Bellissimo! The upcoming Sanremo Music Festival 2016 won’t just welcome the next Italian Eurovision representative. It will also play host to some special international guests with very big names. Carlo Conti, host and artistic director of Sanremo, has hit the jackpot this year, securing Sir Elton John and Ellie Goulding. Both of the British artists have scored hits in Italy and will be in town to promote their latest albums Wonderful crazy night and Delirium.
Carlo, who recently shared his thoughts on this year’s 20 competing acts and songs, continues a fine tradition of international A-listers descending on Sanremo. Since 1976 — the first year that involved guests as well as competing singers — Sanremo has welcomed hundreds of famous artists including Kate Bush, Tina Turner, Sting, Depeche Mode, Whitney Houston, Madonna, Britney Spears and many others.
Sanremo 2016: Our favourites
This year’s Festival, aired on Rai 1 from 9 to 13 February, will follow the pattern of the previous editions. That means five never-ending shows that may or may not start on time. Performances from these guest stars will help keep us going…
There’s more. The Congolese-born French rapper Maître Gims will also hit the stage of the Ariston Theatre with his song “Est-ce que tu m’aimes“, which is currently #1 on the Italian FIMI Singles Chart and was recently certified Platinum for more than 50,000 copies sold.
Several non-competing Italian artists will join them: Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, Elisa, Pooh and Renato Zero. And last but not least, it seems that Rai is in negotiations with Andrea Bocelli, Ariana Grande and Rihanna!
@DR:
“I Can’t Go On Living Without You” is a lovely song, shame it came last in the selection. I too think it’s far better than their eventual entry. 😛
I’m supprised Elton is taking part. Someone in the italian government said that him having a baby by surrogate is vile and linked it to eugenics and Nazism. I read it in the “I” newspaper on Tuesday.
Sanremo is a boring festival therefore they must defend this festival bringing big international stars.
Have RAI announced which artists will perform which night of San Remo, or is this usually not announced?
Hi Lanti!
Usually we know it one or two days before it happens.
Lol, dave is more pretentious about Sanremo than the actual Italian here. Keep it up, Cristian and the rest of Wiwi! 🙂
dave: and it’s as if you seem to underestimate Eurovision for stating all that up, which I really hope you don’t. This is my last comment in response to this issue.
And anyhow, I can’t wait for Ellie Goulding’s appearance here. And this may be an opportunity for me to tune in to San Remo even more like how I’m as hyped when watching Melodifestivalen and Eurovision itself.
my point is that Sanremo is a five night music festival with a 66 year history – it’s so much more than just a “National Selection for Eurovision” – personally I think it’s a little insulting and demeaning to the festival and it’s historical relevance in being the inspiration to Eurovision to refer to it as such. The Winner of the “Big Artists” section of the festival is not automatically the Italian entrant for Eurovision – a quick scan of the history shows it’s not quite as cut and dried as that. But no @Pastora (Not Soler) I’m neither bitter… Read more »
Yes Dave, you’re right, Sanremo is a five night music festival with a 66 year history, and nobody denied it. You’re referring to the whole history of our festival and the fact that sometimes we used it and sometimes not, I can’t say it’s wrong, but in this specific article we are focused just on this year’s festival and for this reason Sanremo is called our national selection. The Italian festival is in my heart, I would never insult or demean it, I think it is appropriate to call it “national selection” on this site, we are an Eurovision news… Read more »
lol at the banter below…
i love this! this will bring new audience to sanremo and probably, eurovision. if only bbc has the nerve to ask them instead for the upcoming national selection…
All I understand is that the author Cristian only transmit this news here that came from other sources like from the Italian websites and whatnot (apart from the obvious reason that he is an Italian who long before follows San Remo and has knowledge about its link with Eurovision)… not bragging that everything he say is something arbitrary and incomplete. I am surprised about people who are still unaware of this kind of San Remo’s relationship with Eurovision per se.
I think @Dave is a bit of a drama queen. All Euro-fans know Sanremo as a national selection contest for ESC. It’s in the rules the singer goes to Eurovision. @Cristian: the story is very clear. Do not let haters bring you down. They usually have their own agenda or prejudices. Trolls. I appreciate your work and all wiwibloggs team. Best wishes, good night
@Dave You are either bitter or a moron or both. I read this news in an Italian newspaper (several). And yes, Sanremo is the national selection for Eurovision. I don’t see your point Dave
@Dave
Did you not read Cristian Scarpone’s view of Sanremo. From an actual Italian, who actually wrote the article.
Look forward to your retraction comment Dave.
another example of appalling journalism from Wiwi!
Elton/Ellie are performaing at Sanremo – but is Sanremo JUST a “National Selection”?
Will they even be in Italy on the night that the Italians choose their candidate that might be considered for ESC?
Where is the quality in this article? Where is the truth? Where is the Fact?
It’s pure “Red Top” sensationalism
Excuse me? Dave, I’m the author of the article, an Italian who loves and follows Sanremo since years, I’m not a liar and I would like to be respected. We know that Sanremo is not just a “national selection” but it’s ACTUALLY our national selection. The quality of this article? The truth? The fact? Ellie Goulding and Elton John will be in Sanremo and that’s what the article says, that’s all. Everybody should know that Sanremo has its own particular formula, but what’s the point in your criticism? This is not sensationalism, this is a real news related to the… Read more »
@Laburnum
Sadly not for Ellie. She is on the Delirium world tour as we speak. She is in Oberhausen on 26th Feb and 28th in Zurich either side of the national selection, and she is performing in Indianapolis on the US leg in the night of the Eurovision final on the 14th May. I would love her to, but even she doesn’t have a time machine.
Could this be a promotion for Ellie or Elton, if there is the slight chance that they are involved in the UK national selection?
Sanremo is NOT a national selection! It is a festival in its own right which started before the ESC that RAI sometimes uses to choose their ESC song.
Stefano, I’m Italian so I know for sure that Sanremo is… well, a PARTICULAR national selection. But I wouldn’t say straight that is NOT a national selection. In the rules it’s written that the winner will represent our country so automatically it is OUR national selection and for the Wiwibloggs readers Sanremo is actually the Italian national selection. Nothing wrong!
Elton (and Bernie Taupin) would have nothing to lose by submitting six songs to the BBC for a future single artist selection
will smith last year oml that was the best
i always love the celebrities that show up on san remo
Do they know the Eurovision heritage to the Sanremo. It would be interesting to know. Not just the National Selection but the inspiration to the whole ESC.
Well Elton John does have experience with the ESC. He wrote one of the six songs for Lulu in the national selection in 1969, I think it is called Can’t go on living without you. I think it is much better than Boom Bang-a-Bang. I think it might have give the UK an overall lead rather than the draw.
It’s hard to believe in Italy at this moment. They have more luck than sense. Il Volo is only one, points for Raphael Gualazzi was one of the biggest crazes of the jury in history, while Marco Mengoni had no great song, but very good starting position.