The annual Italian music festival is back tonight, promising a bigger spectacle than usual. Host and creative director Carlo Conti has also convinced Maria De Filippi, well-known presenter of Mediaset, to accompany him on stage for the next five nights of pure showbiz.

Twenty-two acts are taking part in the Campioni (established artists) category this year, while eight singers are competing in the Nuove proposte (newcomers) category.

Singers who participated or won talent shows dominate the main line-up. Among these are Sergio Sylvestre and Elodie who won and placed second, respectively, in the 15th edition of Amici. There is also Alessio Bernabei, who is participating for the third time in the festival after winning a previous edition of Amici with his band Dear Jack.

Michele Bravi is debuting on the Ariston stage after winning the 2013 Italian edition of The X Factor, while Alice Paba, winner of the last edition of The Voice of Italy, is duetting with Nesli, who has already participated in Sanremo in 2015.

Past X Factor winners Chiara and Giusy Ferreri, who have since become household namesin the Italian music industry, are trying their luck in the festival once again.

This year also sees the comeback of some favourite Italian artists.

Standing out among these is Al Bano, who is participating for the 15th time with what he calls “an evergreen melody”.

Another welcome return is that of Fiorella Mannoia, who has been absent from the festival for 29 years. The singer of the 1987 hit Quelle che le donne non dicono is among the favourites to win the festival with her new ballad, which she has described as ‘an ode to life’.

Neapolitan singer Gigi D’Alessio is celebrating 25 years of music career with his fifth participation in the festival. He is presenting a ballad dedicated to his mother, who passed away when he was 18.

Former Sanremo winner Marco Masini is competing for the eighth time with a novel style, in terms of music and theme. He, in fact, compared his song’s concept to that of the 1998 film Sliding Doors, whereby a person’s life can change forever in just a second.

Another former winner, Ron, is taking part for the sixth time with a song dedicated to love which he calls ‘the eighth wonder’.

Another welcome return is that of Fiorella Mannoia

Michele Zarrillo is marking 30 years since he won the Nuove proposte category with La notte dei pensieri. He is participating for the 12th time – after an absence of eight years – with another heart-wrenching song about love.

It took Paola Turci 16 years to return to the festival. She makes her 10th appearance at Sanremo with a personal ballad about feeling good about oneself as one grows old.

Other participants include Samuel (last name Romano), former lead singer of electronic band Subsonica; Francesco Gabbani, who won last year’s Nuove Proposte category with Amen; rapper Clementino; pop singer Bianca Atzei; singer-songwriter Fabrizio Moro, who won the newcomers category in 2007; and a duet made up of rapper Raige and music, TV and theatre star Giulia Luzi.

Ermal Meta, who participated in previous editions of the festival with bands Ameba 4 and La Fame di Camilla and last year on his own in the Nuove proposte category, is debuting in the established singers category. However, the singer-songwriter has penned the lyrics of some of his competitors’ entries, including those of Chiara, Giusy Ferreri, Sergio Sylvestre, Alice Paba and Elodie.

Another artist making her debut in the established category is Lodovica Comello, who rose to fame thanks to her role in the Argentinian TV series Violetta, which was broadcast worldwide, and Italian show Singing in the Car.

The festival’s format has slightly changed but has retained its main features, with Thursday night dedicated to song covers and the winner of the Nuove proposte category proclaimed on Friday night.

Among the guest artists this year are Ricky Martin, British electronic band Clean Bandit, Scottish rock band Biffy Clyro, British pop stars Mika and Robbie Williams, and Italian greats Giorgia and Zucchero.

Laughter is another important ingredient of the festival’s success formula. This year’s show will not be shorn of comic sketches from Italy’s most popular comedians and satirists such as Maurizio Crozza, Paola Cortellesi and Gabriele Cirilli.

Campioni category

Al Bano – Di rose e di spine
Bianca Atzei – Ora esisti solo tu
Alessio Bernabei – Nel mezzo di un applauso
Michele Bravi – Il diario degli errori
Chiara – Nessun posto è casa mia
Clementino – Ragazzi fuori
Lodovica Comello – Il cielo non mi basta
Gigi d’Alessio – La prima stella
Elodie – Tutta colpa mia
Giusy Ferreri – Fa talmente male
Francesco Gabbani – Occidentali’s Karma
Fiorella Mannoia – Che sia benedetta
Marco Masini – Spostato di un secondo
Ermal Meta – Vietato morire
Fabrizio Moro – Portami via
Neslie e Alice Paba – Do retta a te
Raige and Giulia Luzi – Togliamoci la voglia
Ron – L’ottava meraviglia
Samuel – Vedrai
Sergio Sylvestre – Con te
Paola Turci – Fatti bella per te
Michele Zarrillo – Mani nelle mani

Nuove proposte

Leonardo Lamacchia – Ciò che resta
Valeria Farinacci – Insieme
Francesco Guasti – Universo
Braschi – Nel mare ci sono i coccodrilli
Lele – Ora mai
Maldestro – Canzone per Federica
Marianne Mirage – Le canzoni fanno male
Tommaso Pini – Cose che danno ansia

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