As Italy is getting ready to choose their Junior Eurovision representative, the Italian public broadcaster RAI has confirmed their participation for Eurovision 2016.

RAI confirmed their participation through social media, cheekily challenging Sweden to a rematch. This follows Il Volo’s excellent result in Vienna, placing third and winning the televote with their song “Grande Amore”.

According to INFE Greece, RAI is currently deciding on how the Italian representative will be chosen. It is very likely that Italy will once again use the winner of the Sanremo Music Festival.

Since Italy returned to the contest in 2011, it has finished in the top 10 four times, including second and third place. After Vincenzo Cantiello won Junior Eurovision last year, it seems RAI is still focused on winning Eurovision. Will 2016 be Italy’s anno fortunato?

How should Italy chose their 2016 singer and song? Who would you like to see represent Italy in Stockholm next year? Leave your comments below.

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Gil
Gil
8 years ago

Sanremo’s songs are too classy and too italian for EnglishVision, ehm, Eurovision. Maybe an external choice would be better. I’d like to see Francesca Michielin, the girl is another great young italian voice.

The third place of Il Volo, just 1-2 line on online magazine and italian newspaper, unfortunately ESC in Italy has still too few audience but is comprensible, unlike the rest of Europe that before ESC didn’t have a music contest, Sanremo was already there to make the history.

Claudio
8 years ago

Pocos han logrado interpretarlo de forma exitosa.
Se podrĂ­a mencionar a: A. Sadel y Luis M.. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMIUXDGj1dU

calacolo
calacolo
8 years ago

Please Annalisa for Italy!

Charles
Charles
8 years ago

@Denis: We certaintly don’t share the same notion of “adapting and taking the next step” and “fresh and vibrant” because from all I have been seeing for the last 15 years, specially during those dreadful 100% televoting days … there was nothing musically fresh or vibrant to make me wow nor did I see singers and songwriters adapt and take the next step. All I saw was desperation for votes and a lot o questionable music quality entries, which had no real quality at all. People just went for it because of all the circus-buzz that the show became to… Read more »

Denis
Denis
8 years ago

But Charles, ESC has always been about adapting and taking the next step. That’s what has made it able to stay so popular for 60 years. If it wasn’t willing to adopt itself to the current era it would have vanished a long time ago and instead of celebrating 60 years we would only have it as a memory and wishing it would return. Hadn’t it been for some artists who dared to try something new among what was seen as established ESC.music we wouldn’t have had ABBA. Lordi or Loreen who all took the contest to a new height.… Read more »

Charles
Charles
8 years ago

@Denis: If you have any understanding of the Italian musical culture and how passionate the country is about their music and how passionate they are about Sanremo as a celebration of their musical landscape … you would understand why RAI sometimes overlooks Eurovision and sends entries that only scream what they feel Eurovision should always be in the first place: a song contest … everything else that fans so much love is and has always been complete bs and a waste of time … Italy has been part of a contest that should age gracefully and not try to act… Read more »

Charles
Charles
8 years ago

The same country that denied one single point back in 2012 for Loreen … now sounds utterly excited to win the whole thing by challenging Sweden for a rematch as if all the other 40 countries weren’t part of the whole equation ….apparently the winning at the televote must have affected the country’s ego to the degree of trauma … God knows why … Anyway … if they want a rematch …. hopefully do it with something musically more original, more relevant and more of a mirror of how great Italian music is when they don’t have to sound like… Read more »

JohnUK
JohnUK
8 years ago

The 2015 Sanremo was probably the highest quality iv seen in 20 years.The top 5 from Il Volo down to Chiara were all world class.Im not 100% convinced though Italy should use SR to select for ESC going forward.If they dont use SR iv a feeling they will select Arisa.If its SR i hope Alessandra Amoroso is one of the bigs at last and can get on the podium.

Denis
Denis
8 years ago

Good to see that Italy is keeping the spirit up and and continue to compete even though the interest for ESC in Italy is very low with low viewer-ship. It’s not even covered in local media or newspapers and the Italian people I know aren’t even aware there is ESC. Which is ironic since it’s the only big 5 country doing well. As for Sanremo, well Italy does its own thing. For them it’s still very much a song contest and nothing more. And that’s both negative and positive. For the rest of Europe ESC is a concept that’s changed… Read more »

Comi
Comi
8 years ago

I hate both Grande Amore and Heroes, so I don’t really care about rematch, but glad they will participate, I loved La Mia Citta and L’amore e femmina(my fav at 2012)

Alex
Alex
8 years ago

Italy is pretty much an automatic top 10, and deservedly so. The only time they missed the top 10 since 2011, it was because they made a poor song choice (hard to sing live, no change in dynamics, somewhat generic). Glad to see they’re back and with an eye towards victory.

In regards to the country’s enthusiasm for the contest, ESC is such a big event nowadays that it would be hard for Italians to ignore it if Italy hosted.

davve
davve
8 years ago

Italy did not deserve to win in 2015 with that non-contemporary song..get over it.

Bronson
Bronson
8 years ago

I don’t want Italy to win until there is sufficient interest in the country – the ratings ever since they’ve returned have been abysmal.

Esc16
Esc16
8 years ago

@Oostenrijk. Sweden does not serve that much junk food like USA

hurrizah
hurrizah
8 years ago

Challenge accepted. We’re 3rd largest music exporter, all u export is food and cheap wine. Shots fired.

Erin
Erin
8 years ago

@Eugene ESC UK – you’re right that it’s a proper song festival, but it’s caught in a time warp (generally speaking) and is an Italian tradition which basically lost its appeal outside of Italy for at least 3 to 4 decades by now, unless you’re an Italian expatriate or have a particular interest in the 5 night event. I like to follow the festival’s performances, but I know that it’s not covered nor mentioned in the local press where I live, so even if 4 out of Italy’s 5 entries since 2011 made it into the top 10 spots, I’m… Read more »

Oostenrijk
Oostenrijk
8 years ago

Italy serves us haute-cuisine every year, while Sweden serves us junk food.

Erin
Erin
8 years ago

a real rematch means having both ‘Il Volo’ and Mans representing their respective countries in 2016. While Sweden has a huge appetite to score a 7th victory and tie the record with Ireland on home turf, Italy is unlikely to do so if it continues to choose its entry through Sanremo.

Daniel
Daniel
8 years ago

Hated Il Volo WITH A PASSION. But yay for Italy.

MirkoJoshua
MirkoJoshua
8 years ago

Right side of the screen*

MirkoJoshua
MirkoJoshua
8 years ago

I know Sanremo has brought great songs at Eurovision (2014 was the only year RAI made an internal choice and failed ending up on the left side of the screen), but I wouldn’t use it to choose the italian representant. First of all because 97% of Sanremo’s songs are rubbish and then because Italy was absent from Eurovision from 1997 to 2011. In Italy, because of this long absence, Eurovision is very unpopular and if they would create another contest to choose the italian representant, Eurovision would get a chance to be more famous and followed.

fikri
fikri
8 years ago

SHADE.

werk RAI. i love it. 🙂