Eurovision Italy 2025: Olly declines, Lucio Corsi accepts!
It was after an unusual and unconventional week of waiting that Olly, the overall winner of the 2025 Sanremo Festival, announced that he had turned down the offer to represent Italy at Eurovision 2025. It was last week, on Sunday, at the traditional winner's press conference, that Olly said he wanted to give himself time to think about taking part in Eurovision.
Sanremo and Eurovision: a complex relationship
While most national finals exist to choose a national representative, the Sanremo Festival is first and foremost a national festival. Besides, Italy and Eurovision go hand in hand. What's the point of watching Eurovision when you've got Sanremo? Now you understand the love-hate story that's being played out in Italy. Now you understand why the winner of Sanremo can, possiblyto represent Italy at Eurovision.
This is not a drama!
And what you might think is just another drama, has done nothing really out of the ordinary. Although from 1956 to 1967 Italy always sent the winner of Sanremo to Eurovision, from 1968 to 1997 it only did so twice. It was often an independent jury that chose the Italian Eurovision representative alongside Sanremo. It was only in 2015 that RAI introduced the rule whereby the winner of Sanremo is offered the chance to go to Eurovision if he or she so wishes. So in 2016, Francesca Michielin (who was also at Sanremo this year in 2025) came second in San Remo. She agreed to represent Italy at Eurovision with "Nessun Grado di Separazione"after the winning group Stadio turned down the offer to perform. She finished in 16th place.
Olly : An incompatible schedule
So, was it a blunder on the part of his management or a lack of interest in Eurovision? Olly has been on a sold-out tour for several weeks now, and his entire May schedule is packed with concerts across Italy. It was therefore difficult, if not impossible, to reconcile the hectic pace of promoting a Eurovision bid, the rehearsals, and the demands of touring in front of fans in every corner of the country.
Who is Lucio Corsi?
So RAI naturally turned to the second Sanremo, Lucio Corsiwho has announced that he has accepted! An Italian singer-songwriter from Tuscany, he is known for his unique musical universe blending folk, rock and glam influences à la David Bowie or Genesis. He won over the Sanremo 2025 audience and jury, coming second with his song "Volevo essere un duro. He now has the tough task of representing Italy at Eurovision in Basel in May...
Italy at Eurovision
Italy
Win(s)
Last win
Entries
| Year | Artist | Song | Points | Ranking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Volevo essere un duro | - | - | |
| 2024 | La noia | 268 | 7 | |
| 2023 | Due vite | 350 | 4 | |
| 2022 | Brividi | 268 | 6 | |
| 2021 | Zitti e buoni | 524 | 1 WINNER | |
| (2020) | Fai rumore | - | - |
