Rai, Italy's public broadcaster and most-watched network, has just reignited speculation about the future of its flagship entertainment program after a former artistic director left the door open to a potential return—albeit under specific conditions.
Amadeus, the television host who steered the Sanremo Music Festival through five consecutive editions from 2020 to 2024, made his first significant appearance back on Rai airwaves this week, appearing as a guest on Fiorello's radio program "La Pennicanza." When asked the inevitable question about returning to helm the festival, his response was diplomatically measured: "Sanremo non si rifiuta mai"—Sanremo is never refused.
Why This Matters
• Carlo Conti is confirmed as artistic director and host through 2027, with Stefano De Martino already announced for 2028
• Amadeus currently works under a 4-year contract with Warner Bros. Discovery, though reports suggest a possible early exit
• Any return would likely require Fiorello's participation, a condition that complicates logistics
• For Italian residents, Sanremo dominates national conversation for an entire week, influencing workplace discussions, social gatherings, and even streaming service viewership patterns during festival season
• The Sanremo leadership directly impacts Italian music industry trends and viewing habits for 11M+ households
The Warner Discovery Detour
Amadeus departed Rai in August 2024 after signing a lucrative deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, positioning himself to lead entertainment programming on the Nove channel. The arrangement included hosting an access prime-time game show and two annual prime-time programs, representing a significant bet by the media conglomerate on his drawing power beyond state television.
However, recent industry whispers suggest the partnership may be unwinding earlier than planned. His access prime-time program "The Cage" concluded on May 29, 2025, and sources close to the negotiations indicate a consensual separation could materialize approximately two years ahead of the contract's natural expiration in 2028. His appearance on Rai Radio2 with Fiorello has only amplified speculation that the broadcaster might be positioning for a homecoming.
The timing is notable. Sanremo 2026 concluded in February with Carlo Conti at the helm alongside co-host Laura Pausini, drawing the festival's typical massive audience. Conti has already been locked in for the 2027 edition, and during the final night broadcast, he announced that Stefano De Martino would succeed him for 2028. This creates a narrow window: any Amadeus return would realistically target 2029 or beyond.
The Fiorello Collaboration
Amadeus has been explicit about his conditions for returning. In previous statements, he indicated he would only consider resuming the artistic director role if Fiorello—his longtime friend and frequent on-stage collaborator—agreed to join him. This partnership defined much of his tenure's success, particularly during the pandemic-era 2021 edition held in an empty Teatro Ariston, where the duo's comedic chemistry compensated for the absence of a live audience.
Fiorello's own relationship with the festival is more complicated. While he thrived in the co-host role, he has expressed ambivalence about the demanding schedule and creative constraints. His current radio work offers more flexibility, and persuading him to commit to multiple festival editions remains uncertain.
The practical reality: until both figures align their professional calendars and motivations, any return remains hypothetical rather than imminent.
The Amadeus Legacy
Between 2020 and 2024, Amadeus fundamentally reshaped Sanremo's cultural footprint. His tenure coincided with several watershed moments that entered Italian pop culture vocabulary. The Morgan-Bugo confrontation in 2020—when Morgan rewrote lyrics mid-performance to attack his duet partner, prompting Bugo to storm off stage—became instant legend. The 2021 festival proceeded without a live audience due to COVID-19 protocols, yet maintained viewership through sheer performance quality and the Amadeus-Fiorello dynamic.
By 2022, he deliberately pivoted toward younger demographics, successfully attracting Gen Z viewers through social media integration and the viral FantaSanremo phenomenon, which gamified the festival and encouraged artists to perform specific actions for fantasy league points. Blanco's destruction of the stage roses that year—and Gianni Morandi's subsequent cleanup with broom and dustpan—epitomized the blend of chaos and charm that characterized the era.
The 2023 edition featured President Sergio Mattarella's historic stage appearance, the first time a sitting Italian head of state participated directly in the festival. Amadeus capped his run in 2024 with a sketch featuring John Travolta dancing the "Ballo del Qua Qua," which generated international media coverage.
Across those five years, Amadeus reviewed approximately 5,000 songs from both emerging and established artists, a workload he referenced during the radio appearance. The festival's ratings remained consistently strong, averaging over 60% audience share during prime broadcast hours and maintaining its position as Italy's most-watched annual entertainment event.
What This Means for Italian Television
For viewers and industry stakeholders, Amadeus's comments signal that Rai's relationship with its former star remains cordial despite his departure. The broadcaster faces increasing competition from streaming platforms and private networks, and retaining proven talent remains strategically important.
The Sanremo artistic director role carries outsized influence on the Italian music industry, determining which songs receive massive promotional platforms and which emerging artists gain national exposure. Amadeus's track record of selecting commercially successful entries—several of his festival winners went on to dominate Italian charts for months—makes his potential return commercially significant for record labels and artists.
For now, the succession plan appears stable. Carlo Conti brings his own established fanbase and production experience, while Stefano De Martino represents a generational shift toward younger leadership. Whether Amadeus eventually returns to the Ariston stage depends less on nostalgia and more on whether the logistical, financial, and personal elements align—including securing Fiorello's commitment.
The Italian entertainment landscape has changed considerably since Amadeus first took the festival helm in 2020. Streaming services compete more aggressively for attention, social media dictates cultural conversation more forcefully, and audience fragmentation challenges traditional broadcast models. Any return would require adapting to these evolving dynamics while preserving the festival's core appeal.
Amadeus closed his radio appearance with characteristic understatement, emphasizing the importance of quality entertainment. Whether that translates into a future return to the Ariston remains an open question—one that depends on contract negotiations, scheduling logistics, and the willingness of two longtime collaborators to reassemble their working relationship.
