Eurovision 2026: Meet Italy's Sal Da Vinci and his song Per sempre sì
- Liv Webster
- 3 minutes ago
- 3 min read
We profile the 2026 entry from Italy including details on the artist, song, how it was chosen, odds, fan reaction and how the nation has fared at Eurovision.
Italy debuted in Eurovision at the inaugural contest back in 1956 and have claimed victory three times with Gigliola Cinquetti’s Non ho l'età (1964), Toto Cutugno’s Insieme: 1992 (1990) and of course Måneskin with Zitti E Buoni (2021).
Although Domenico Modugno placed third in 1959, his internationally acclaimed Nel blu, dipinto di blu has become an essential piece of Italiana, beloved the world over since it's debut nearly seven decades ago!
Italy took a hiatus from the contest after the 1997 competition and returned with a bang in 2011 - emerging as part of the newly minted “Big Five”.
In more recent years, Italy has been a powerhouse of the contest, claiming two runner-ups with Raphael Gualazzi with Madness of Love (2011) and Mahmood with Soldi (2019). Of the last ten entrants, 60% have walked away with a top 5 result. In addition, since their return in 2011 Italy has only missed out on a Top 10 result twice.
With results like these, Italy has cemented itself as a consistently serious contender at Eurovision that cannot be overlooked!
Representing Italy at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna is Sal Da Vinci with his song Per sempre sì.
You can find out more about Sal Da Vinci and his entry below!
2026 entry: Sal Da Vinci - Per sempre sì
Sal Da Vinci is pre-qualified for the Grand Final due to Italy being a Big 4 country
My Eurovision Scoreboard ranking: 18th
Odds to win ranking: 10th
(Rankings as of 16 April 2026)
About the artist
Sal Da Vinci, born Salvatore Michael Sorrentino in 1969, is an Italian singer and actor whose career spans more than four decades and encompasses theatre, cinema and popular music rooted in Neapolitan tradition.
Born in New York City, Sal entered the world while his father, Mario Da Vinci (also a singer and actor) was touring the United States with his wife, Nina. Performance clearly runs in his blood.
His first appearance at Sanremo Music Festival came in 2009 with Non posso a farti innamorare, claiming a strong 3rd place on debut. Seventeen years since his last appearance at the festival, he has returned to the Teatro Ariston stage and won in a huge Sanremo comeback!
Sal Da Vinci has had a long and illustrious career, releasing 14 albums and appearing on over a dozen more. His acting career includes classics like comedy Troppo forte, notably directed by Carlo Verdone and countless appearances in Italian theatre.
About the song
Per sempre sì translates to "Forever yes"! The song is an upbeat celebration of enduring love and the solemn promise that binds two people together for life.
You don't have to understand Italian to feel the joy that emanates from his performances of this entry.
The song’s lyrics and tone depict the journey of a relationship - from first meeting to choosing to share a future - and frame the word “sì” (yes) as the most significant vow one can make, symbolising commitment, fidelity and the decision to face life’s challenges together.
Since 1992 he has been married to Paola Pugliese, with whom he had two children: Francesco, born in 1993, and Annachiara, born in 1998
It peaked at #2 on the Italian charts with a gold certification. In addition to Italy, it charted in Croatia on the International Charts (#11), Malta (#16), Switzerland (#21) and the Global Billboard Charts for sounds outside of the U.S.A (#115).
How was Sal Da Vinci chosen for Eurovision?
Italy selected their Eurovision 2026 artist from this years Sanremo Music Festival. Unlike other "national final selections", the winner of the festival is offered the opportunity to compete at Eurovision, but is not obligated to do so.
A day after victory, Sal Da Vinci confirmed his participation at Eurovision 2026.
In another hotly contested festival, Sal Da Vinci won by just 0.29% over second place Sayf in a nail biting finish. In comparision to other winners, his path to victory was about consistancy across the voting categories, placing second with the radio jury and televote and fourth with the press jury.
This years Sanremo Music Festival featured other heavy hitters in Ditonellapiaga, Arisa, Fedez and Marco Masini, Ermal Meta and Serena Brancale.
Italy will compete in the Grand Final of the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest on 16 May 2025 in Vienna.
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