What Happened
The 76th Italian Song Festival, known as Sanremo 2026, kicked off with a somewhat subdued debut on February 24, 2026. The event, hosted by Carlo Conti alongside Laura Pausini and Can Yaman, attracted 9.6 million viewers, a decline from last year’s 12 million. The performances featured 30 big names and several newcomers, with notable artists like Tiziano Ferro and Gaia taking the stage. Despite the lower viewership, the festival generated significant online engagement, particularly on social media platforms.
Why It Matters
The festival’s impact was felt beyond traditional viewership, as the term raiplay surged in search rankings across Italy. This spike was attributed to the increased traffic on RaiPlay, the streaming platform, which provided access to full performances, highlights, and exclusive interviews. Within hours of the first night, over 700,000 viewers accessed content on RaiPlay, leading to more than a million views, marking a 15% increase from the previous year. This trend underscores RaiPlay’s central role in content consumption related to the festival.
What’s Next
As the festival continues, the digital engagement is expected to grow, with Rai aiming to maintain its leadership in the television and cross-media landscape. The festival’s global appeal is also evident, with 240,000 on-demand views from abroad, a 17.5% increase compared to the previous year. The ongoing performances and the presence of Laura Pausini as co-host are anticipated to further enhance viewer engagement both on television and through digital platforms like RaiPlay.