The winners and losers of the Sanremo 2026 cover night Amid controversy, duets, and not enough of Bianca Balti

Thank goodness for the cover night. After a series of pieces in which we did nothing but complain about the Sanremo 2026 festival - not out of spite but almost with regret - what came to our rescue was the most anticipated event of the entire music competition, even more than the final itself. A universe of its own, with its own televote and winners, which often do not match the artist who will hold the first prize during the closing night.

The flops

Of course, there were also some missteps. It started right away with the censored kiss between Levante and Gaia after I maschi, already present during rehearsals and therefore clearly cut - heaven forbid that seeing the two singers so bold and sensual might suggest that any queer hint could be something positive. Things continued with the reveal of the long-awaited Mister X, the special guest, who turned out to be just Alessandro Siani; we much preferred the mystery itself to the disappointing reveal. Finally, there was the lesson by Vincenzo Schettini, who after the controversies of recent days and a supposed absence overturned at the last minute was pushed back to one in the morning, a time when attention levels are extremely low, as any teacher would probably know.

But, as Elettra Lamborghini would say, long live the cover night, and indeed some performances finally gave us moments of spectacle and emotion that had been missing throughout the Sanremo week. The opening, despite expectations, was not the most explosive: bringing Las Ketchup straight back from the early 2000s, Elettra launched into a version of Aserejé slightly toned down compared to the explosive material and interpretation the performers could have delivered, starting from the outfits. A Spanish-style touch as a tribute to the guests is fine, but we expected a disco, chaos, a time-travel trip straight into Y2K pubs. Everything felt too composed, too proper; the singer of Voilà brought no party (neither “bilateral” nor otherwise) onto the Ariston stage. It’s true she had to break the ice, so we forgive her - but we preferred the version she delivered off-stage after the live broadcast.

The pass marks

With the arrival of Malika Ayane and Claudio Santamaria, it became clearer what a cover night should - and shouldn’t - be. With a wonderful song like Mi sei scoppiato dentro il cuore by Mina, the karaoke effect (very much like Italian cinema, if we may say so) was just around the corner, and unfortunately that’s exactly what happened. Although the Roman actor has a beautiful voice and surprisingly managed to maintain the key of a song that for most people would be impossible even to attempt, the duet suffered because the performers’ discomfort was perceptible. It felt like a movie scene where a character climbs on stage to perform, perhaps to win over their love interest - except the stage was Sanremo’s. This is where the line between execution and interpretation lies: between what, better or worse, anyone can do and what unique moment can be created through true performance.

Cum laude

Two duets perfectly demonstrated what it means to create a true show moment: Ditonellapiaga and TonyPitony with The Lady is a Tramp, in the Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga version, and even more so Fulminacci together with host Francesca Fagnani, considering the nature of the pairing and the performance they prepared. The singer of Che fastidio!, enjoying a wonderful and rewarding festival run, chose one of the most controversial characters on the music scene (and perhaps comedy too?) and turned him into an unusual, cheeky, almost caricature-like crooner - an attitude that contrasted with her angelic voice. Together they staged a real variety show moment, a flash of brilliance when the song suddenly shifted into Ba ba baciami piccina, before returning to balance once the audience was fully engaged and cheering for the duo, who ultimately won the night.

In pure Sanremo style - like his entire festival journey, from the song Stupida sfortuna to the looks chosen to perform it - Fulminacci presented Parole parole, with the role originally belonging to Alberto Lupo now played by another “beast,” the host of the show of the same name, Francesca Fagnani. The performance was restrained yet vibrant, measured yet incredibly intriguing. The singer has remarkable stage presence, perhaps thanks to his early acting studies, and pours it all into what almost feels like their version of The Graduate, where Fulminacci briefly becomes Dustin Hoffman and Francesca Fagnani his Mrs. Robinson. The performance didn’t even make the top ten: if there was an injustice that night, this was undoubtedly it.

If you dare, do it properly

The unlikely often wins during cover night - but there’s unlikely and then there’s unlikely. The one by Bambole di pezza works, with Cristina D’Avena and Occhi di gatto avoiding the easy nostalgia effect and instead letting the band’s frontwoman dive into a version of Whole Lotta Love that we never imagined could be associated with a cartoon theme. Then there’s the less convincing attempt by Dargen D’Amico, whose positioning this year is hard to grasp: always supporting the right causes, yet inviting Pupo as a guest - who, despite claiming not to take political sides, has also said he doesn’t mind Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni using his songs. Added to that, the song’s finale even included the words of Pope Francis. It feels like an avant-garde experiment - only we’re not sure we fully understood it.

And so the evening flowed between those who wanted to entertain and have fun (Sayf with Alex Britti and Mario Biondi performing Hit the Road Jack, LDA & Aka 7even with Tullio De Piscopo performing Andamento lento) and those aiming to move and be moved (Arisa with the Teatro Regio di Parma Choir performing Quello che le donne non dicono, Sal Da Vinci with Michele Zarrillo performing Cinque giorni). There was a touch of sweetness (Maria Antonietta & Colombre with Brunori Sas performing Il mondo, Nayt with Joan Thiele performing La canzone dell’amore perduto) and some predictability (J-Ax with Ligera County Fam performing E la vita, la vita).

The controversy couldn’t be missing

Finally, there was the performance that brought the Ariston stage down - and no, not in the way certain memes suggested because of the high-five that happened. As Tredici Pietro performed Vita by his father Gianni Morandi and Lucio Dalla, joined by guests Galeffi and Fudasca, his father suddenly came down the stairs full of energy, delivering a performance together that was both tender and fiery. Inevitably, it also became the night’s controversy: if you’ve always wanted to distance yourself from your surname, why invite your father on stage? And above all, as Alessandro Gassmann pointed out in an Instagram post, why was Gianni Morandi allowed while he wasn’t, given the rule against performing with one’s parents? (We’d venture a guess: a promotion issue, since the actor would have been there to promote his upcoming series.) A thin line where both positions are understandable - where the cracks in such a decision are visible, yet impossible to resist when the performance is executed and felt so well.

And so the cover night came to an end: we didn’t see enough Bianca Balti and wish she had been given a little more space. But now it’s time to go to bed and get ready for the grand finale.