February it’s ending and if for most people this means that we are entering spring, for Italian people means only one thing: Sanremo Music Festival. When Sanremo is on, all Italy stops. Some even may say that the week of Sanremo is as holy as the Holy Week!

This Festival is the most popular song contest in Italy, and it’s held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It dates back to 1951, when Italy started to recover from World War II and RAI (the Italian national broadcasting company) wanted to spark some joy in all Italians’ lives. When it was inaugurated, there were only three participants; nowadays there are 30, competing to win the contest and fly to the Eurovision Song Contest (do you remember Maneskin?).

Sanremo Music Festival has a very long history and has a significant impact in the Italian culture. Here are some fun facts of this incredible contest:

  • From 1951 to 1955 the Festival was streamed…on radio! As a matter of fact, in Italy regular television transmissions began on 3 January 1954. So, from the following year, the Sanremo Music Festival started to be streamed on television, reaching every home.
  • Traditionally, the contest is held in Teatro Ariston, built in 1963. However, this Theatre became the official venue for it only in 1977. Until that year, the setting for the contest was the Casino of Sanremo. Eventually, due to some renewal work in the Casino, the Festival was moved to the Theatre.
  • The Teatro Ariston is not a common theatre – indeed, if you think about it, this theatre hosts a huge show broadcasted in Eurovision! Logistically speaking, there are hundreds of people working for the show and preparations start months before the official beginning. Furthermore, the Theatre is not property of the Municipality – in fact it is owned by the Vacchino family. Are you wondering how much the rent is? 1,600,000 euros! Every other expense – lights, staging, security, etc. – is paid by RAI.

Sanremo Music Festival is not a simple song contest, for Italians it is a moment of unity: whether you watch it with your family or with your friends, there is nothing funnier than becoming for a few nights music experts and judging the singers! In fact, thanks to Fantasanremo, now you can also form your Sanremo team, and – based on how many points your team’s member do – see who wins!