orient yourself in the television programming and understand how the Festival's story will be distributed over the course of the week.

When it begins and when ends the Sanremo Festival 2026

Sanremo 2026 will start on Tuesday 24th February and will end on Saturday 28th February with the final eveningThe decision to postpone the Festival compared to the traditional period is linked to the coincidence with the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, scheduled for February 6th to 22nd. To avoid overlapping between two high-profile events, RAI has chosen to postpone the broadcast of the Festival by a few weeks.

A similar decision was made in 2021, when Sanremo was postponed to March due to the organizational consequences of the pandemic. In 2026, the television schedule will also be adjusted to maintain the centrality and focus of the music event. The Festival will air in prime time on Rai 1, with streaming on RaiPlay and radio coverage on Rai Radio2.

Why Sanremo 2026 it begins later than usual

The main reason for the postponement concerns the management of the flagship public service eventsThe Winter Olympics represent a strategic event for RAI, both editorially and in terms of ratings. Scheduling Sanremo so close to the Olympic competitions would have resulted in a waste of viewers and resources.

The choice to place the Festival at the end of February allows Sanremo to have an autonomous space, without having to share media attention with an international event. In this way, RAI preserves the festival's central role in the Italian television landscape, avoiding an overlap that could have penalized both products.

How are the five evenings di Sanremo 2026

The structure of the evenings follows the approach already adopted in the previous edition, with a progressive distribution of the performances. The first evening, Tuesday 24 February, will see all the artists take to the stage. 30 Big in the race. In the following days the following will come into play: New Proposals, with a knockout mechanism.

On Wednesday, February 25th, 15 Big Artists will perform alongside the four Newcomers, divided into two direct challenges. On Thursday, February 26th, it will be the turn of the other 15 Big Artists and the announcement of the winner of the Newcomers. Friday, February 27th will be dedicated to the cover night, one of the Festival's most recognizable moments. Finally, the final evening will take place on Saturday, February 28th, with performances from all the big names and the announcement of the winner of Sanremo 2026.

Who will support Carlo Conti during the Festival

For all five evenings Carlo Conti will be joined by Laura Pausini in the role of co-hostHis presence accompanies the entire Festival and contributes to giving continuity to the television storyFor Pausini, this is a significant return to the Ariston stage, where she began her career in the 1990s, first as a winner among the Newcomers and then as a Big.

The choice of a stable co-host for the entire week strengthens the Festival's narrative structure and underscores the focus on music as a central element of the show.