A first evening of emotion and entertainment
The 76th edition of the Sanremo Festival officially opened, with the first evening broadcast on Tuesday 24 February 2026 on Rai 1. At the helm of the most beloved music event in Italy, for the fifth consecutive year, Carlo Conti, who once again confirmed his ability to hold the Ariston stage with elegance and irony.
At his side, as co-host for all five evenings, the extraordinary Laura Pausini, announced by a video by the late Pippo Baudo, made her entrance at the Ariston amidst the applause of the audience and the palpable emotion of the evening.
Also embellishing the first evening was the presence of Can Yaman in the role of co-host, the famous Turkish actor who joined Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini, giving the audience international charm and charisma.
The memory of Pippo Baudo and Peppe Vessicchio
The first evening of the 2026 Festival was also an opportunity to stop and remember two unforgettable figures linked to the history of Sanremo.
A moving tribute was dedicated to Pippo Baudo, the historic host of the Festival who recently passed away: this was the first edition without him, and his absence was felt in a tangible way. Carlo Conti wanted to pay homage to him with a film that retraced the most iconic moments of his very long career at Ariston, recognizing him as the symbol of an unrepeatable era of Italian television.
Great affection was also reserved for Peppe Vessicchio, the conductor who over time has become a true popular icon of the Festival.
Tiziano Ferro’s show
The super guest of the first evening was Tiziano Ferro, who thrilled the Ariston with a high-impact performance. The Latina singer-songwriter celebrated 25 years of “Perdono”, giving the public an extraordinary medley that spanned twenty years of music and history shared with his fans: from “I’ll take a photo of you” to “The difference between you and me”passing through “The Stadium” and of course “Pardon”. A performance that began a cappella, with only her voice, which left the audience breathless.
The 30 Bigs in the race
The first evening saw performances by all 30 competing Big singers, who presented their unreleased songs to the public and the jury. At the end of the evening, Carlo Conti announced the provisional ranking of the first evening, according to the Jury of the Press Room, TV and Web.
