Sanremo, Carlo Conti reveals the Dopofestival host: "It will be Nicola Savino. Will De Martino be my heir? He'll get there."

"The After Festival will be hosted by Nicola Savino, who will also present the four episodes of 'Tale e Quale show' in January." This was announced by the host and artistic director of Sanremo 2026, Carlo Conti, from the stage of the 'Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni' Entertainment Festival at Superstudio Più in Milan.

Will there really be 26 contestants at Sanremo 2026? "I'd keep a couple more pages on 'Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni'." This is how Sanremo host and artistic director Carlo Conti responded from the stage of the TV Sorrisi e Canzoni Entertainment Festival to editor Aldo Vitali, who asked him whether he would respect the rules regarding the 26 competing artists or whether he should leave extra pages free in his magazine, which dedicates a page to each singer each year.

" Last year's format worked, and I don't see any reason to change it," he emphasized. "Every year is a different story, you shouldn't make comparisons with the previous year; it's a proposal , and the important thing is that it works. It can happen that we get a point higher or lower in share, it depends on many factors." Conti also confirmed the dates of the event, from February 24th to 28th, "because first there are the Milan-Cortina Olympics."

" I don't know about the hosts. I only think about the songs. Then, once they're announced, I'll think about how to structure the format. I think it will be like last year, perhaps with some changes ." This was stated by host and artistic director of Sanremo, Carlo Conti, from the stage of the TV Sorrisi e Canzoni Entertainment Festival at Superstudio Più in Milan, responding to a question about the number of hosts who will join him on the Ariston stage next year.

Sanremo, Conti: "I'm sure De Martino will get there."

"Sanremo should be done when someone feels up to it and you're sure it's not so much the hosting as the artistic direction. It's about making choices to get there, and I'm sure Stefano will get there ." This was stated by Carlo Conti, on the stage of the TV Sorrisi e Canzoni Entertainment Festival, in conversation with the newspaper's editor, Aldo Vitali, and De Martino himself, the face of 'Affari tuoi' on Rai1. "I have a lot of fish to catch to get to Sanremo, I'm rooting for Carlo," added De Martino. " He always tells me that this job is a marathon: you can't afford to take breaks, and I'm doing the marathon now. Sanremo would be a break, and no one wants to take breaks..."

Sanremo, Conti: "So far, 40 good songs."

"For now I have three groups, Paradiso, Purgatorio, and Inferno: some songs can't be included in the selection for various reasons. There will be 40 good songs, it's too many . If it were up to me, I'd do a Sanremo Festival that lasts a month and a half." Carlo Conti said this from the stage of the TV Sorrisi e Canzoni Entertainment Festival at the Superstudio Più in Milan . "In the first Sanremo, I introduced the 3-minute rule, but no one respected it," he then observed.

And when the director of 'Tv Sorrisi e Canzoni' asked him for a preview of the 26 competing artists, Conti replied: "I don't know. This month, until the end of November, when I'll announce it, is the most difficult and important time because you start to say 'this yes and this no,' to complete the bouquet of flowers and understand which colors and flavors are right for it. I feel this responsibility very much, and once that's done, I wouldn't say the Festival is over, but almost." As for choosing songs, "I'm usually lucky, despite being over 60, to put my head on the pillow and fall asleep. I sing in one go until 7 a.m. But this month I wake up at night because a refrain comes to mind. Sanremo is now a great showcase, where you have to display the best jewels, like a jewelry store on Via Montenapoleone."

Sanremo's artistic director then recalled how 2017 was "a watershed year," representing the older generation and the new pop scene, with Gabbani winning. But also during the years "Irama, Mahmood, and Serena Brancale at Sanremo Giovani. It was a fortunate moment for music." He then admitted he's not influenced by artists' numbers on Spotify or other platforms: "I still listen to the radio," he explained. "It's the same instinct that Amadeus had, as we both come from the same world. RAI had the foresight to entrust us with the artistic direction, and they did the same when they gave it to the greatest of them all, Pippo Baudo. Even today, we still run the festival the way he taught us."

TV, Conti: "I can live with a 0.50 share more or less."

" I'm no longer chasing audience ratings at my age. I can still get by with a 0.50% increase or decrease. I don't think that's what television competition is all about; the important thing is to gain a slice of the audience." This was Carlo Conti's statement from the stage of the TV Sorrisi e Canzoni Entertainment Festival at Superstudio Più in Milan, speaking about his program 'Tale e quale show' on Rai1.

"The concept of variety shows has changed over the years," he emphasized. "In Spain and around the world, 'Tale e quale show' is called 'La tua faccia non mi è nuova' (Your Face Isn't New to You). I changed its name because I wanted to give the impression of a great musical variety show: there are no contestants, but rather protagonists who put on a variety show every week." The secret, Conti added, "is to approach the job with lightheartedness and joy. I'm called upon to provide two hours of entertainment, and I try to do so lightheartedly: sometimes it succeeds, sometimes less so, but the goal is to provide viewers with two hours of serenity. 'Tale e quale show' has elements of variety shows combined with what works on TV today: few rehearsals but the Arborian lightheartedness, which is the winning formula."

At the end of the meeting, Carlo Conti received a blue Telegatto from the director of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni: "It's the most beautiful thing... it's not the first, which I won in 1991 with 'Big la tv dei ragazzi'. Getting one at my fifth Sanremo means I've put in some hard work."