Canzonissima returns to Rai 1 on March 21 with Milly Carlucci and star-studded cast
The historic Italian music variety show, off air since 1975, debuts Saturday with 12 singers competing live each week under a revamped format.
March 7, 2026
Canzonissima, Italy's storied music variety program, returns to Rai 1 on Saturday, March 21, more than 50 years after its final broadcast in 1975. Milly Carlucci will host and direct the revived show, which aims to blend the original format's musical competition with a contemporary structure designed to appeal across generations.
The program centers on a weekly competition among 12 singers who perform live renditions of celebrated Italian songs from the past or signature pieces from their own catalogs. No original compositions are permitted; the contest focuses on the songs themselves rather than the artists. Each performance will be accompanied by a full orchestra, with all singing conducted live.
The voting mechanism combines input from the competing artists and the viewing public. Contestants vote for other performers but cannot vote for themselves. A studio jury will be present but will serve a non-traditional role, offering commentary and judgment without determining the final rankings. At the conclusion of each episode, a "Canzonissima of the evening" will be named. In the final broadcast, the winning songs from each week will compete for the title of overall champion.
Among the confirmed participants are Massimo Ranieri, a two-time Canzonissima winner from previous editions, alongside Malika Ayane, Patty Pravo, and Elettra Lamborghini. Lamborghini, known for her reality television appearances and recent ventures into music, is expected to perform her Sanremo entries "Musica (e il resto scompare)" and "Voilà ."
The show will run for six episodes across the spring season. The format represents a modernized take on the original program, which aired from 1956 to 1975 and established itself as a cornerstone of Italian television entertainment.
Canzonissima's Saturday evening slot places it in direct competition with Mediaset's programming. Mediaset has scheduled the finale of C'è Posta per Te, the people show hosted by Maria De Filippi, for the same time slot on earlier dates, with the program airing on Saturday, March 7 and Saturday, March 14 before Canzonissima's debut.