The 75th anniversary edition of the Italian Song Festival opened on Tuesday, February 11th, in the resort town of San Remo on the Ligurian coast and will continue until Saturday, February 15th. 29 performers and groups are competing for the main prize of the music competition and a ticket to the Eurovision Song Contest.

Among the performers and groups are both well-known and popular singers, as well as artists who have conquered the domestic music market in recent years, breaking records on streaming platforms. Carlo Conti is once again the host and artistic director of the 75th edition of the famous festival, after a four-year hiatus.

The festival enjoys immense popularity – every evening, several hours of broadcasts from the legendary Ariston Theatre are watched by up to several million viewers, and reports from this musical and social event appear on the front pages of all newspapers, as well as on radio and television news. Commentators describe the festival as "Italy in miniature", since the events at the “Ariston” Theatre are dedicated not only to music, but also to political and social issues affecting the life of the country.

On the first night of the competition, Pope Francis addressed its participants with a video message, in which he reflected on the power of music to promote harmony among peoples. "Music is beauty, music is an instrument of peace. It is a language spoken by all peoples; it reaches the heart of everyone. Music can help the coexistence of peoples", the Pope emphasized.

After the Pontiff's address, Israeli singer Noa and Palestinian performer Mira Awad took the stage, singing John Lennon's famous song "Imagine" in Hebrew, Arabic, and English, which sounded like a sign of hope for the advent of peace in the Middle East.

ORIENT