The first night of Italy’s 74th edition of the Sanremo Festival was long, despite ending ahead of time. With Amadeus (host and artistic director of the event for the fifth consecutive year), it is normal to stay up late. It certainly must have been more complicated for the rapper Il Tre, who had to wait until 2 a.m. to get onstage at the Ariston Theatre.
The winner of the last edition, Marco Mengoni, visibly excited, opened Sanremo 2024. He was co-host for the whole night, together with Amadeus. The conclusion of the night, with the announcement of the top five voted by the accredited press, provided some surprises.
The first in the ranking is Loredana Bertè, ahead of Angelina Mango, Annalisa, Diodato and Mahmood. Both Diodato and Mahmood have already won in past editions (in 2020, and in 2019 and 2022, respectively).
In the next few days, the press vote will be joined by that of radio stations and the general public. The average of the different votes will determine the overall winner on Saturday (Feb. 10).
Below, find the best moments from night 1 of the 2024 Sanremo Festival. The winner of the song contest will represent Italy in Eurovision.