From Ermal Meta’s political lyrics to Luche’s Neapolitan roots, Dude Points discovers what makes Sanremo 2026 a must-watch event for music fans as we preview its 76th Festival della Canzone Italiana.

Allora! Join James Stephenson and Dude Points in Italy every day this week as they enter the wild world of the Festival della Canzone Italiana to find out what’s going on in Sanremo.

While most National Finals focus on finding a song, Melodifestivalen focuses on keeping a nation glued to the sofa. This year’s Melfest has seen production decisions and scripting been a bigger focus than ever being the source of controversy, but why is entertainment so important to this show?

The sudden cancellation of the EBU’s ten-city summer plan suggests that even the biggest brands can misread their core audience. While interest in the Contest remains on an upwards trajectory, there are lessons to learn about what how to engage with the modern day Eurovision community.

James Stephenson goes backstage with Fenksta for the first Semi Final of Dora 2026 – as he failed to qualify for the Grand Final. This is what it’s really like to dream big at a National Final and come up short.

Junior Lerin debuts as a singer in Melodifestivalen 2026, viewing the opportunity to perform ‘Copacabana Boy’ as a “miracle”. Despite the criticism that the song has, we explain why is it healthy for Melodifestivalen that Junior is a part of this competition.