The second night of the Sanremo 2026 music festival saw a shift in plans with the announced absence of short track speed skater Arianna Fontana, a multiple Olympic medalist, from the event. The announcement came during a press conference on Tuesday, February 25th, following a first evening of performances that drew 9.6 million viewers, representing a 58% share of the audience on Rai1, according to festival director Carlo Conti.
Conti acknowledged the lower viewership compared to the opening night of the 2025 festival, which had attracted 12.63 million viewers, but expressed continued optimism. “Last year, with the record ratings, I had this smile. This year I didn’t beat myself, but I have the same smile, the same serenity. And this, I believe, is the most important thing,” he stated at the press conference.
Despite Fontana’s absence, Giacomo Bertagnolli, a prominent athlete anticipated to compete in the upcoming Paralympics, will still appear as scheduled. Fifteen artists are slated to perform during the second evening of the competition, with the voting split equally between public televote and radio jury. The performers include Bambole di Pezza, Chiello, Dargen D’Amico, Ditonellapiaga, Elettra Lamborghini, Enrico Nigiotti, Ermal Meta, Fedez and Masini, Fulminacci, J-Ax, LDA and Aka7even, Levante, Nayt, Patty Pravo, and Tommaso Paradiso.
Adding a somber note to the evening, Achille Lauro will deliver a tribute to the victims of the Crans Montana tragedy. He will perform “Perdutamente” alongside the mother of Achille Barosi, who died in a fire at the age of 16. Lauro is similarly scheduled to perform “16 Marzo” with Laura Pausini, a song previously featured on Pausini’s latest album.
Carlo Conti also noted that the festival is proceeding as planned, with the next fifteen competing artists scheduled to perform on Thursday, February 26th. The top five performers will be announced at the end of each evening, though the specific ranking will not be revealed.
