Among the strongest images of the final of the Sanremo Festival 2026 is that of Serena Brancale singing Here with me wearing a dress that belonged to his mother, who passed away in 2020, a choice consistent with the meaning of the song.
A song born of mourning
Here with me it is one of the most personal proposals of this edition. A text that addresses the pain of loss without emphasis, describing absence as a constant presence, as a dialogue that continues even when the other voice is no longer there.
Brancale built the performance entirely on essentiality: voice, interpretation, words. No scenic devices to overshadow the content. A line maintained throughout the week, with minimal outfits designed to accompany the song and not distract.
The mother’s dress: a symbol
For the final the singer chose to wear her mother’s dress. An intimate gesture, which shifts the discussion from fashion to meaning. In a context like the Ariston, where every detail is amplified, that choice added a further level of interpretation to the performance.
Not a spectacularization of pain, but continuity. As if the song found a visual translation: carrying what remains, transforming absence into symbolic presence.
One of the most coherent performances of the Festival
Serena Brancale was among the protagonists of this Sanremo precisely because of this coherence. Here with me he didn’t look for a twist, but focused on authenticity and moderation.
And on the final evening, while the focus was entirely on the race and the ranking, he brought the Festival back to a more human level: that of bonds that endure, even beyond the stage.
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