Sanremo 2026, the report cards of the covers and duets

After two evenings in which she appeared subdued, not particularly amused, Elettra Lamborghini becomes the fourth Las Ketchup, the most exuberant and without polka dots, and transforms the Ariston into a holiday village. Bilateral party, 2002 and 2026. A cheerful start, that's already something.

Typical case of a cover performed with the author, who ends up dominating the competitor, this evening also in the competition to see who screams the loudest. Three years ago they made us an edition full of duets like this. It went well for the show, a little less for the competing singers.

Singing in vain very intentwhen instead the story is dramatic, but requires a more measured narrative. And then the muccinisation of the text, which becomes a love song when instead the last kiss is the one given by a father. All wrong.

Everyone who can afford to exchange verses with Patty Pravo is elsewhere or dead. And so she takes one of the most famous duets in our music and does it alone, with Timofej Andrijashenko flying by. Anyway soliloquy, the others are not worthy.

With Gaia it is a manifestation of sisterhood and, says Levante, a measure of the distance with 1987 when “males could experience desire in a freer way than females”. Sapphic nuances: the male today is someone who wants to do it or even no one, it's the same. Light tone, they go well together, funny, good. The direction, however, does not film the final kiss closely and cuts away as soon as the two get closer. There is the Instagram profile of Rollinggo there.

From Rai 1 to Studio One. After the tour in the 70s of Nocturnal animalsthe one in Mina's 60s. Another fun duet, which honors the song without taking itself too seriously. Amen if one of the two is not perfect. That's how it's done.

The song doesn't remain the same. The rude, '80s hard rock version of Cat's eyes with Cristina D'Avena in black leather. Then totally at random Whole Lotta Love of Led Zeppelin. After the “keep it cooling” comes back Cat's eyes. Absurd. If you take it seriously, it's the infantilization of rock. But it's Rag Dolls, it's Cristina D'Avena, it's cover night.

The real Fantasanremo is this one, the absurd mash-up between The deserter by Boris Vian, which is a universal song but also linked to the conscientious objectors of the IDF, About us of Pupo (one of ours who goes to Russia) and Gam gama song that takes up a verse from Psalm 23 and is linked to the Shoah, plus various other quotes. It should be a symbol of meeting of music, people, cultures, a pacifist declaration, an original way to talk about war. And it is at the same time the dictionary definition of kitsch, as is Dargen's style.

We all imagine, right, that in Casa Paradiso there is a little corner with holy pictures of Vasco, Venditti, Tozzi and others including obviously Lucio Dalla. The idea of ​​calling to do is right The last moon Gaetano Curreri and Stadio, who are part of that history. Curreri is in a low voice, Paradiso is overjoyed with enthusiasm, to which we too willingly abandon ourselves.

One of the two tributes to Vanoni. Honest and heartfelt, but affected. Ornella deserves more than an exercise in style.

Until 10.15pm we were wondering: winning move or harakiri? Thirteen Pietro chose a song by dad, or rather a piece by Mogol-Lavezzi from the album Dalla/Morandi. When Gianni Morandi arrives on stage unannounced, it is clear that he was on the safe side.

A light and sweet version, perhaps just with a bit too much declaiming. Thank you Maria Antonietta, Colombre and Brunori Sas for reminding us that Jimmy Fontana's piece, arranged at the time by Ennio Morricone, is not the stuff that the three Il Volo sing around the world. And even tonight the country's dignity is safe.

Fulminacci's immersion in the world of cathode ray cube TV continues with the duet-homage to Mina and Alberto Lupo, in which he plays her and she plays him, other mixed roles after the Levante-Gaia and Ayane-Santamaria couples. She's not exactly expressive, this evening he's a bit Joe Calderone, lacking complicity and charm. The irony is there, but the idea is better than the execution.

It's right to bring De Piscopo back to Sanremo, who recently turned 80 and deserves it, and do it with his own piece. Well done LDA, AKA 7even or whoever came up with the idea. Give TDP a lifetime achievement award.

A marching band that enters the Sanctuary, the place (for those who don't know) where clubbing and yoga coexist in a completely incorrect way, that is, outside of the budget of all of us. In other words: the idea is good, the execution is much less so.

Scighera Starter Pack. After the country mess, J-Ax returns to play at home and does well. After all, one of the Italian things that most resemble country is the dialect song. The winning move is not to bring the piece into the present with the introduction and the rapped part, on the contrary, but to call a ramshackle but genuine choir: Cochi Ponzoni, who interpreted it at the time with Renato Pozzetto (the latter authored with Enzo Jannacci), Paolo Rossi, Paolo Jannacci, Ale & Franz. Milanesiana with small scratches to the original.

She cosplays Lady Gaga, he obviously cosplays Elvis but also a bit of the Joker, the second, the one from Lee Quinzel's musicals. Light skit, there's a lot of irony, one folie à deux well done and orchestrated. With this Sanremo she is taking a step forward, he works at least here even without the cock-ass-tits-pussy quadrille. And in the end they win.

Nigiotti calls Alfa and his leaflet to make together a big piece by Samuele Bersani, a story of love and anxiolytics. “Two can fight like giants against any pain”. Nice choice, but all that emphasis makes it seem like a copy of a thousand summaries, which it isn't. It's not good, it's not bad, it's a placebo.

The circumstances of the crime have not yet been established. The evidence is being examined by investigators.

He is 26 years old and comes from rap, but he plays the trumpet and doesn't want to throw away a musical heritage that he obviously loves. And so he decides against all odds to remake a piece by Ray Charles not with bro super cool, but with Alex Britti and Mario Biondi dressed as the Blues Brothers, plus their mother on stage. Let's reward him. Juries do it too: he unexpectedly comes second.

Lonely boy, lonely girl is David Bowie's most derided song. Not for the piece itself which is the Italian version of Space Odditybut because the text was transformed at the time into the usual story of a great love, the fault of Mogol, or Mogul as he appeared in the liner notes. Basically, the downgrading of the downgrading of a legendary song.

Arisa takes a song heard many, many times and gives it new life with the help of the impalpable yet present Choir of the Teatro Regio of Parma. And then he takes up the original phrases of Enrico Ruggeri that Fiorella Mannoia no longer sings after #MeToo as “we will tell you one more yes”. Disappointment in the room when it becomes clear that she “only” came third.

After a false start, a TV New Year's Eve version arrives with the nice singer, the beauty and the musician. Thanks, but no thanks.

Here's what happens at the wedding castle after the people have danced Forever yes: we move on to lenses. Sal Da Vinci, his voice cracking with emotion, wants to win, Ariston sings in chorus, standing ovation. However, the popular festival on the first and third evenings was better, apparently also in the rankings.

In 2025 everyone was wondering if the cover of Nice bitch by Fedez feat. Masini was dedicated to his wife or “the other woman”. In 2026 comes the doubt that the two are dedicating Wonderful creature to their couple, who in the space of a few performances are already champions of sentimental rhetoric.

Instead of bringing a song related in some way to Little starto its history, to its world, to its meaning, Ermal Meta has chosen a pop love song in English, by Jvke. Arrangement by Dardust, on stage with the singer. Ok, Ermal's voice goes high, but the ultimate meaning escapes.

The choice of Joan Thiele is right, she is in her own world and raises the level of interpretation with voice and presence. Let's press her.

The 23 year old Grignani sung by the 53 year old Grignani. His presence and his story fill the stage, Luchè's rap addition is a side dish.

The triello: Tenco remade by Chiello, Saverio Cigarini, Morgan ghost of the stage. On the latter's Instagram there is a lesson on the text of I fell in love with youbut if he went to class, Chiello would lose his superpower, looking like someone who went on stage because he had nothing to do, swims among the dissonances and gets away with it.

This version of Cocciante's song was also planned, brought to the land of bromance.