Sal Da Vinci won Festival di Sanremo with “Per sempre sì,” topping the Superfinal after five nights of competition and earning a chance to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026.
Sal Da Vinci Claims Sanremo 2026 Trophy, Eyes Eurovision 2026 Spot (X/ @danymartini81)
Sanremo 2026: The 76th edition of Festival di Sanremo has officially come to an end after five nights of music in Sanremo, Italy. Thirty artists competed this year, but it was Sal Da Vinci who won the trophy with his song “Per sempre sì.”
Sal Da Vinci secured first place in the Superfinal and was officially crowned the winner of Sanremo 2026. With his victory, Sal Da Vinci now has the opportunity to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026.
All 30 artists performed one final time on Saturday night. After combining votes from the previous nights, the Top 5 acts advanced to the Superfinal.
Sal Da Vinci – Per sempre sì
Sayf – Tu mi piaci tanto
Ditonellapiaga – Che fastidio
Arisa – Magica favola
Fedez & Masini – Male necessario
The final result was determined through a combined voting system, with 33% of the score coming from the press jury (TV and online media), 33% from the radio jury, and 34% from the public televote. After the votes were counted, Sal Da Vinci secured first place in the Superfinal and was officially crowned the winner of Sanremo 2026.
The winning song was written by Alessandro La Cava, Eugenio Maimone, Federica Abbate, Federico Mercuri, Francesco Sorrentino, Giordano Cremona, and Salvatore Michael Sorrentino.
In addition to the main prize, several special awards were presented:
Critics Award: Fulminacci
Press Award: Serena Brancale
Best Lyrics: Fedez & Masini
Best Composition: Ditonellapiaga
The festival was hosted by Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini, with Giorgia Cardinaletti and Nino Frassica joining for the final night.
Legendary tenor Andrea Bocelli performed “Il mare calmo della sera” and “Con te partirò,” bringing a nostalgic moment to the stage.
Carlo Conti also confirmed he will step down as Host and Artistic Director after two years. Italian presenter Stefano De Martino will take over both roles for Sanremo 2027.
Born Salvatore Michael Sorrentino, Sal Da Vinci is 56 years old. He was born in New York but grew up in Naples, where he built his career in music and theatre.
He began performing at the age of six and released music with his father early in his career. Over the years, he has released many albums and built a strong presence in Italian and Neapolitan music.
He previously competed at Sanremo in 2009, finishing third. His 2024 single “Rossetto e caffè” gained major popularity with over 74 million Spotify streams.
Sanremo 2026 featured five nights of competition:
Night 1: All 30 acts performed (100% press jury vote).
Night 2 & 3: Artists performed again (50% radio jury, 50% televote).
Night 4: Cover Night with guest performances.
Night 5: Final performances and Superfinal.
Sanremo 2026 once again showcased the strength and diversity of Italian music, closing another memorable chapter in the festival’s long history.
