Canzonissima: format, running order, performers and songs from the show airing on Rai1

More than half a century after its last edition, "Canzonissima" returns to Rai1 with a revamped format. The historic public TV variety show, which aired between 1958 and 1975, kicks off again tonight with six weekly episodes hosted by Milly Carlucci, though with a mechanism very different from the past.

The main novelty concerns the repertoire: while in the original editions contestants almost always performed unreleased songs, in the new version the competing artists will exclusively perform already well-known songs, drawn from the history of Italian music. The cast includes, among others, Riccardo Cocciante, Arisa, Elio e le Storie Tese, Elettra Lamborghini, Enrico Ruggeri, Fausto Leali, Fabrizio Moro, Irene Grandi, Jalisse, Leo Gassmann, Malika Ayane, Michele Bravi, Paolo Jannacci and Vittorio Grigolo.

The setlist

Each episode is built around a theme. The opener is dedicated to the "song of the heart," with a series of pairings already set:

• Enrico Ruggeri – "Lontano dagli occhi" (Sergio Endrigo, 1969)
• Fabrizio Moro – "Il mio canto libero" (Lucio Battisti, 1972)
• Leo Gassmann – "Un giorno credi" (Edoardo Bennato, 1973)
• Michele Bravi – "Ti lascio una canzone" (Gino Paoli e Ornella Vanoni, 1985)
• Fausto Leali – "Pregherò" (Adriano Celentano, 1962)
• Malika Ayane – "Città vuota" (Mina, 1963)
• Irene Grandi – "Mi ritorni in mente" (Lucio Battisti, 1969)
• Elettra Lamborghini – "Bella vera" (883, 2001)
• Vittorio Grigolo – "Nessun dorma" (from Giacomo Puccini's "Turandot", 1926)
• Elio e le Storie Tese – "Rock'n'Roll Robot" (Alberto Camerini, 1981)
• Jalisse – "Sarà perché ti amo" (Ricchi e Poveri, 1981)

The other episodes

The following episodes will follow other thematic threads: "the dedication" (March 28), "the first hit" (April 4), "Sanremo's revenge" (April 11), "the song I wish I'd written" (April 18) and "your biggest hit" (April 25).

At the end of each evening, the "Canzonissima of the episode" is proclaimed, earning a place in the April 25 final. In the last episode, the winning songs from each evening will go head to head in a final round that will determine the winner of "Canzonissima 2026".

The voting system

The voting system is built on three components: a jury made up of TV personalities (Claudio Cecchetto, Francesca Fialdini, Pierluigi Pardo, Riccardo Rossi, Simona Izzo, Caterina Balivo and Giacomo Maiolini), the vote of the competing artists themselves — who can vote for a contestant other than themselves — and the audience, invited to take part through social media interactions, using a mechanism already tested on "Ballando con le stelle".

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google