Amadeus V starts with popular national tones and the rules are clear: overdoing is prohibited and wasting time is banned, with a clear cut to monologues and guests who are too "intrusive". But, despite the precautions, the evening remains endless.

The official start on the green carpet is the anthem of the fanfare of the 4th Regiment of Mounted Carabinieri. Then we get to the heart of things, with a very excited Marco Mengoni : «There's very little time left and then nothing will be the same as before, in a moment we'll listen to the new 30 songs that will change our lives, at least for a while. They will begin to be part of our days and we will no longer be able to do without them." They seem high-sounding words and yet, how can you blame him.

The owner of the house Amadeus is in a black and white tuxedo : first he makes the sign of the cross, then goes down to the stalls and goes to greet his wife Giovanna and his son Josè. «Sanremo is loved, I love this audience, I love this historic stage, being able to say welcome to the 74th edition of the Italian song festival. In these five years I have run out of adjectives to describe the joy of being here, kicking off the race but above all a beautiful party, a collective ritual, a 5-day party that will excite the entire country." And for him, he has repeated several times now, it will be the last.

The competition begins with the long review of the thirty singers : the young and talented Clara opens, Sangiovanni weak, Fiorella Mannoia appears in a quasi-wedding dress with white lace and barefoot, La Sad vocally out of focus but they bring the important thing to the stage theme of suicide in collaboration with the Telefono Amico Italia association, repetitive Irama , Ghali greets the Alien protagonist of his piece in the audience. And then Negramaro with some uncertainty, Annalisa centered and on the podium, Mahmood in a maxi black vest, the elegant Diodato with the barefoot dancers, pure rock with Loredana Bertè , Geolier with his contested Neapolitan, in length Alessandra Amoroso , The Kolors with the sure hit, the very good Angelina Mango , lyrical Il Volo , decisive BigMama , decorated with ribbons the Ricchi e Poveri , disco- Emma , Renga & Nek who seem to come out of the early 2000s. In the last round the evanescent Mr.Rain , BNKR44 fake punk boyband, Gazzelle with built-in sunglasses, Dargen D'Amico with teddy bears and then an appeal for a ceasefire for the children of Gaza, sparkling Rose Villain , super chic French Saints , Fred De Palma at Truzzi altitude, Maninni invisible, Alfa on the road, Il Tre hoping that Amadeus will keep his promises: he will sing first in one of the next evenings. At the end of the evening the top five from the press room, the only jury that voted this evening: in order Loredana Bertè, Angelina Mango, Annalisa, Diodato, Mahmood.

Surprisingly, Ibrahimovic returns after three years and advises Ama to leave the pitch to be replaced by someone on the bench : "You are 61, I'm 42 and I stopped because I listened to my body." The former AC Milan striker and current manager of the Rossoneri club then asks to go up to the royal balcony. «But Mattarella went there – says Amadeus –». "Why? How many goals did he score? Then he goes to sit in the front row: "But if I see you tired I'll call the change, there's a row of presenters out here."

To break the rhythm, Fiorello arrives intermittently like a blessing : in the first connection with the Aristonello he unrolls the mega cloak "Love, think of yourself free, it's the last". Any reference to Chiara Ferragni is purely coincidental. Then he breaks the agreement with Amadeus, to go on stage only on Saturday. But it's an illusion: "It's not me, it's artificial intelligence."

Mengoni improvises as an entertainer but the operation works halfway : it's not his job and the gag of the old Sanremo or the "preservabacino", to be used to make everyone kiss without contact and "Rosa Chemical" scandals, is not the best. On the other hand, when he returns to his home, sings "Due vite" and does a medley of his hits, it gives you goosebumps.

The entry on stage of Daniela Di Maggio, mother of Giovanbattista Cutolo, GioGiò, the 24-year-old musician of the Scarlatti Young Orchestra, killed last August by gunshots in Piazza Municipio, in the center of Naples, while defending a friend, is moving. during a trivial argument . «Love is the opposite of death, and you - he says reading a letter to his son - tonight live through the music you loved, all of Italy is listening to the talent and notes of maestro Giovanbattista Cutolo. Your breast will never forget you", he concludes, dedicating the floral tribute "to justice". And GioGiò's horn rings out, in a thrilling moment.

Homage also to Toto Cutugno with the song “Gli amori”. The first skier at the Ariston, also at the festival was Federica Brignone, who theoretically had to promote her sport in view of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympics but in the end she did not mention either her injured colleague Sofia Goggia or the Olympics. For now, the Ercolina II cow remains outside the Ariston, symbol of the tractor protest which aims to exploit the visibility of the festival to give space to the reasons for dissent against European agricultural policy.

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