A few days ago, on social media, I came across an Italian millennial praising Carlo Conti’s direction of Sanremo, saying something along the lines of “Millennials are finally back at the Festival”, and rejoicing in the knowledge that the Italian Gen-Z are losing interest in it. But what did they actually mean?
It’s undeniable that Sanremo changed its face under the control of the new Artistic Director. Amadeus’s editions had a trademark feel and shape, and Carlo Conti’s change in direction is sharp and palpable. The question is: do the different approaches pander to different generations, and how?
Let’s put Amadeus’s and Conti’s modus operandi side by side, in order to get a better picture. In my opinion, Conti indeed leans more millennial in his style, but with a refreshed approach that avoids being a cheap copy of 2000s Sanremos. At least according to netizens who have watched more editions than the younger ones.
The Avengers-Style Lineup vs The Classics Lineup
Amadeus seemed to create, especially with his last two editions, the Avengers of the Italian music scenes in his Sanremos: the artists cycling through his festivals are very successful, with high streaming numbers and lots of radio play, and could fit in different playlists made by different people with something in common: their age.
In Italy, the average Gen Z can be boxed quite easily when it comes to musical taste: the queer listener who loves girlbops like Elodie and Annalisa (but also Mahmood), the politically active indie kid who enjoys La Rappresentante Di Lista and Coma Cose, and their arch nemesis, the classical romantic music enjoyers, whose faves (Ultimo, Pinguini Tattici Nucleari, Ermal Meta) are the heirs of a previous generation of romantic authors (Tiziano Ferro, Cesare Cremonini and, to an extent, Jovanotti).
Conti takes a step back from this approach, going back to the times in which demographics didn’t matter at the festival: as long as Conti’s chosen songs were about love. And so it seems to be with his case, especially last year when he wanted to put an accent on family and, well, love. But he doesn’t adhere obsessively to this rule, serving lots of variety: from Patti Pravo who has fans that span over decades, to Sal Da Vinci who is loved by boomers and gen z alike, to young and niche artists like Bambole Di Pezza, and even keeping an eye on rap music thanks to J-Ax (a 90s legend) and Nayt (millennial MC from the conscious scene).
Fast-paced Hosting With Quick Comedy Or Slow Comedy?
In some of us, the memory of Amadeus’s very first Sanremo night, in which he sent Eugenio In Via Di Gioia from the newcomers section to open the show basically right away, will never fade. It was new, it was unusual, it was nothing like those 30-minute-long introductions made of long talks before the first song.
The pacing of the festival surely got faster thanks to Amadeus, and so did the comedy bits, thanks to his dear friend Fiorello, who accompanied him often. His blazing humour and tendency to improvise made it almost impossible for anyone (from host to audience) to keep up with him, laughing to tears from a zinger to the other.
Conti seemed to take the first part of this above and beyond. His velocity has become so iconic it’s been memed left and right on the Italian *and* the international internet. This is something most don’t like, as the stress on efficiency seems, for many people, to take some of the soul out of the festival. It’s possibly the least successful part of Carlo’s formula.
When it comes to comedy bits, things are much different without Fiorello. The other comedians who graced the Sanremo stage under Carlo’s direction (like Nino Frassica and Geppi Cucciari) were just as funny, but their parts gave more time to the public to digest punchlines and take a slightly softer (but sometimes more surreal) approach. Despite Conti’s unwillingness to allow monologues, he seems to enjoy stand-up comedy at the festival, and back in the 2000s, it was huge in Italy, with shows like Colorado and Zelig.
Guests For Gen-Z vs Guests For Millennials
This is probably where the difference between the two types of hosting becomes starker.
Amadeus had an eye for picking the right guests for the Gen-Z viewer: from the exquisite indie singer Hozier to co-host Drusilla Foer and her spectacular monologue about self-acceptance, he knew which art captivated this demographic and which topics were important to them. Both are also visible in Achille Lauro’s performances during Sanremo 2021.
Carlo Conti seems enamoured with old-but-not-so-old glories, and by that I mean people that were relevant to the youth of 20 years ago: legendary singer Laura Pausini (whose popularity within Gen-Z dropped after a controversial comment about Bella Ciao), fellow artists Eros Ramazzotti and Andrea Bocelli, co-host Alessia Marcuzzi who was very popular in the 2000s but that has gotten, during her Sanremo night, lots of hate from Italian netizens for literally no reason.
The nostalgia factor here is stronger than ever.
This also bleeds into his choice of comedians: 2000s icon Andrea Pucci was meant to be one of this year’s guests, but pulled out, given the backlash from Gen-Z, who don’t sit well with his old-style, slightly politically incorrect jokes.
Eye Candy Graphic Vs Minimalism
Amadeus got us used to colourful yet modern Sanremo logos, sometimes even with different versions. They’re logos that convey movement with flowy lines, curves, even, and bright colours, as if to mimic a deconstructed version of a flower, one of the main products of the small Ligurian town.
Carlo, instead, went for two years in a row with a simple, boxy logo featuring only the name Sanremo. It’s sleek, stripped down, just as modern but far more urban and neutral. It represents his less-is-more approach perfectly, just as Amadeus’s reflected his larger-than-life vibe.
The Finishing Touch Is An Earworm
Carlo Conti may be criticised for many things, but not for one, and it’s his hability of finding an earworm. This is what sets him apart from old-fashioned Sanremo Editions.
Often, the most successful Sanremo songs are the ones that perform the worst at the festival (‘Vita Spericolata‘ by Vasco Rossi is often cited as the most iconic last place in the contest’s history). Carlo seems to bypass this accidental process by finding the earworm in the festival’s scraps even before it starts, and bringing it right to the top where it belongs.
This is what happened with ‘Tutta L’Italia‘ by Gabry Ponte, which was discarded from the artists’ lineup last year but ended up being the edition’s theme song, San Marino’s entry at Eurovision, and now centre stage at the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics. For this song, it’s a huge underdog story, and Carlo is hoping to do it again this year.
In late 2025, Sanremo Giovani took place, and a young newcomer named Welo lost his chance to hit the Sanremo stage with ‘Emigrato‘. Right after his elimination, Carlo walked up to him and asked him if he could re-record the song to turn it into this year’s jingle, since he found himself humming “it’s Sanremo, it’s Sanremo, it’s Sanremo” to it. Welo didn’t have to think twice.
Now, his song, with the newly added lyrics, airs on TV several times a day to remind Italians that the festival is here. Will it ‘Tutta L’Italia‘? Given this young lad is, unlike Gabry Ponte, at the very start of his career, I sincerely hope so.
A Question Of Style
Carlo Conti’s style may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it works. It honours the identity of the festival without trying to mimic the greats like Pippo Baudo and Mike Bongiorno, it’s efficient, it delivers variety, and launches hits in a new way. Maybe he could ease up on the pacing of his hosting and try to include more Gen-Z icons in his guests and co-hosts, but he has to be free to do what feels right, and I’m glad he’s doing so.
And if the millennials feel more seen now, all the better: Italian music doesn’t revolve around one generation alone.