Il Festival dello Spettacolo

A new and unmissable edition of Il Festival dello Spettacolo is scheduled for autumn 2026 in Milan: a long weekend, from Friday 6 to Sunday 8 November, that will bring an outstanding line-up and exclusive events to Superstudio Più at Via Tortona 27. Il Festival dello Spettacolo further strengthens its position, following the highly successful first edition in October 2025 which recorded over 15,000 attendees, as a key reference point for the entertainment industry: three immersive days combining live shows, educational experiences, film and television previews, meet & greets, showcases and talks designed to engage all fans of TV, music and cinema.

Born from the idea of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, the reference brand in the entertainment world, this eagerly awaited second edition of the Festival will take place on three main stages where each meeting will provide the opportunity to experience unique moments with the audience through games, interactions, and meetings with the artists. This year introduces several major new features: SORRISI LAB, a new educational area dedicated to film and music contests, as well as workshops and masterclasses led by some of the biggest names in the industry; a large experience area for the public; and a food area open throughout the festival. Many prominent guests have already confirmed their attendance, including Carlo Conti, Antonella Clerici, Marco Liorni, Nino Frassica, the Gialappa’s Band, Gianluca Gazzoli and the casts of the beloved drama series Il Paradiso delle Signore and the record-breaking Italian soap Un Posto al Sole.

Each day, Il Festival dello Spettacolo will offer a continuous programme of events featuring some of the most popular artists and personalities in entertainment. With an increasingly comprehensive and integrated offering, the Festival also becomes a vibrant creative hub where emerging talents, industry professionals and enthusiasts can meet, learn and create new opportunities within the entertainment world.

Aldo Vitali, Editor-in-Chief of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, commented: “Following the success of the first edition, the Festival returns with the aim of consolidating a project born from the desire to bring Sorrisi from the magazine pages to the stage, creating a space where audiences can meet their favourite artists in person. Our hope for this new edition is that people will once again participate with the same enthusiasm, confirming a dream that continues to grow and take shape. My sincere thanks go to the artists who will choose to be part of this second edition and to the audience who, with affection and curiosity, continue to support us.”

The official opening of Il Festival dello Spettacolo is scheduled for Friday 6 November at 12:00 pm with a special inauguration ceremony. On the following days, visitors will be able to enter from 10:00 am.  On all festival days, visitors will be able to enter at any time during the day until the gates close at 9:00 pm. Tickets are available through the official partner Ticketmaster. R101 is the Official Radio Partner of Il Festival dello Spettacolo.

From today, a new journey begins, with regular special announcements to follow, including the first guest appearances and artists in the line-up. These will be revealed via the Festival’s official social media channels and those of Sorrisi, as well as on the official websiteIlFestivalDelloSpettacolo.it.

VERTICAL MUSIC CONTEST

On the occasion of the Festival, the Vertical Music Contest returns for its third edition, introducing important new features. The multimedia project, developed in collaboration with Interproject, is designed to give emerging artists the opportunity to showcase their original songs through vertical videos, the native format of social media platforms. Applications will open on Tuesday 28 April and will be accepted until 15 September. From 16 September to 15 October, all submitted original tracks will be published online, allowing the public to vote for their favourite artist and help secure their place on the Festival stage for the grand final of the Vertical Music Contest 2026.

The remaining finalists will be selected by a distinguished jury composed of representatives from Ticketmaster, TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, ADA Music Italy, FIMI, the Italian Music Industry Federation, and Assomusica. The winner will be awarded a distribution contract with ADA Music Italy, confirming the contest as an important gateway into the professional music industry.

THE CINEMATOGRAPHIC COMPETITION OF THE IL FESTIVAL DELLO SPETTACOLO

A major new feature of this edition is Il Concorso Cinematografico de Il Festival Dello Spettacolo, a film competition which will officially open on Tuesday 28 April. The competition is open to creators of short films, feature-length films and documentaries and is divided into three categories: FRAME STORIES (short films), OPERA NEXT (feature films), DOCU HORIZON (documentaries). All submitted works will be assessed by a jury, which will select the overall winner to receive the SORRISI AWARD. Entries must be submitted via the FilmFreeway platform by 30 September. Full information and regulations will be available on the official Festival website and on FilmFreeway. For specific enquiries, the dedicated email address: concorsi@ilfestivaldellospettacolo.it.

MONDADORI ACADEMY

This year, Il Festival dello Spettacolo also becomes an important opportunity for professional development. Alongside the music and film contests, an extensive training programme has been developed in collaboration with Mondadori Academy, expanding its offering to include digital courses dedicated to cinema, music and television. Each course is structured into five modules, each focusing on a specific discipline within its field. Every module includes video lessons and practical exercises, led by leading industry professionals who will share valuable first-hand insights and experience. The cinema courses are already available on the Mondadori Academy platform (insert link).

During the Festival, the educational programme will come to life within the SORRISI LAB, through a schedule of masterclasses and workshops offering audiences an introductory overview of the subjects covered in the online courses, creating a direct bridge between live experience and in-depth digital learning.

TICKETS

Tickets for Il Festival dello Spettacolo can be purchased on the Ticketmaster website, the global leader in live event ticketing and the Festival’s exclusive official ticketing partner. Admission to the Festival is ticketed, with free entry for children up to the age of three. From today, tickets are available with a special Early Bird offer. Full details are available on Ticketmaster and on the Festival’s official website.

 

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TV Sorrisi e Canzoni part of the Mondadori Group, is the leading brand for television and entertainment enthusiasts, reaching 2.6 million readers each month, source Audipress 2025/I, 4.1 million website users, source Audiweb April 2025, and 1.15 million social media followers across Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, X and YouTube, thanks to a fully integrated multi-channel system spanning print, digital, social media, live events and branded products. 

R101 owned by RadioMediaset, Italy’s leading national radio group by audience figures, which also includes Radio 105, Virgin Radio, Radio Monte Carlo, Radio Subasio and Radio Norba, is the family radio station, warm, welcoming and inclusive, where entertainment is not simply diversion but a constant invitation to feel part of a vibrant community. Renowned for its musical authority, R101 plays the most beautiful Italian and international songs, past and present. The R101 ecosystem represents a fully integrated platform centred on music and entertainment, engaging audiences across multiple touchpoints including radio, TV channel 67 on digital terrestrial, digital platforms, social media and live events.

Superstudio Plus, located in the heart of Milan’s Tortona District, is the flagship venue of Superstudio Events. It was here that Milan Design Week began, and for 25 years its 10,000 square metres have hosted major events in design, fashion and culture, making it an essential destination for international brands and audiences. A leading name in Milan’s events industry, Superstudio Events hosts over 200 events each year and welcomes more than 800,000 visitors across its four venues, totalling over 33,000 square metres, including conventions, conferences, fashion shows, trade fairs and gala dinners.

Ticketmaster is the world’s leading ticket seller for live events, handling over 500 million transactions per year in more than 39 countries. With exclusive partnerships with thousands of venues, artists, sports leagues, art and theatre tours, it brings unparalleled live experiences to millions of fans at the biggest events around the world. It is part of Live Nation Entertainment. All scheduled events and activities can be found on the ticketmaster.itwebsite.

The first edition of Il Festival dello Spettacolo, the first event in Italy and Europe entirely dedicated to all facets of entertainment, concluded on Sunday with resounding success. From Friday, October 24^th, to Sunday, October 26^th, from 10 a.m. until midnight, the Superstudio Più in Via Tortona 27, Milan, hosted three immersive days featuring exclusive interviews, masterclasses and workshops, film premieres, showcases and musicals, show cookings, and book signings. Over the weekend, the Festival attracted 15,000 visitors, with more than 300 guests, 160 shows, 3 evenings of live music performances, and 22 Telegatti awarded.

Created by TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, Il Festival dello Spettacolo brought together television, series, cinema, music, sports, food, and kids’ entertainment in a non-stop program designed for all ages.

Among the many unforgettable moments across the event’s seven stages: Fiorello’s spectacular show with a surprise appearance by Fabrizio Biggio; Carlo Conti sharing exclusive previews of the upcoming Sanremo Festival and his on-stage meeting with Stefano De Martino; the ribbon-cutting ceremony with Gerry Scotti opening the Festival; Lorella Cuccarini celebrating her 40-year career and dancing La Notte Vola with fans; Marco Liorni playing L’Eredità’s iconic “Ghigliottina” with the audience; Rettore leading a massive karaoke on her greatest hits; the Bake Off Italia – Dolci in Forno cast baking alongside visitors; packed sessions with the casts of Call My Agent – Italia, Nord, Sud, Ovest Est.  La leggendaria storia degli 883, Un Professore, Un Posto Al Sole, and Il Paradiso delle Signore which displayed some of its priceless costumes for three days; the highly anticipated reunion of I Cesaroni; Andrea Lucchetta teaching children the rules of volleyball; the castings and show of Lo Zecchino d’Oro; tips from the cast of Casa a Prima Vista on buying a home; fans lining up for the signing session with Hazel Riley, Fabio Caressa and Benedetta Parodi playing games with audience members to present L’amore è cieco: Italia;  the enchantment continued with Winx – Winx Club: The Magic is Back show; with the special screening of Fuori la verità and a live appearance from its cast — Claudio Amendola, Claudia Gerini, Leo Gassmann, Lorenzo Richelmy and Eleonora Gaggero; Marco D’Amore took the stage to present Gomorra – Le Origini, while Sarah Toscano, Levante, Emma, and Clementino (who performed among the crowd) headlined electrifying showcases; the lineup also featured Irama, Gigi D’Alessio, Rovazzi, and Rocco Hunt, in collaboration with Radio 105, along with a live commentary session featuring Alberto Rimedio, Lele Adani, and Alessandro Antinelli; Federico Ferri, Director of SkySport, announced an exclusive upcoming interview with Jannik Sinner; while Michele Dalai and Massimo Ambrosini shared stories from the world of sport; the iconic Domenica Sportiva was celebrated on stage by Ciccio Graziani, Paolo Petrecca, Marco Lollobrigida, Laura Barth, and Lele Adani. Throughout the weekend, audiences had the chance to meet some of the biggest names in Italian entertainment: Fabio Fazio and Luciana Littizzetto, Michelle Hunziker, Renato Zero, Giorgia, Emma, Il Volo, Carolina Benvenga, Paola Perego, Giorgio Panariello, Simona Ventura, Stefano Accorsi, Roberto Bolle, Diego Abatantuono, Virginia Raffaele, Pio e Amedeo, Elena Sofia Ricci, Cristina D’Avena, the Gialappa’s Band and Mago Forest, Serena Bortone, Giovanni Allevi, Max Angioni, Gabriele Corsi, Tiberio Timperi, Max Giusti, Pierpaolo Spollon, Nino Frassica, Massimiliano Ossini and Daniela Ferolla, Andrea Iannone, and Filippo Tortu.

Festivalgoers brought boundless energy and emotion to every event, becoming the true stars of the weekend — greeting artists, taking selfies, and even participating in the Telegatti award presentations. The iconic yellow, blue, and fuchsia statuettes, displayed in special glass cases, were sometimes handed directly to winners by fans in the audience.
Among this year’s Telegatti recipients were Fiorello and Fabrizio Biggio, Carlo Conti, Gerry Scotti, Giorgia, Michelle Hunziker, Fabio Fazio and Luciana Littizzetto, Mara Maionchi, Roberto Bolle, Alfa, Salvatore Esposito, Benedetta Rossi, Lorella Cuccarini, Stefano De Martino, Irama, Renato Zero, Gigi D’Alessio, and Stefano Accorsi. 

Unforgettable memories from a spectacular weekend, and a promise to return in 2026 with even more magic!  Aldo Vitali, Editor-in-Chief of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, summed it up:

“This Festival was born from the dream of bringing Sorrisi from the magazine to the stage, creating a space where the audience could truly meet their favorite artists. Seeing 15,000 people join us with such enthusiasm showed that dream had come true. We experienced three extraordinary days filled with stories, laughter, music, and surprises, and plenty of Telegatti! I want to thank all the artists who believed in us, and the audience who supported us with affection and curiosity. Il Festival dello Spettacolo doesn’t stop here: we’ll see you in 2026, once again together, to celebrate the magic of entertainment.”

BOOM ON SOCIAL MEDIA

Huge success also on Instagram and TikTok, with over 200 dedicated posts shared in just three days of the Festival, reaching nearly 4 million users and generating 9 million video views. Promotional content in the weeks leading up to the event reached more than 15 million users. Outstanding performance on TikTok – the official entertainment partner of Il Festival dello Spettacolo – where millennials (under 34) made up 73% of the audience, compared to an average of 50% across all social platforms. The Festival’s dedicated pages on Sorrisi website (ilfestivaldellospettacolo.it) and Ticketmaster, the Festival’s official ticketing platform, recorded over 200,000 visitors during the event (sources:  Google Analytics, Meta, and TikTok Insights).

THE WINNER OF THE VERTICAL MUSIC CONTEST

During Il Festival Dello Spettacolo, the winner of the Vertical Music Contest was announced. A multimedia project created in collaboration with Interproject, designed to give emerging artists the opportunity to showcase their original songs through vertical videos, the format of social media. The jury inlcuded Assomusica, Ada Music Italy, a division of Warner Music Italy, FIMI – Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. The artist GABRIELE won a distribution contract for his unreleased track with ADA Music Italy, while the Critics’ Award, presented by TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, went to SEDONA.

All the highlights of Il Festival dello Spettacolo can be relived on the official Instagram channel, across all social media platforms, on the TV Sorrisi e Canzoni website, and in the special issue of Sorrisi, available at newsstands from Tuesday, October 28.

VIDEOS FROM THE MOST EXCITING MOMENTS OF THE THREE-DAY FESTIVAL

Friday 24^th, Saturday 25^th, Sunday 26^th October.

 

PARTNERS

Radio 105 was present throughout the three days of the event with a glass box studio next to the main stage, broadcasting live some of its most popular shows: 105 Friends with Tony & Ross, 105 Take Away with Daniele Battaglia and Camilla Ghini, 105 Music & Cars with Dario Spada and Fabiola, Tutto Bene a 105 with Linda Pani, Dario Micolani and Edoardo Mecca, 105 Village with Manola Moslehi, Open Club with Bryan Ronzani, and finally 105 Après-ski, the new show hosted by Niccolò Torielli.

SIAE – the Italian Society of Authors and Publishers and Ticketmaster (the Festival’s official ticketing platform) were also partners of this major project, which brought together leading players from the worlds of TV, cinema, streaming, and music including RAI, Mediaset, Sky, Netflix, Warner Bros. Discovery, Medusa, Disney+, Rainbow, Zero Distribution, and many others.

Lavoratti 1938, the historic artisanal chocolate maker founded in Varazze in 1938, delighted visitors with a corner shop offering sweet tastings of its fine chocolates and gifting special goodie bags to all Festival guests.

A key role in enriching the Festival dello Spettacolo program was played by the partners brought on board by Piemme, the exclusive advertising concessionaire of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni and the Mondadori Media brands. Together they created a series of tailor-made activations designed to offer exclusive and engaging experiences.

• Mutti achieved extraordinary public success in the Living Area, winning over visitors with a surprise brand experience: twice a day, the brand served delicious plates of tomato pasta, without revealing which product had been used. Only after finishing their meal did participants discover a message at the bottom of the plate revealing the secret ingredient, breaking down preconceptions about ready-made sauces. The experience carried a clear message: “Since 1899, you’ve cooked with us. Today, we cook for you.”
• KIKO Milano brought its beauty energy to the heart of the Festival with an open glass box in The Stage area, where hundreds of visitors enjoyed free make-up sessions. Behind the scenes, six dedicated stations took care of the looks of artists and guests, making the brand a star both onstage and backstage.
• Grotte di Frasassi amazed visitors with an immersive VR experience, allowing them to explore the stunning underground world of the Marche region’s cave complex through Oculus Quest 2 headsets, from the tourist paths to areas usually accessible only to expert speleologists.
• The Sport Area, powered by Fastweb + Vodafone, hosted talks and meetings with leading figures from the world of sports, offering the public moments of inspiration and exchange.
• To complete the Festival’s visual storytelling, Enel and ITA Airways animated the spaces with institutional video spots displayed on large screens throughout the venue.
  A combination of engaging, personalized experiences made Il Festival dello Spettacolo a vibrant, dynamic event deeply connected to its audience.

Once again, ActionAid was the official charity partner of TV Sorrisi e Canzoni, continuing the collaboration that began in Sanremo. The partnership shines a spotlight on the right to education for girls, ensuring that — wherever they are born — they can fulfill their dreams and live free from violence and discrimination. ActionAid also hosted the talk “Voices from Tanzania with ActionAid: when education becomes freedom,” sharing with the audience their July field mission to Tanzania carried out with Sorrisi.