Laura Pausini has been chosen to co-host the 76th edition of the Sanremo Music Festival alongside artistic director Carlo Conti. The five-night event will air live on Rai 1, RaiPlay and Rai Radio 2 from February 24 to 28, marking a major milestone in the singer’s extraordinary career.

For Pausini, the return to the Ariston Theatre carries deep symbolic weight. She first stepped onto the Sanremo stage in 1993 and 1994, at the very beginning of her career, before going on to appear six times as a special guest between 2001 and 2022. This time, however, she will take on her most prestigious role yet - leading the Festival as co-host.

Carlo Conti welcomed the news with enthusiasm. “I’m grateful to Laura for immediately accepting my invitation,” he said. “It’s a real honor and a joy to share the Sanremo stage with such a strong, charismatic and entertaining artist. Throughout the five nights, we will also be joined by a rotating cast of co-hosts who will bring even more energy to the Ariston.”

Pausini, visibly moved by the announcement, described Sanremo as a defining part of her life. “Sanremo is my destiny - my smile, my temptation, and even my fear,” she said. “This is where my career was born, and returning now to co-host the Festival fills me with pride and emotion. It feels like a first kiss — unforgettable. I never imagined I would one day stand on that stage in this role. Carlo believed in me and helped me overcome my doubts, and I can’t wait to share this journey with him.”

One of Italy’s most successful artists worldwide, Pausini has sold over 75 million records and amassed more than six billion streams. She remains the only Italian artist to have won a Grammy Award and to have entered the Billboard Hot 100. Her accolades also include four Latin Grammys, a Golden Globe, and nominations for both the Oscars and the Emmys. In 2023, she was honored as the Latin Recording Academy’s “Person of the Year,” the first non-Spanish-speaking artist ever to receive the award. In 2022, she also co-hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in Turin alongside Mika and Alessandro Cattelan.