Marco Mengoni is an Italian singer-songwriter who rose to fame in 2009, after winning the third season of Italian talent show X Factor. Since that he has sold over 2.8 million records in Italy, peaking the Italian albums chart seven consecutive times and entering the Top 10 Italian Singles Chart fifteen times. He won the Sanremo Music Festival in 2013 and again in 2023, therefore representing Italy in the Eurovision Song Contest in both years, respectively.
Mengoni during a concert in 2010
Mengoni performing at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013
Mengoni on stage in 2022
The Sanremo Music Festival, officially the Italian Song Festival is the most popular Italian song contest and awards ceremony, held annually in the city of Sanremo, Liguria. It is the longest-running annual TV music competition in the world on a national level and it is also the basis and inspiration for the annual Eurovision Song Contest.
Teatro Ariston in Sanremo during the final night of the festival in 2013
The Sanremo Casino hosted the Sanremo Music Festival between 1951 and 1976.
The Teatro Ariston has hosted the Sanremo Music Festival since 1977. The only exception was 1990's contest, hosted at Sanremo's Palafiori.
Nilla Pizzi was the winner of the first Sanremo Festival, in 1951.