Historic turning point for Italy’s most iconic music festival: Sanremo 2027 draws a line on generative AI

New regulation accepts the requests put forward by Italian body FIMI, keeping songs in competition firmly in the hands of human authors and artists

For the first time in its history, the iconic Sanremo Music Festival – cornerstone of Italian musical tradition since 1951 – has written explicit limits on generative AI into its rules. Under the regulation for its 77^th edition coming on mid-February 2027, lyrics and music must be the exclusive result of human creativy, excluding AI systems that could replace or distort the primary human contribution as request by Italian body FIMI – Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana, the Italian national group of IFPI represents the Italian recording industry.

Sanremo Music Festival is an authority among the music sector: broadcast live by Rai over five evenings, the 2026 edition reached an average of just over 10 million viewers and a 63% share across the five nights, with the final night drawing 11 million viewers and a 68.8% share while in terms of total reach it achieved an extraordinary amount of 86% of the Italian population. The 77^th edition will take place under the artistic direction of Stefano De Martino, with 24 songs in competition not yet disclosed. The decision made by Italy’s most important music event (also the model that inspired the Eurovision Song Contest) marks a significant watershed in the history of musical events, acknowledging the pervasiveness of the new technology which – if misused – jeopardizes human artists and their copyright and personality rights.

The Festival’s position is consistent with the principles FIMI adopted in July 2026 for AI-developed recordings in the Top of the Music by FIMI/NIQ, according to which a recording developed with generative AI can enter the charts only if the AI service used is duly authorised and lawful, the track is substantially created by a human being, and it raises no concerns about streaming or chart manipulation. The Sanremo rules will apply the same distinction between responsible innovation and the replacement of human creativity.

Enzo Mazza, FIMI CEO, salutes the decision by affirming that “This decision is an historic milestone and we are delighted that our requests have been accepted by the Italian broadcaster. We don’t demonize GenAI: it can be a valuable creative tool when used responsibly and with respect for creators’ rights, but it must never replace human creativity: Rai’s position sends a clear and important message to the entire ecosystem about the future of music.”