Olly wins the Sanremo Festival 2025.

A Sanremo Festival full of emotions, music and big surprises

Olly is the winner of the Sanremo Festival 2025 with the song “Balorda Nostalgia”. The Sanremo Festival 2025 turned on the lights of the Ariston Theater from February 11 to 15, giving the audience five unforgettable evenings dedicated to music, entertainment and emotions. The 75th edition of the most beloved singing festival in Italy was hosted and artistically directed by Carlo Conti, flanked on the final evening by Alessia Marcuzzi and Alessandro Cattelan.

The 5 finalists in the competition were: Simone Cristicchi, Fedez, Lucio Corsi, Brunori sas, Olly, 

The Winner: Olly – Biography

Born in 2001 in Genoa, son of a lawyer and a magistrate, the young artist spent his childhood in the Foce neighborhood. Since he was a child he has cultivated a visceral passion for music, finding inspiration in international artists such as Post Malone, Young Thug and Roddy Ricch, as well as in the big names of the Italian scene such as Marracash and Tedua. This dedication led him to enroll at the Niccolò Paganini Conservatory in Genoa, where he studied music and singing, completing in the meantime a degree in Economics and Business Management at the University of Milano.

His musical career officially began in 2016, when he formed the Madmut Branco collective, with which he released his first recording project, “Piacere mixtape”. The following year, his solo debut came with the EP “Namaste”, in collaboration with rapper Matsby, which included the single “Chiara Ferragni” with Alfa. After a break of a few years spent in the United Kingdom for his studies, in 2018 he returned to Italy and started publishing music again.

In June 2018 he released the EP “CRY4U” and in September the single “Bla-Bla Car”. 2019 marked a turning point with the single “Il primo amore”, which exceeded 100 thousand views on YouTube in a week. The rise continued in 2020 with the release of the third EP “Io sono”, containing songs such as “Mai e poi mai” and “Winston Blue”.

2021 is the year of the turning point: a reinterpretation of the song “La notte” by Arisa published on Instagram achieves viral success, leading to the official collaboration for “La notte (RMX)”. This exploit earns him the first record deal with Aleph Records for Metatron, distributed by Epic Records for Sony Music. In the same year, the single “Lego” is named artist of the month on MTV New Generation.

In 2022 he performed at the Goa-Boa Festival and opened Blanco's concert in Genoa, before participating in the sixteenth edition of Sanremo Giovani with the song "L'anima balla". Ranking second, he obtained the pass for the Sanremo Festival 2023, where he presented "Polvere", a song that despite finishing twenty-fourth was certified platinum. In the same month he released his first studio album, "Gira, il mondo gira", which reached thirteenth position in the FIMI Album chart and was certified gold.

2023 is a year of great successes: the sold-out indoor tour “Il mondo gira tour” starts, followed by a summer tour in the main Italian cities. In autumn he releases the single “A squarciagola”, followed in March 2024 by “Devastante”, triple platinum, and in June by the song “Ho voglia di te”, in collaboration with Emma and JVLI, certified platinum. In September 2024 “Per due come noi” arrives with Angelina Mango and JVLI, which quickly climbs the Italian charts.

The album “Tutta vita”, released in October 2024, consolidates its success by reaching the first position of the FIMI Album chart and obtaining the platinum record. The first part of the tour “Lo rifarò, lo rifaremo tour” in Italian clubs records sold-out, confirming the affection of the public.

In February 2025, the artist returned to the Ariston stage for the 75th Sanremo Festival with the song “Balorda nostalgia”, which became his second number one in the Top Singles. During the evening of covers, he gave a magical moment duetting with Goran Bregović and His Wedding and Funeral Orchestra, performing “Il pescatore” by Fabrizio De André, a heartfelt tribute to his Genoese roots.

His artistic career, between modern sounds and classical influences, continues to conquer audiences and critics, marking the path of a talent destined to leave an indelible mark on contemporary Italian music.

The Winning Song at Sanremo 2025: “Balorda Nostalgia” by Olly

A final full of twists and turns

The final evening on February 15th opened with a breathtaking performance by DJ Gabry Ponte, who made the entire Ariston dance with the song “Tutta l'Italia”. The atmosphere was immediately warm, ready to host the 29 artists competing in the “Big” section and the 4 emerging talents of the “Nuove Proposte”.

One of the most touching moments of the evening was the Lifetime Achievement Award, given to Antonello Venditti, who thrilled the audience with some of his most iconic songs such as “Ricordati di me” and “Amici mai”. Other guests at the Sanremo 2025 final included footballer Edoardo Bove, actress Vanessa Scalera and – live from the Tuscan Coast – Planet Funk.

Moments of spectacle and reflection

The Festival was not just about music: the second night saw supermodel Bianca Balti take the stage as co-host, sharing her personal battle with cancer and proudly showing the scars from the operations she underwent. A message of strength and resilience that deeply affected the audience at home and in the theater.

The cover night also left its mark, with Fedez performing “Bella Stronza” by Marco Masini, dividing the audience between enthusiasm and controversy.

A winner for Eurovision

The competition continued until late at night, with the announcement of the winner, Olly. The winner of the Festival will now have the honor of representing Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2025, an international stage that every year celebrates the best of European music.

Second place Sanremo 2025: Lucio Corsi with the song “Volevo essere un duro”

Third place Sanremo 2025: Brunori Sas with the song “L'albero delle noci”

Where to watch the Festival again

For those who missed the final or wish to relive the most exciting moments of the Festival, the entire event is available for streaming on the RaiPlay platform, allowing fans to sing, dream and be moved once again.

The 29 contestants competing in Sanremo 2025:

1 Achille Lauro – Unconscious Youth

2 Serena Brancale – Heart and Soul

3 Bresh – The Crab's Lair

4 Brunori Sas – The Walnut Tree

5 Clara – Fever

6 Coma_Cose – Little Hearts

7 Lucio Corsi – I Wanted to Be Tough

8 Simone Cristicchi – When you're little

9 Elodie – Forgetting at 7

10 Fedez – Beat

11 Francesco Gabbani- Long live life

12 Gaia – I call, you call

13 Giorgia – The cure for me

14 Irama – Slowly

15 Marcella Bella – Diamond Skin

16 Francesca Michielin – Mud in Paradise

17 Modà – I won't forget you

18 Noemi – If you fall in love you die

19 Olly – Silly nostalgia

20 Massimo Ranieri – A heart in my hands

21 Rkomi – The Rhythm of Things

22 Rocco Hunt – A Thousand Votes Again

23 Rose Villain – Outlaw

24 Sarah Toscano – Amarcord

25 Shablo feat Guè, Joshua and Tormento – My word

26 Joan Thiele – Echo

27 The Kolors – Who do you make love to?

28 Tony Effe – Give me your hand

29 Willie Peyote – Thanks But No Thanks

The Sanremo Festival 2025 has once again confirmed its role as a central event in Italian musical culture, capable of uniting different generations under the banner of good music and sincere emotions.