A vast stage where music, identity, and innovation intertwine in a unique spectacle. The Eurovision Song Contest is back, and the world's most watched non-sporting event, capable of churning out global sensations from Abba to Céline Dion, including our own Maneskin, is preparing to celebrate its seventieth anniversary. And this time, Italy will be vying for its ninth consecutive Top 10 finish with Sal Da Vinci.
The dates
After Austria's victory in Basel in 2025 with JJ's "Wasted Love," Vienna will host the enormous musical event for the third time, with the two semifinals taking place tonight and Thursday (live on Rai 2) and the grand final on Saturday (Rai 1). Gabriele Corsi returns as Italian host, and Elettra Lamborghini makes her debut, while Maria Sole Pollio will represent the Italian jury.
The race
Thirty-five countries competed at the Wiener Stadthalle, with 95,000 tickets sold (42 percent of which were purchased by international audiences). The winner of the last Sanremo Music Festival will perform tonight (he will be seventh on the bill), but as per tradition, he will not compete because he represents Italy, which, along with Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Spain, is among the Big Five (the festival's main supporters) and therefore a finalist. This year, Austria, the host country and defending winner, is also a finalist.
The controversy
This year, however, Spain will not be participating: Madrid has decided to withdraw its delegation in protest at Israel's participation, as have Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Iceland. Tensions are high again this year, but there were fewer boos at the opening parade for Noam Bettan, the Israeli competitor, unlike last year's in Basel for Yuval Raphael, singer-songwriter and survivor of the Hamas attack on October 7.
«My dream»
Sal Da Vinci, son of an artist and raised on bread and theater, will bring Neapolitan tradition to the table: a more competitive card than expected in a festival that in recent years has demonstrated its appreciation for the most authentic performances. Being one of the most mature artists competing at 57 doesn't scare him; on the contrary: "For me, reaching Eurovision, 50 years after I first stepped on stage, is a dream. I want to sing for those who haven't achieved their dreams, for those like me who come from the bottom and have struggled. I am a worker, a music peddler, a traveling salesman of feelings." He knows he's arriving in Austria strong with 36 million streams across platforms for his song "Per Sempre sì," making him the most-streamed artist overall . His secret: the incredible allure that Naples, today one of the most culturally recognizable Italian cities in the world, exerts abroad.
The podium
With the spoiler of the rehearsals at the Wiener Stadthalle—a performance, curated by choreographer Marcello Sacchetta, divided into four acts inspired by the world of theater and centered on the theme of marriage— Sal Da Vinci has climbed the bookmakers' rankings: Italy remains firmly in the running for the Top 10 but, with odds of 3.00, also has a good chance of a hypothetical Top 3. Finland is very strong with the pairing of Linda Lampenius and Pete Parkkonen, whose top three spots are given odds of 1.50, as is Denmark's Soren Torpegaard at 2.75. And keep an eye out for the young Greek singer Akylas.
The others
Not only Sal Da Vinci, but the Italian presence, both rooted and ancestral, will be very strong. Competing for San Marino will be Senhit with "Superstar": born and raised in Bologna to an Eritrean family, she will be accompanied by Boy George. Among those with Italian ties are Sarah Engels, representing Germany, with Sicilian roots; Veronica Fusaro, Swiss by birth but Italian on her father's side; and Leléka (Ukraine), who has collaborated with composer Stefano Lentini.