Andrea Bocelli will be the super guest of the last evening of the seventy-sixth edition of the Sanremo Festival, on 28 February 2026. The surprise announcement came from Carlo Conti during Sunday In with the host stating:
Bocelli’s presence is a great honor: he is always busy, we will have him as a super guest on Saturday evenings. And I’m even happier because with Laura Pausini and Eros Ramazzotti it’s part of three great names launched by Pippo Baudo right from the Ariston stage, it’s a satisfaction because this year the festival is dedicated to Pippo.
The tenor’s participation marks his return to the Ariston stage after seven years, since his last performance in 2019 with The Calm Sea of the Eveningalongside Claudio Baglioni.
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How and when he became blind
Andrea Bocelli was born with severe vision problems and lost his sight completely at the age of 12 due to congenital glaucoma, a rare eye disease that affects the pressure inside the eye and can seriously affect vision if not treated promptly.
Bocelli’s glaucoma manifested itself in the first months of his life, forcing him to undergo numerous surgeries as a newborn. Despite the difficulties, as a child he was able to distinguish shadows and outlines, maintaining a partial visual ability that allowed him to perceive the surrounding world in a limited but concrete way.
The transition from partial vision to complete blindness occurred when Andrea was 12 years old. During a football match he suffered a direct blow to the eye, a ball, which permanently compromised his vision. This event marked a turning point in his life: the visual world disappeared, leaving room for a more acute perception of sounds, emotions and touch, tools that Bocelli would transform into his artistic strength.
From blindness to passion for music
For a child full of dreams, this might have seemed an insurmountable limit, but for Bocelli it was the beginning of an extraordinary journey as he himself said:
They told me that blindness would be my limit… but music had already taught me to see with my soul.
Despite his blindness, Andrea never let himself be discouraged: the piano and music became his refuge and his guide, allowing him to develop a unique sensitivity that today distinguishes him among the great international performers. Although his family directed him towards law studies, at night Bocelli sang in piano bars, cultivating a dream that seemed impossible.
The meeting with the greats of music
The talent of the young Andrea did not go unnoticed: a demo with his voice ended up in the hands of Zucchero and subsequently Luciano Pavarotti. From there his career took off. Bocelli has performed in the most prestigious theaters in the world, demonstrating that true light comes from the soul, not from the eyes.
And so Andrea Bocelli transformed his blindness into a creative force, teaching that obstacles can become a source of inspiration. His music is not just talent, but a mission: to touch the hearts of millions of people and show that the most authentic vision is the internal one and that every barrier can be broken down.
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