SANREMO 2026 - DITONELLAPIAGA “How annoying!” between irony, theatricality and authenticity

Ditonellapiaga_IlariaIeie_-2026

With What a nuisance! Ditonellapiaga arrives on the stage of the 2026 Sanremo Festival bringing all its irreverence and theatrical energy.

While waiting for her new album “Miss Italia”, out on April 10, the singer-songwriter talks about her journey of artistic rediscovery, between moments of confusion and the desire to remain true to herself in an often restrictive musical system.

Between creative discussions, surprising collaborations and a live performance that promises to be more than a simple concert, Ditonellapiaga opens the doors to its world, between irony, authenticity and a theatricality that transforms each song into a total experience.

THE INTERVIEW

How do you feel about participating in Sanremo with “Che Fastidio!”?

Strangely very focused. It's not strange to be calm right now; there's a bit of anxiety, but I'm really happy and grateful to have the chance to be on this stage with a song that I didn't expect would make it this far.

Can you tell us about the song and the work on the orchestral arrangement?

It is a piece that was born from a personal outburst, after a discussion with my record managers, which had a positive epilogue.
Carolina Pubbico transformed the piece into a score for orchestra, a very difficult job, because the piece is very electronic.
His interpretation elevates it, takes it away from the original club sound, but enhances its energy.

What is the message of the song?

It talks about alienation, constraints, social rituals and formalities that sometimes are too tight for us. It's a very autonomous song: it lists behaviors and situations that I'm part of, but in an ironic way, a bit like that annoying relative that you love anyway. It is a reflection on the way I experience sociality and the world around me, without arrogance.

Do you ever feel out of place between pop and underground?

Yes, always. Too pop for the underground, too alternative for the mainstream.
Not having a specific home is a difficulty but also a treasure: it allows me to follow a more instinctive and natural approach.
When I chose to build a third road, I had to be very clear in my intentions.

The press report cards have seen you among the most appreciated. How do you experience this attention?

At first I thought it was a short circuit. The song is divisive, and I didn't expect such a positive perception.
I am aware of the expectations that are created, and there is some anxiety, but I did everything possible to take care of the performance and the arrangement. Some songs need to be listened to twice to be fully understood.

In your song there are references to daily annoyances. What are your annoyances?

I'll try to be honest: elevating certain things to higher symbols or values makes no sense. Everyone should respect their own nature. A joking phrase may concern figures who have arrived who knows where, but in the end they are something else, and there is nothing wrong with accepting it. An example? Pilates class or healthy lunch: we all do them to feel better, but while you're doing them you think “why don't I stay at home and watch an episode of Dancing with the Stars?

How much do “tough girls” like you bother you?

My annoyance is already in the name! At the beginning it was a problem: my smiling and cute image didn't go well with a name perceived as repelling, especially for a woman.
I chose not to soften, to keep my name: it's a conscious decision. The project is not polite, but authentic. The album was born from a moment of crisis, of paralysis with respect to other people's expectations, and tells my relationship with myself, my failures and my desires.

What can you tell us about the duet with Tony Pitoni at the Festival?

My journey in Sanremo was all about irreverence and theatricality. Tony is perfect for this: he's ironic, theatrical, and an incredible actor. His voice is sensational, and I wanted a performer who could push me and challenge me artistically. We worked with great complicity and the result will be performative, multifaceted, and in contrast with my competing dance song.

What role will theatricality have in the project?

It's an aspect that I've always wanted to explore and that this time I decided to press on the accelerator. In video clips, in communication and on stage, I want to play with theatricality, make each performance more intense and engaging. I want the audience to have a complete experience, not only musical, but also visual and performative.

What will the album and live performance be like?

Even though it tells of a difficult moment, it is a very energetic record. I chose a straight kick, fast phrasing on energetic songs, because it's the way I express myself most authentically. The tour will be conceived as a theatrical show: I want a transversal performativity, not just singing, but creating a different experience compared to what has been done live up to now. In November I will have the right time to build something special

THE DISC

“Miss Italia”, the new recording project out on Friday 10 April for BMG/Dischi Belli and now available for pre-order. After a moment of musical identity loss, Miss Italia was born as a reaction to the need to stop and question everything in order to find ourselves. The album's creative driving force is the desire to remain true to herself while living within a system that often demands the opposite. Entirely written and composed by Margherita herself – together with Alessandro Casagni who also oversaw the production – and anticipated by the single and videoclip Sì lo so, the new album investigates the relationship with canons, with the perception of others and with the idea of being “right”. And it is precisely here that the biting and irreverent irony of Ditonellapiaga comes into play who, through Miss Italia, finds her jaunty voice and deliberately out of the chorus, just like her name. On electronic sounds and pop-dance nuances, the singer-songwriter explores the cracks of the star system, poking at its myths and its masks, transforming the contradictions of this world into a lucid, ironic and intelligent parody: Ditonellapiaga doesn't point fingers, she teases with curiosity, taking her space between the rules and her ambiguities.

Miss Italia will be available on all digital platforms and in two physical formats: CD and limited edition Collector's Edition transparent pink colored vinyl.