Ciao from Sanremo, this is Alloracast! James Stephenson and Dude Points are here with your preview for one of the most exciting nights in the Eurovision Song Contest calendar – the final of the Festival di Sanremo.

UMK has evolved into an “artist bootcamp” where Finnish technical precision meets a rebellious, no-rules creative spirit. Ben Robertson writes how this National Final puts in an effort like no other to produce each three-minute performance and delivering quality, rather than quantity.

Ilaria Pagano compares the two approaches of Sanremo’s most recent Artistic Directors, Amadeus and Carlo Conti.

On today’s Alloracast, James and Dude have another Top 5 from Thursday’s performances to analyse, as the competition begins to take real shape ahead of Saturday’s final.

Most of the men in Sanremo are dealing with unrequited love, unhealthy relationships, or the aftermath of a breakup. But amidst all the angst, there are two singers who are providing hope to audiences. With both their canzone and their real-life relationships, these men are saying yes now and yes forever to a successful long-term relationship.

James and Dude look at last night’s Top Five from the first batch of fifteen performers, and see which songs surprised and which were surprise omissions. They’ll also look forward to tonight’s third show, in the daily Alloracast!