Sanremo Stays Put – But the City Will Have to Foot the Bill
It appears the Sanremo Festival has escaped the removal van — at least for now. After months of tense stand-offs, whispered threats, and enough relocation rumours to rival a Premier League manager’s sacking season, Italy’s most famous song contest looks set to remain in its Ligurian seaside home. The catch? Sanremo will now have to pay for the privilege.
According to reports from Il Messaggero, the local council has finally agreed to something the Italian public broadcaster RAI has been hinting at for ages: “If you want the glitz, you pay for the fizz.” That means hotel bills, catering for artists and crew, and other hospitality costs will no longer come out of RAI’s pocket. Yes, even that buffet table with the inexplicably untouched fennel salad.
A shift after a stalemate
The breakthrough follows a long period where the city was playing hardball, asking for ownership of the Sanremo brand and even a cut — a whole 1% — of the festival’s advertising revenue. RAI’s response was blunt: change the terms or we’ll take our sequins elsewhere.
And they meant it. From Rome to Naples, Turin to Rimini, cities were already sharpening their pitch decks. The capital was ready to roll out the red carpet at the Auditorium Parco della Musica, and others were dusting off their municipal theatres. Alarm bells duly rang in Sanremo’s Town Hall, and before you could say Volare, Mayor Alessandro Mager and Tourism Councillor Alessandro Sindoni were on a train to Rome for a sit-down with RAI’s CEO Giampaolo Rossi. Both sides emerged smiling — which, in Italian politics, is practically a peace treaty.The fine print of staying put
There’s still no formal agreement, but the direction is clear. RAI wants shared responsibility — and not just the champagne-toasting kind. The broadcaster has grown weary of covering all hospitality expenses, which it has reportedly found both overpriced and underwhelming. Add pressure from record labels for a better artist experience, and Sanremo’s council has had little choice but to open its cheque book.
For now, the Ligurian city can breathe a sigh of relief: the world’s most melodramatic music week isn’t packing its bags just yet. But this isn’t the old arrangement. RAI’s terms are firmer, the council’s wallet is lighter, and everyone knows that if the hospitality slips again, there are plenty of cities ready to snatch the crown.
The Sanremo Festival will stay home — but only because home finally agreed to pay the rent.
Source: Il messaggero
