Semi-Finalists to be Revealed
San Marino RTV, the national broadcaster of San Marino, has announced that the 40 semi-finalists for the Dreaming San Marino Song Contest 2026 will be unveiled across Monday, February 16, and Tuesday, February 17. The announcements will take place during the evening news program, TG, on San Marino RTV. The acts for Semi-Final One are scheduled to be revealed on Monday night at 19:30 CET, with the Semi-Final Two participants following on Tuesday evening.
The Road to the Semi-Finals
The Dreaming San Marino Song Contest 2026 serves as a crucial preliminary phase in San Marino's national selection process for the Eurovision Song Contest 2026, which will be held in Vienna, Austria. The journey began with an extensive selection process that saw 240 artists shortlisted from open casting rounds. These artists then participated in the 'Stage & Live Academy' round, which comprised eight shows, each featuring 30 participants. From each of these shows, five acts were chosen to advance, culminating in the selection of the 40 semi-finalists. The jurors responsible for selecting these 40 acts included Italian Producer and Music Consultant Domenico 'Mimmo' Paganelli, Eurovision Song Contest 2011 winner Eldar from Azerbaijan, and Head of Media for Cyprus at Eurovision, Andreas Anastasiou.
Upcoming Stages and Grand Final
Following this week's announcements, the 40 selected artists will proceed to compete in two semi-finals, scheduled for March 2 and March 3, 2026. Each semi-final will feature 20 acts, with five from each show qualifying for the grand final. The ultimate winner, who will represent San Marino at Eurovision 2026, will be determined in the final of the San Marino Song Contest 2026 on March 6, 2026. This final event will showcase 20 acts in total: the 10 qualifiers from the Dreaming San Marino Song Contest semi-finals and 10 established artists who will receive direct invitations from San Marino RTV. A five-member jury will be responsible for selecting the winning entry.
Broadcasting and Venue
All stages of the national selection, including the upcoming semi-finals and the grand final, will take place at the Teatro Nuovo in Dogana. Viewers can follow the competition live on San Marino RTV, channel 550, and through Radio San Marino. The contest has attracted significant international interest, with many of the initial 240 participants having prior experience in Eurovision or other national selections, including past Eurovision representatives like Magdalena Tul (Poland 2011) and the duo Maraaya (Slovenia 2015).
4 Comments
Muchacha
Announcing over two days is just milking it. Give us all the names at once!
Mariposa
Too many stages, too much drama. San Marino rarely qualifies anyway.
Bella Ciao
While a multi-stage selection can truly build anticipation and find strong contenders, I'm always a bit wary when the final decision rests solely on a jury. A public vote or a mixed system often feels fairer.
Comandante
Direct invites for 10 artists? That undermines the whole semi-final process.