The Festival di Sanremo has been for about forty years THE Event in Italy. In popularity, I think I cannot be blamed if I say that for some years it's been as popular as the Superbowl in the United States. And I'm not kidding. Usually the Festival took place every year during the last week of February. Now since some years ago it takes place the first week of March, always in Sanremo, a small town in Northwestern Italy. The Festival di Sanremo is a song contest where singers must sing NEW songs in Italian (Italian dialects are also admitted even if it's a rare case). During the competition two winners are declared: a winner for the New Artists contest (where the participants usually are unknown or almost unknown singers) and a winner for the Champions contest (where the participants are famous singers). This Festival has made the history of Italian pop music. So many Italian singers "were born" at the Sanremo Festival: Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, Nek, Giorgia, Irene Grandi, and so on. Moreover some of the most beautiful Italian songs have been performed there. On the other hand, it's true that during the latest editions the Festival has lost something in popularity and in the way of supporting new artists. But this does not cancel what the Festival has done for a lot of years. This is the story, then if you want to believe a Swiss, it's your choice.
