Who is Sal Da Vinci? Meet Italy's Eurovision 2026 entry

With a career spanning over 40 years, Sal Da Vinci has his sights set on taking home the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 trophy.

The Neapolitan artists is one of the best known artists in Italy and he'll be hoping he has what it takes to impress Europe and everyone else watching from home with his ballad.

Over the 70-year span of Eurovision, Italy has won the song contest three times, most recently in 2021 when Måneskin were crowned the champions and went on to achieve international acclaim.

Just last year, Italy came in fifth place, so Sal has some pretty big shoes to fill. As we wait to see how Italy fares in the competition, here's everything you need to know about Sal Da Vinci.

Who is Italy Eurovision 2026 entry Sal Da Vinci?

Instagram: @saldavinciofficial

TikTok: @saldavinci

Sal Da Vinci is a singer, songwriter and actor who first debuted on the music scene in the late '70s in a duet with his father, famous singer Mario Da Vinci.

Sal had his stage debut when he was seven years old, but it was his immense love for music that saw him pivot his focus.

In the early '90s, Sal won the Canale 5 Italian Music Festival with the song Vera, which became hugely popular in Latin America.

In 2024, Sal released his most successful song to date, Rossetto e Caffè, which has achieved over 450 million plays across all digital platforms and was one of the most streamed songs of the year.

How old is Sal Da Vinci?

Sal Da Vinci is 57 years old.

What nationality is Sal Da Vinci?

Sal Da Vinci is Italian and grew up in Naples.

What has Sal Da Vinci said about representing Italy at Eurovision 2026?

Upon winning San Remo, Italy's competition to select its Eurovision entry, Sal said: "I dedicate my victory to Naples, my city, and to my family."

At the time, Sal didn't confirm if he'd be taking part in Eurovision, but since its confirmation he has shared many posts on social media, sharing his excitement for the song contest.

What is Italy's Eurovision 2026 song called?

Sal Da Vinci will be representing Italy in Eurovision with the song Per Sempre Sì.

Where did Italy come in the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest?

Italy finished in fifth place at the 2025 Eurovision Song Contest with Lucio Corsi, earning a total of 256 points.

The Eurovision Song Contest has faced significant criticism over its decision to allow Israel to take part in the event due to the ongoing war in Gaza.

This year, a number of countries will boycott the contest following the European Broadcasting Union’s decision not to expel Israel from the competition.

At the EBU general assembly in December 2025, a vote was held to introduce new rules that would stop governments and third parties from disproportionately promoting songs to influence voters. No vote was held on Israel’s participation.

The EBU said in a statement: "A large majority of members agreed that there was no need for a further vote on participation and that the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 should proceed as planned, with the additional safeguards in place."

Following this, Ireland, Spain, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Iceland confirmed they would not participate in this year’s Eurovision.

Irish broadcaster RTÉ said: "RTÉ feels that Ireland’s participation remains unconscionable given the appalling loss of lives in Gaza and the humanitarian crisis there, which continues to put the lives of so many civilians at risk."

The BBC, which broadcasts the competition in the UK, has said it supports the decision made by the EBU. "This is about enforcing the rules of the EBU and being inclusive," it said in a statement.

The Eurovision Song Contest 2026 final will take place on Saturday 16 May 2026.

You can also check out the full list of Eurovision winners and how many times the UK has won Eurovision.

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