Latest news with #SanremoFestival
Independent Singapore
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Independent Singapore
'What do you hope to see done at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in 2026?' Redditor asks
Photo: MILANO-CORTINA, ITALY: Fans all around the world are looking forward to the 2026 Winter Olympics at Milano-Cortina in Italy. This event, showcasing winter sports, will bring people together to celebrate sportsmanship, culture, and tradition. A Redditor started a discussion on Reddit asking, 'What do you hope to see done at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony in 2026?' A few netizens expressed their expectations for the opening ceremony, specifically regarding the availability of proper equipment. One Redditor stated: 'Proper country placard bearers. Sorry, I know this is minor, but since Vancouver 2010, none of the games have had proper signage. Maybe Beijing 2022 came close.' Another Redditor remarked: 'A proper Olympic torch. Beijing's was underwhelming. Doesn't have to be like Sydney's, London's or Paris's, just enough to be like 'yip, torch'.' Moreover, some netizens hoped for a rich display of Italian culture. A Redditor commented: 'I hope to see some great Italian artists present their artwork and songs during the Milan opening ceremony.' Another commenter responded: 'Italy is full of wonderful singers. Their Sanremo Festival is an example of it.' One said: 'Parade of Nations + seeing the culture of Milan and Cortina represented during the ceremonies,' 'Being Italian myself, I want to see a glorious showcase of Italian culture and our history. That is basically what I'm hoping for,' said another. A third added: 'I hope they don't only focus on the cultural aspects that everybody knows about Italy (Colosseum, seaside, sculture and paintings, which will 100% be there) but also focus on the often forgotten Alpine traditions and culture. That would also fit the theme of the Games, and I think that many of us who don't come from mainstream regions could also relate to it!' One more netizen remarked about the ticket prices for the event and commented: 'I would hope that they make it affordable to buy a ticket, so it is not just the uber wealthy who can enjoy the ceremony!' Updates on the 2026 Winter Olympics The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that Russia will be banned from participating in both men's and women's hockey at the 2026 Winter Olympics. This decision continues the suspension that began in 2022, when Russian and Belarusian teams were barred from international hockey events following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Read more here. The event will also be the swan song for figure skater Kaori Sakamoto, who plans to end her competitive career after the 2026 Winter Olympics. The athlete revealed that she wishes to stay involved in the figure skating world as a coach. Read more here.
Euronews
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Olly conquers hearts with 'Bittersweet Nostalgia' at Italy's Sanremo festival
The 75th edition of the Sanremo Festival crowned singer-songwriter Olly the winner on Sunday with his song 'Bittersweet nostalgia.' "It sounds absurd, but it really happened," the young Genoese artist said on the stage of the Ariston Theatre, before singing again at the end of a very long evening. "I didn't expect this finale," Olly added after the win, "it was a leap of faith from the first performance. I am in disbelief. But my life will remain the same, every day on the piano, on the guitar, with the guys I've been playing with for ten years. I hope to play as much as possible." As is tradition, Olly will also be invited to Eurovision. The winners of the Sanremo Festival are automatically entitled to participate, although they can theoretically opt out. In second place and winning the Mia Martini Critics' Prize was Lucio Corsi, with his song 'Volevo essere un duro.' Singer-songwriter Brunori Sas came in third with his song 'L'albero delle noci.' From the point of view of preferences, however, it was a neck-and-neck: the winner Olly was only 0.4% ahead of Corsi: it was 23.8% to 23.4%, taking into account the television vote, press room and radio jury. Brunori Sas took home 20.3%. The contest favourite, Giorgia, reached only sixth place. The special guest on the last evening of the festival was the Roman singer-songwriter Antonello Venditti, who received the Lifetime Achievement Award. Venditti is a true icon, with his 50-year career and 40 million records sold. He sang two of his old hits to the Ariston audience. After him, another distinguished guest appeared: the young footballer Edoardo Bove, whose career was cut short after a sudden illness. He shared his experience with the crowd. As probably Europe's biggest music competition after Eurovision, the Sanremo festival has been a launchpad for the success of many Italian musicians - most famously Måneskin, the band from Rome who, after their success on the Ariston stage and their triumph at Eurovision, earned worldwide fame.
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Sing when you're winning: Why Italians love the Sanremo song contest
The Sanremo Festival is this year celebrating its 75th edition - that's five more than the Eurovision song contest, and reason enough to recognise its cultural importance. The huge popularity the event enjoys today, along with the high quality of the show in comparison to Italy's other entertainment offerings, has marked it as one of Europe's biggest events. This is further proven by the contest's consistent record-breaking financial results, entering the coffers of 'Mamma Rai' (the nickname used in Italy for state television) every year in mid-February. Italian audiences, and increasingly foreign ones too, have learned to love Sanremo as one might love a fine wine. It allows people to unwind and taste something different year after year. In the right measures, it encourages communication, but it can also instigate reflection or give way to nostalgia. It is suitable for evenings in company, but also alone. Above all, it improves over time, cultivating an increasingly unique sense of character as the years go by. The history of the Italian music festival traces a trajectory of continuous growth and evolution, characterised by a perhaps unparalleled ability to adapt to changing times. It's this resilient quality that has allowed Sanremo to go through many carefree years, but also crises - as profound as they are necessary - to give new life to the event, and keep people interested as generations change. Sanremo is a fixture that has accompanied the country since time immemorial, almost as long-lived as the history of the Republic, which began with the referendum of 2 June 1946. Related Unseen moments of Sanremo Festival's golden years revealed in Turin photo exhibition It is difficult to tune in to RAI 1 and not feel deep affection for a country whose bones remain broken from 20 years of fascism, the catastrophe of the Second World War, but yet still chooses to look to a democratic future with a desperate desire for pop music. By entering the homes of millions of people, the festival has taught families from north to south to sing together in Italian, strengthening the country's cultural unification. Thus Italy and Sanremo have grown up together. In 1951, the first edition of the event took place in the ballroom of the Ligurian city's casino. There was no live TV, RAI was not yet broadcasting continuously throughout the country. Instead, the contest was created to cheer up the dinners of gamblers. It was only in 1955 that Sanremo appeared on state television and became an irrepressible success - so much so, that three years later it was made available on Eurovision, and from the 1960s was broadcast live on radio. In 1977, the song contest finally left the casino and has been broadcast from the Ariston theatre ever since. Things have not always been so bright for the festival. It went through its deepest crisis in the 2000s, the stale format and outdated musical proposals not appealing to millennial audiences. Even though it has been streamed on Italian streaming service Raiplay since 2007, Sanremo was rejected for a long time by young people who found it boring. In 2011, Italy returned to compete in the Eurovision song contest after a long absence, its previous participation dating back to 1997. The chance to perform in front of an audience of hundreds of millions of Europeans played a key role in attracting record companies and established artists, who, for years, had preferred to snub the Sanremo stage. Related Sanremo: Russell Crowe mocks John Travolta, Ramazzotti calls for peace Vatican condemns 'profane' faux baptism performance at Italy's Sanremo Festival The musical proposal has finally become contemporary, the revolutionised voting system rewarding emerging artists. The positive effects multiplied and Sanremo, surprisingly, emerged strengthened from its crisis years, with a new skin. The dinner show for gamblers has now become a multimedia and interactive war machine, which appeals to Italians of all ages and dominates the ratings on TV and radio. Sanremo's content is an endless generator of social media interactions (300 million posts in the first two evenings of the current edition alone), not to mention that its hits clog and climb the charts worldwide across all music streaming platforms. And then there is Fantasanremo, a fantasy game similar to the better-known fantasy football, in which spectators create teams of singers and earn points based on performance, ranking, outfits and goliardic actions performed on stage. The game, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, has also been welcomed by competing artists, making the event more interactive and attractive even to non-music fans. It has also been a launchpad for the success of many Italian musicians - above all Måneskin, the band from Rome who, after their success on the Ariston stage and their triumph at Eurovision, earned worldwide fame. While the Festival is undoubtedly the most historically popular event in Italy, this does not mean that everyone loves it. On the contrary, there is no shortage of detractors. But its successes are too obvious to be denied, and the numbers it is able to generate shield it from any kind of attack: Sanremo is an indispensable event, for Rai and for Italy. With state TV going through a difficult period due to a series of flops and questionable editorial choices, Sanremo remains a certainty that Rai cannot afford to give up. The 66% average share of the last edition, a target that seems within reach for the current one, is a result that guaranteed advertising revenue of 60 million euros in 2024 and as much as 67 million in 2025. Rai never provides detailed information on the production costs of its programmes, but if the rough estimates for the 75th edition speak of around 20 million overall, it's easy to sum up its value. History, numbers and successes are there for all to see, yet they are not enough to explain what happens one week a year at Sanremo and the sentimental bond that unites Italians with the festival. The reality is that Sanremo tells current events in a straightforward manner, and is also a useful guide to recognise progress, achievements or steps backwards in Italian society. Just think of 2015, when the Austrian singer known by her stage name Conchita Wurst, winner of the 2014 Eurovision song contest, was introduced to the Ariston audience as 'Tom'. At the end of her performance she also wasn't honoured with a bouquet of flowers, in defiance of Sanremo protocol. A disrespect and lack of tact, to put it mildly, that would be intolerable in today's editions, where thanks to the sensitivity of a younger and more attentive audience, inclusiveness is now at home. From a simple celebration of Italian song, Sanremo has become a window on society and also a mirror to observe it. Glued to the television, connected to social networking sites and in constant communication through the most disparate Whatsapp groups, the festival represents a collective escape and ritual for millions of people. For a week, they can talk without filters about their tastes, what they are passionate about, and what they love and hate. Like a giant group therapy session, the Sanremo audience chooses, confronts, criticises. And it is free to indulge in one of the country's favourite activities: causing controversy, about everything. Division is the germ of politics, which pervades everything in Italy. Even so, Sanremo always reminds us of a fundamental trait of our national identity. Despite its millennial history, Italy is one of the youngest countries on the continent, a nation that is anything but homogeneous, instead 'united in diversity'. It's an Italian history, but also a European one.
Euronews
15-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Euronews
Sing when you're winning: Why Italians love the Sanremo song contest
The Sanremo Festival is this year celebrating its 75th edition - that's five more than the Eurovision song contest, and reason enough to recognise its cultural importance. The huge popularity the event enjoys today, along with the high quality of the show in comparison to Italy's other entertainment offerings, has marked it as one of Europe's biggest events. This is further proven by the contest's consistent record-breaking financial results, entering the coffers of 'Mamma Rai' (the nickname used in Italy for state television) every year in mid-February. Italian audiences, and increasingly foreign ones too, have learned to love Sanremo as one might love a fine wine. It allows people to unwind and taste something different year after year. In the right measures, it encourages communication, but it can also instigate reflection or give way to nostalgia. It is suitable for evenings in company, but also alone. Above all, it improves over time, cultivating an increasingly unique sense of character as the years go by. From the Casino to live TV The history of the Italian music festival traces a trajectory of continuous growth and evolution, characterised by a perhaps unparalleled ability to adapt to changing times. It's this resilient quality that has allowed Sanremo to go through many carefree years, but also crises - as profound as they are necessary - to give new life to the event, and keep people interested as generations change. Sanremo is a fixture that has accompanied the country since time immemorial, almost as long-lived as the history of the Republic, which began with the referendum of 2 June 1946. It is difficult to tune in to RAI 1 and not feel deep affection for a country whose bones remain broken from 20 years of fascism, the catastrophe of the Second World War, but yet still chooses to look to a democratic future with a desperate desire for pop music. By entering the homes of millions of people, the festival has taught families from north to south to sing together in Italian, strengthening the country's cultural unification. Thus Italy and Sanremo have grown up together. In 1951, the first edition of the event took place in the ballroom of the Ligurian city's casino. There was no live TV, RAI was not yet broadcasting continuously throughout the country. Instead, the contest was created to cheer up the dinners of gamblers. It was only in 1955 that Sanremo appeared on state television and became an irrepressible success - so much so, that three years later it was made available on Eurovision, and from the 1960s was broadcast live on radio. In 1977, the song contest finally left the casino and has been broadcast from the Ariston theatre ever since. The crisis and rebirth of Sanremo in the new millennium Things have not always been so bright for the festival. It went through its deepest crisis in the 2000s, the stale format and outdated musical proposals not appealing to millennial audiences. Even though it has been streamed on Italian streaming service Raiplay since 2007, Sanremo was rejected for a long time by young people who found it boring. In 2011, Italy returned to compete in the Eurovision song contest after a long absence, its previous participation dating back to 1997. The chance to perform in front of an audience of hundreds of millions of Europeans played a key role in attracting record companies and established artists, who, for years, had preferred to snub the Sanremo stage. The musical proposal has finally become contemporary, the revolutionised voting system rewarding emerging artists. The positive effects multiplied and Sanremo, surprisingly, emerged strengthened from its crisis years, with a new skin. The dinner show for gamblers has now become a multimedia and interactive war machine, which appeals to Italians of all ages and dominates the ratings on TV and radio. Sanremo's content is an endless generator of social media interactions (300 million posts in the first two evenings of the current edition alone), not to mention that its hits clog and climb the charts worldwide across all music streaming platforms. And then there is Fantasanremo, a fantasy game similar to the better-known fantasy football, in which spectators create teams of singers and earn points based on performance, ranking, outfits and goliardic actions performed on stage. The game, which has become increasingly popular in recent years, has also been welcomed by competing artists, making the event more interactive and attractive even to non-music fans. It has also been a launchpad for the success of many Italian musicians - above all Måneskin, the band from Rome who, after their success on the Ariston stage and their triumph at Eurovision, earned worldwide fame. Sanremo in numbers: an indispensable event for Rai and Italy While the Festival is undoubtedly the most historically popular event in Italy, this does not mean that everyone loves it. On the contrary, there is no shortage of detractors. But its successes are too obvious to be denied, and the numbers it is able to generate shield it from any kind of attack: Sanremo is an indispensable event, for Rai and for Italy. With state TV going through a difficult period due to a series of flops and questionable editorial choices, Sanremo remains a certainty that Rai cannot afford to give up. The 66% average share of the last edition, a target that seems within reach for the current one, is a result that guaranteed advertising revenue of 60 million euros in 2024 and as much as 67 million in 2025. Rai never provides detailed information on the production costs of its programmes, but if the rough estimates for the 75th edition speak of around 20 million overall, it's easy to sum up its value. Sanremo: a deep connection with Italy and the Italians History, numbers and successes are there for all to see, yet they are not enough to explain what happens one week a year at Sanremo and the sentimental bond that unites Italians with the festival. The reality is that Sanremo tells current events in a straightforward manner, and is also a useful guide to recognise progress, achievements or steps backwards in Italian society. Just think of 2015, when the Austrian singer known by her stage name Conchita Wurst, winner of the 2014 Eurovision song contest, was introduced to the Ariston audience as 'Tom'. At the end of her performance she also wasn't honoured with a bouquet of flowers, in defiance of Sanremo protocol. A disrespect and lack of tact, to put it mildly, that would be intolerable in today's editions, where thanks to the sensitivity of a younger and more attentive audience, inclusiveness is now at home. From a simple celebration of Italian song, Sanremo has become a window on society and also a mirror to observe it. Glued to the television, connected to social networking sites and in constant communication through the most disparate Whatsapp groups, the festival represents a collective escape and ritual for millions of people. For a week, they can talk without filters about their tastes, what they are passionate about, and what they love and hate. Like a giant group therapy session, the Sanremo audience chooses, confronts, criticises. And it is free to indulge in one of the country's favourite activities: causing controversy, about everything. Division is the germ of politics, which pervades everything in Italy. Even so, Sanremo always reminds us of a fundamental trait of our national identity. Despite its millennial history, Italy is one of the youngest countries on the continent, a nation that is anything but homogeneous, instead 'united in diversity'.
