How the new Canzonissima works, starting tonight on Rai1

Fifty-one years after the conclusion of the last edition, broadcast between 1974 and 1975, “Canzonissima”, Rai’s historic title, returns to TV. The new edition, broadcast every Saturday from tonight for six weeks, hosted by Milly Carlucci, presents a new format compared to the historical one. Unlike what happened in the historic editions, broadcast on TV between 1958 and 1975 (some are available on RaiPlay, for those interested), where only exceptionally the competing singers sang old songs, in the new “Canzonissima” repertoire songs will instead be sung, performed by the artists of the cast: Riccardo Cocciante, Arisa, Elio e le Storie Tese, Elettra Lamborghini, Enrico Ruggeri, Fausto Leali, Fabrizio Moro, Irene Grandi, Jalisse, Leo Gassmann, Malika Ayane, Michele Bravi, Paolo Jannacci and the tenor Vittorio Grigolo.

Each episode is built around a specific theme. The one in the first episode will be “the song of the heart”. The pairings have already been revealed:

Enrico Ruggeri – “Far from eyes” by Sergio Endrigo (1969)
Fabrizio Moro – “My free song” by Lucio Battisti (1972)
Leo Gassmann – “Un giorno crede” by Edoardo Bennato (1973)
Michele Bravi – “Ti lascio una canzone” by Gino Paoli and Ornella Vanoni (1985)
Fausto Leali – “Pregherò” by Adriano Celentano (1962)
Malika Ayane – “Empty City” by Mina (1963)
Irene Grandi – “Rimori in mente” by Lucio Battisti (1969)
Elettra Lamborghini – “Bella vera” by 883 (2001)
Vittorio Grigolo – “Nessun dorma” (from Puccini’s “Turandot”, first performance 1926)
Elio e le Storie Tese – “Rock’n’Roll Robot” by Alberto Camerini (1981)
Jalisse – “It will be because I love you” by Ricchi e Poveri (1981)

The second episode (Saturday 28 March) will have the theme of “dedication”. The third (Saturday 4 April) “the first success”. The fourth (11 April) “the revenge of Sanremo”, the fifth (18 April) “the song I would have liked to write”. The sixth (April 25) “your greatest success”.

At the end of each episode, the Canzonissima of the episode will be proclaimed which will lead to the final episode on April 25th.
In the final episode there will be a further round in which all the winning “canzonissime” of each episode will be re-proposed in order to then crown the Canzonissima 2026.

The Canzonissima of the episode will be chosen by three voting members: a jury of personalities from the world of entertainment (Claudio Cecchetto, Francesca Fialdini, Pierluigi Pardo, Riccardo Rossi, Simona Izzo, Caterina Balivo and Giacomo Maiolini), the singers themselves (who will be able to vote for their favorite song excluding their own) and the public (through “hearts” and “likes” on social media: the same voting mechanism as “Dancing with the Stars”).