Sanremo 2026 Gets Star-Studded Finale: News Anchor Joins Laura Pausini on Stage

The Italy state broadcaster Rai has announced Giorgia Cardinaletti, the face of the Rai Tg1 evening newscast, as co-host for the closing night of the 76th Sanremo Music Festival, joining artistic director Carlo Conti and international star Laura Pausini on Saturday, February 28. The announcement was delivered live during the primetime Tg1 bulletin on Friday evening, following the broadcaster's tradition of revealing the final-night hosting lineup through its flagship news program.

The Announcement

Cardinaletti's selection was announced during the Tg1 broadcast, with Carlo Conti making the revelation as part of the news bulletin. This marks her debut as a co-host on the main stage of Sanremo, though she has covered the festival in past years as a Tg1 correspondent. The choice pairs a seasoned news anchor with a global recording artist and the veteran showman Conti for the festival's most prestigious night.

Career Awards Recognize Industry Pillars

Alongside the announcement of Cardinaletti's hosting role, Rai revealed three lifetime achievement honors for the 2026 edition. Fausto Leali, Mogol, and Caterina Caselli will receive recognition for their decades of influence on Italian music. These awards honor the architects of Italy's musical canon and provide historical context for the festival's cultural significance.

A Festival Dedicated to Pippo Baudo

The 2026 edition of Sanremo is dedicated to Pippo Baudo, the legendary broadcaster who hosted the festival 13 times and shaped its modern identity. This dedication underscores the festival's place as a cornerstone of Italian cultural life and honors Baudo's enduring legacy in Italian broadcasting.

Sanremo's Cultural Importance

For residents of Italy, Sanremo remains one of the few cultural events capable of uniting the country. The festival offers a rare moment of collective focus in an increasingly fragmented media landscape, drawing millions of viewers who gather to debate song choices, dissect performances, and participate in the voting process. Whether tuning in for the competition, the guest stars, or simply the ritual of it all, audiences across the peninsula engage with Sanremo as a shared national experience.