Just like the Ancient Greeks had the Olympic Games, and the USA have the Oscars’ Night, and Woodstock had its legendary musical event, Italy has… FESTIVAL DI SANREMO!
It’s very similar to the meaning the Olympic Games held for the Ancent Greeks, Where even the wars were stopped.
In Italy it happens the same.
Every year, at beginning of february, there’s a kermesse between Italian songs.
They are all unpublished songs and they’re usually sung by the most popular Italian singers.
This Festival takes place in Sanremo, a very nice town near Imperia (Liguria).
This town is called “La città dei fiori” (the flowers’ town), because here there are numerous greenhouses where flowers are grown.
The Festival was born in 1951. During the first edition there were just three singers, who played 20 songs alternating.
The initial editions were broadcasted almost entirely by radio, then step by step the Festival was premiered on TV. In those years in Italy very few families had a television at home, for this reason the Festival was an important opportunity for social cohesion.
Those who were luckier and had TV in the house invited other families, they were all together, commented on the songs together, prepared sweets and ate them in what was by all means a festive atmosphere.
Not everyone knows, but the Sanremo Festival (in Italy we can call it only “Sanremo”) inspired an even a more famous songs’ competion, that is Eurovision Song Contest Festival. In fact it was conceived five years after the birth of Sanremo with the intention of competing among them songs from all over Europe.
The most famous Italian singers have been to Sanremo, many of them have achieved world fame:
Domenico Modugno brought “Nel blu dipinto di blu” to Sanremo in 1958;
Andrea Bocelli, he won in 1994 with the song “Il mare calmo della sera”;
Laura Pausini, her career began right from this stage.
Maneskin, they won Sanremo in 2021, then they triumphed at Eurovision and from that moment they became international stars.
(this is the symbol of the municipality of Sanremo)
Not only Italian singers have walked the stage of Sanremo, in fact it hosted stars including Louis Armstrong (1968), Barry White (1977), Gloria Gaynor (1982), Queen (1984), Liza Minnelli (1990), Phil Collins (1994), Bruce Springsteen (1996), David Bowie (1997), Madonna (1998), Mariah Carey (1999), Eminem (2001), Dustin Hoffman (2004), Penelope Cruz (2007), Will Smith (2009), Robert De Niro (2011), Cat Stevens (2014), Margot Robbie (2015), Nicole Kidman (2016), Keanu Reeves (2017), Dua Lipa (2020) and Depeche Mode (2023).
Not only Italian singers have walked the stage of Sanremo, in fact it hosted stars including Louis Armstrong (1968), Barry White (1977), Gloria Gaynor (1982), Queen (1984), Liza Minnelli (1990), Phil Collins (1994), Bruce Springsteen (1996), David Bowie (1997), Madonna (1998), Mariah Carey (1999), Eminem (2001), Dustin Hoffman (2004), Penelope Cruz (2007), Will Smith (2009), Robert De Niro (2011), Cat Stevens (2014), Margot Robbie (2015), Nicole Kidman (2016), Keanu Reeves (2017), Dua Lipa (2020) and Depeche Mode (2023).
Often there were embarrassing moments with this international singers, that led to discussion:
During the edition of 1998 the most awaited guest was Madonna. That episode proceeded with a big delay, for this reason the host of the time, Raimondo Vianello, dismissed the popstar too quickly and this angered the fans of Madonna.
In the 2001s the Festival was led by Raffaella Carrà and the international guests are the Placebo, at the end of their performance the frontman, Brian Molko, showed the audience the middle finger and began to smash his electric guitar against the amplifier. This behavior was the cause of numerous whistles of protest by the audience present in the theater.
A very touching moment happened in 1987. The Festival had the honor of hosting Whitney Houston, the audience was so moved by listening to her sing “All at Once” to ask for an encore, which had not been planned. Houston was moved by the public’s request and immediately granted it.
This Festival is not only followed in Italy, now you can watch it all over the world. Here it has a deep meaning, because it is part of the traditions of the country and its custom.
It has never been interrupted, not even during the pandemic. In fact, in 2021 the Festival was also broadcast, although the theater lacked the audience.
It only lasts 5 nights, but they are five important nights for the life of an Italian, because, as we say here,
“Sanremo è Sanremo!”