The new edition of Canzonissima begins tonight on Rai 1, hosted by Milly Carlucci and with a cast of singers mostly coming from the latest Sanremo: here is the lineup for the first episode
Return Great songa historic Italian television title, with a new edition designed for contemporary audiences. On the air starting tonight on Rai 1 in prime time, live from the Rai Auditorium of the Foro Italico, at the helm there will be a variety veteran like Milly Carlucci.
In the first episode, dedicated to the “song of the heart”, each artist will bring to the stage a song that symbolizes their journey.
The lineup of the first episode
Table of Contents
The musical journey of Canzonissima, after 51 years, will begin again with a specific theme for this first evening of Saturday 21 March: the song of the heart.
Here’s what the artists who are part of the show’s permanent cast have chosen to interpret:
- Enrico Ruggeri – Out of sight
- Fabrizio Moro – My free singing
- Leo Gassmann – One day you believe
- Michele Bravi – I’ll leave you a song
- Fausto Leali – I’ll pray
- Malika Ayane – Empty city
- Irene Grandi – You come back to my mind
- Elettra Lamborghini – Beautiful Vera
- Vittorio Grigolo – Nobody sleeps
- Elio and the Tense Stories – Rock’n’roll Robot
- Jalisse – Maybe because I love you
Guests of bet will be Claudia Santamariawho will perform to the tune of Adriano Celentano, and then Rocco Papaleo and Claudia Pandolfiwho will sing in pairs When when when di Tony Renis
Regarding the cast, it is necessary to explain that, although Arisa and Paolo Jannacci are part of the artists that we will see for the entire edition, they will enter the competition from the second episode. Riccardo Cocciante however, as he himself explained, will be a special guest for only one event, the fourth.
Sanremo all year round: RAI no longer turns off the Festival, and this is a problem
How many episodes of Canzonissima 2026 will there be?
The singing show will keep the audience company with 6 first evenings. Broadcast on Saturday evenings on Rai 1, Canzonissima 2026 will therefore end its run on Saturday 25 April, unless there are changes to the schedule.
Like all RAI programs, Canzonissima will also be available in streaming su RaiPlaylive, simultaneously with the broadcast of the flagship network, or on demand.
On the platform it will also be possible to watch the individual performances and clips with the highlights of the episode, directly on the page dedicated to the show.
Canzonissima, Milly Carlucci and the “cursed springs” in search of a successful Saturday evening
A format built on emotions
Each of the 6 episodes will revolve around a theme, but the heart of the program is another: the meaning that each song has for those who choose it. Not just performance, therefore, but story.
The artists bring to the stage:
-
the song that inspired them
-
the one they would dedicate to someone
-
the song that marked their debut
-
a “revenge” linked to Sanremo
-
the song they wish they had written
-
their most representative success
Before each performance, a clip will explain the reason for that choice. And that’s where the program changes pace: from a musical show to a personal narrative.
How the Canzonissima competition works
In each episode, a “Canzonissima” is chosen to advance to the final.
Three elements decide:
-
a panel of well-known faces from the entertainment industry
-
the same artists competing (but without being able to vote for themselves)
-
the public, through social media
The members of the jury there are 7: Claudio CecchettoFrancesca Fialdini, Pierluigi Pardo, Riccardo Rossi, Simona Izzo, Caterina Balivo and Giacomo Maiolini.
The final and the choice of Canzonissima 2026
All the winning performances will return in the last episode. A new round will decide the symbolic song of this edition: the Canzonissima 2026. A simple mechanism, but designed to accompany the spectator until the end.
