Stefano De Martino Shifts Sanremo Giovani Final to December 11
The television broadcast leading into the 77th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival has moved forward by one week, according to leggo.it. The young artist showcase, titled It will be Sanremo, will now air on Friday, December 11, live from the Teatro del Casinò in the Ligurian city. Stefano De Martino leads the production in the dual role of host and artistic director.
This scheduling shift directly impacts how the final lineup for the February 2027 festival takes shape. According to leggo.it, the December broadcast serves as the ultimate opportunity for emerging performers to secure a spot in the main competition’s Campioni category. Furthermore, the evening provides the first public gathering of the artists already selected for the primary category.
Selection Rules and Commission Lineup
The revised regulations for Sanremo Giovani 2026, updated by Rai on October 8, dictate the path to the December stage. Six finalists will compete for a single pass into the main festival cast, divided equally between three acts advancing from Sanremo Giovani and three chosen through Area Sanremo 2026, an initiative promoted by the Municipality of Sanremo and managed by the Symphony Orchestra Foundation of Sanremo.
A seven-member musical commission will evaluate the contestants based on artistic and editorial merits. Alongside artistic director Stefano De Martino, the panel includes Claudio Fasulo, Rai Prime Time Entertainment deputy director; writer and host Fabio Volo; artistic director and radio host Carlo Pastore; musician and arranger Pino Perris; singer-songwriter Noemi; and radio and television host Ema Stokholma, as reported by The Southern Daily and ComingSoon.it.
Auditions and Preliminary Schedule
The selection process begins with live auditions in late October at the historic Sala A in Via Asiago, where 60 candidates will perform after passing initial screening rounds. From this group, 15 talents will emerge to join another 15 acts selected through Area Sanremo, establishing a total of 30 contenders, as outlined by The Southern Daily. These 30 artists will undergo further live evaluations in Sanremo across two weekends in November under the supervision of De Martino.
Application deadlines for aspiring contestants were extended to Monday, October 12, at 6:00 PM, giving performers extra time to submit materials through official Rai channels, The Southern Daily reported. Following the November auditions, the six finalists will be locked in ahead of the December 11 broadcast.
Timeline of Upcoming Announcements
The path toward the 2027 festival includes several distinct milestones on the broadcast calendar leading up to the February event. We Review Music notes that the initial group of twenty-three participants for the main kermesse will be revealed starting November 29, adhering to festival regulations limiting the main cast size to twenty-four acts, as specified by ComingSoon.it. The journey culminates on December 11th, with the final broadcast live from the Sanremo Casino, where the winning single will gain access to the Festival.
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