The final of the Sanremo Festival 2026 has crowned its winner: Sal Da Vinci triumphed at the 76th edition with the song Forever yesA victory built night after night, amid standing ovations and an energy on the Ariston stage that won over the audience and judging panel.
It must be said clearly: his success was well-deserved. To the expert ear, from his very first performances, the Neapolitan singer-songwriter's melody seemed perfectly calibrated to win this Festival. An immediate, emotional song, crafted with great skill.
Yet, beneath the official result, there is another truth that many are not ignoring: that of Sayf.
A narrow victory
The final numbers tell a much more balanced story than it seems. Televoting — that is, in the popular vote - Sayf was the one who won.
Super Final Percentages:
- Sal Da Vinci – Total: 22,2% – Televoting: 23,6%
- Sayf – Total: 21,9% – Televoting: 26,4%
- Finger in the plague – Total: 20,6% – Televoting: 18,9%
- Arisa – Total: 18,9% – Televoting: 19,2%
- Fedez & Marco Masini – Total: 16,5% – Televoting: 11,9%
The key fact is clear: the public at home had chosen Sayf with the 26,4%, against the 23,6% by Sal Da Vinci. But the weight of the Press, TV, and Web Juries, and the Radio Juries, overturned everything, handing the final victory to the Neapolitan singer-songwriter by just three-tenths of a point (22,2% to 21,9%).
A narrow victory, decided more by critics than by televoting (and perhaps it was time that critics rewarded Sal Da Vinci).
A less immediate but more intense song
And this is where the most interesting reading comes in. The passage from Sayf, Compared to Sal's, it appears less immediate but definitely more full of content.
It's not the classic song that grabs you on first listen. It's more layered, more emotional, more courageous. The kind that grows with time.
The history of Sanremo teaches us that true success is often measured in the months following the Festival. And in this respect, the game could still be wide open.
The phrase that made you think
Then there's a detail that many observers haven't overlooked. During Friday's Dopofestival, almost as if responding to Savino—perhaps jokingly, but perhaps not entirely so—Sal Da Vinci himself had perfectly defined the scope of his song.
The singer-songwriter had hinted that Forever yes could have become, over time, a sort of “wedding song”, destined to be sung for years.
A joke? Maybe.
But also a very lucid reading of his own piece.
A very strong message… but not universal
Sal probably knew well that his song would hit the mark precisely because of its strong, direct message, deeply linked to the idea of eternal love, marriage, family.
These are themes that speak to a very large segment of the Italian public and which, historically, work at Sanremo.
But there's also another segment of the public. One that's younger, more disenchanted, or simply more distant from the idea of eternal love and marriage as a natural horizon.
The values that struck the public
Sayf, young and far removed from the established conventions of show business, also brought a powerful human message to the stage. The moment he invited his mother to the Ariston Theatre was striking. A mother who wasn't famous, not constructed by television. A genuine presence. And it was precisely this simplicity that struck a chord.
The Festival is over, the challenge maybe not
Sal Da Vinci's victory was probably a natural progression for the Festival. Experience, widespread popularity, and a song perfect for the Ariston made the difference.
But be careful not to consider the game over.
Because if Sal won Sanremo 2026, Sayf brought a powerful, distinctive, and courageous song to the stage. One of those songs that don't always win right away—but often, in the long run, stick around.
Sanremo crowns a winner in one night.
Time, very often, chooses another.
Source EDITORIAL TEAM
Comments (1)
It seems strange to me, but not entirely unfair. The televoting gave Saif the lead, but the jury overturned the result. I don't quite understand the logic. Saif brought a wedding song, while Saif has more depth and grows with time. But only time will tell who will remain, not immediately.