Sal Da Vinci confirmed to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026
- Liv Webster
- 20 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Fresh from his victory at the Sanremo Music Festival, Sal Da Vinci has officially confirmed that he will represent Italy at Eurovision 2026.
The winner of Sanremo Music Festival is allowed to represent the Mediterranean nation at the contest but can decline to do so. Last year Olly won the festival but due to scheduling issues runner-up Lucio Corsi was invited to represent Italy at Eurovision 2025 instead.
In another hotly contested Sanremo Sal Da Vinci proved too strong - taking home the Golden Lion on the final evening of Sanremo 2026 with the entry Per sempre sì. Sal Da Vinci fought off stiff competition from Fedez &, Marco Masini, Arisa, Sayf and Ditonellapiaga this year in a very open field.
Sal Da Vinci rocketed from tenth in the odds from the first evening straight to the top after a marvellous week of performances! The two hot favourites Serena Brancale and Fedez &, Marco Masini faded by the final hurdle and lost momentum throughout the festival.
Per sempre sì hovered around the top of the scoreboard throughout the festival and took the all-important primo position by the final evening. The entry is currently #6 on Spotify Top 50 Italy with 2 million streams and boasts 1.6 million YouTube views on his performance from the opening evening.
Who is Sal Da Vinci?
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.
He was born in New York because his father, Mario Da Vinci a singer and actor, was busy on tour in the United States of America where he was later joined by his wife Nina! Performance is very much 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.
What is Per sempre sì about?
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.
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
The song is currently #6 on the Top 50 Spotify charts in Italy but is sure to climb after his victory!
Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest
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).
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, 50% 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!
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