Alicia Keys surprised audiences at the Sanremo Music Festival on Thursday evening by performing a modified version of her hit song “Empire State of Mind,” replacing references to New York City with Sanremo, Italy. The performance occurred during the third night of the 76th edition of the festival, following a duet with Eros Ramazzotti earlier in the evening.
Keys and Ramazzotti debuted “L’Aurora,” a song from Ramazzotti’s latest album, Una Storia Importante, in a world premiere performance. The collaboration marked a significant moment for Keys, who has Italian roots tracing back to her Sicilian grandparents, and who noted the special significance of singing in Italian on the Sanremo stage. “Singing in Italian on this iconic stage has another level of magic. I’ve never done it before! I have always carried my Italian heritage with pride and being here at Sanremo today will allow me to sing it out loud,” she stated.
Ramazzotti also celebrated a milestone, marking 40 years since his win at the Sanremo Festival with the song “Adesso Tu.” The evening’s program included the final round of the New Proposals competition, featuring Angelica Bove and Nicolò Filippucci, and the return of the fifteen established artists who had not performed on the previous night.
The third evening of the festival featured Carlo Conti and Laura Pausini as hosts, alongside Russian supermodel Irina Shayk and Ubaldo Pantani, performing as a parody of Lapo Elkann. Performances included Maria Antonietta & Colombre, Leo Gassmann, Malika Ayane, Sal Da Vinci, Tredici Pietro, Raf, Francesco Renga, Eddie Brock, Serena Crancale, Samurai Jay, Arisa, Michele Bravi, Luché, Mara Sattei, and Sayf. Voting was conducted through public televoting and a radio jury.
Beyond the musical performances, the festival addressed social issues, including a segment dedicated to bullying and the story of Paolo Sarullo, a young man who became quadriplegic after an attack. Laura Pausini also performed Michael Jackson’s “Heal The World” with the Piccolo Coro dell’Antoniano, delivering a message for peace.
The evening also saw a technical issue during Ramazzotti’s performance, though details were not immediately available. The Kolors and Max Pezzali also performed during the display, with Pezzali appearing on a floating stage.
