What is this story about a summer version of the Festival? The news is recent, but is already bouncing around on social media and newspapers. The presenter of this edition, Carlo Conti, made a spoiler that was not at all involuntary, but rather extremely intentional. In fact, during the press conference, the artistic director spoke expressly about the arrival of a “Sanremo Estate”.
What is it about? It all started with what seemed like a joke about the heat these days in Northern Italy, but then it quickly turned into a great announcement:
Today I wanted to thank Sanremo, I felt like I was in ‘Sanremo summer’, the weather is more than spring-like, I put on a bathing suit in the sun, to reinvigorate my skin tone. Are we sure that it’s not ‘Sanremo summer’ that we’ll be doing in July?
Carlo Conti: “It’s more of a spring climate. We’re sure it is #Sanremo2026 or is it SanremoEstate that we will do in July?
I understand why the total audience tends to decrease”Laughing and joking, Carlo Conti announces “Sanremo Estate” pic.twitter.com/6tv7iCRk6c
— Cinguetterai Sanremo2026 (@Cinguetterai) February 26, 2026
The non-denial (which is a confirmation) by the Prime Time Rai director
The tone is ironic, but the effect is immediate: the clip went viral in a very short time. And, apparently, it wasn’t a “rant”, also because Conti isn’t exactly the type to make them. After his exit, in fact, Williams Di Liberatore, director of Prime Time Rai, intervened, downplaying but without denying it. Indeed, to all intents and purposes confirming the matter:
At the moment we have only identified one date in the second half of July. The idea is that of an outdoor musical event, capable of combining local presence with television broadcasting. It is a project that we have not yet developed in detail: there may be artists from the Festival, but there may not be. We imagine musical moments, but not only.
Words that confirm the existence of a work in progress: there is a date, the general structure as well, but contents and cast remain in the definition phase. Maybe, or maybe everything is already ready and is just waiting for the end of the Festival to be officially announced.
The fact is that, as mentioned, nothing else is talked about on social media. The idea of a summer Sanremo, with an outdoor stage and possible live television, fuels curiosity and expectations. There are those who imagine a celebration of the protagonists of the latest edition, those who think of a broader musical event, perhaps with international influences. For now, however, we are in the territory of hypotheses.
Rai announces the return of #SanremoEstate on Rai 1
Director Williams Di Liberatore: “We are working on it, we have identified a date which could be after the 2nd half of July. It will be an outdoor musical event. The cast of artists will be mixed”#Sanremo2026 pic.twitter.com/GGbxw0XTCn
— Cinguetterai Sanremo2026 (@Cinguetterai) February 26, 2026
A format that has already been broadcast
Yet, if you are well informed, Sanremo Summer It’s certainly not new, although perhaps it could be for the new generations. In fact, it is a brand that Rai has already experimented with: for the first time in 1986, then between 1999 and 2004 with a spin-off on Rai 1 designed to bring the music of the Festival into the summer season. A sort of Festivalbar that we miss so much, but in Sanremo.
And think about who was one of the symbolic faces of those editions of the late nineties, leading some episodes alongside other protagonists of the show? Well yes, Carlo Conti himself. Not an improvised idea, therefore, but a format with television precedents. So will there really be a second “Holy Week” in July? We’ll find out soon, but the conditions are all there.
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