Sanremo, for Mazzariello, is not a showcase but a field of emotional tension. With Manifestation of lovethe singer-songwriter lands among the New Proposals of the 2026 Festival bringing a writing that shuns emphasis and prefers the sincere, almost nervous, exposition of feelings.
Between waiting, productive anxiety and the desire to remain faithful to the pleasure of making music, Mazzariello recounts a relationship with the Festival experienced as a collective ritual rather than a competition, and looks beyond the Ariston with a clear objective: to return to live, where music stops being content and returns to becoming a real experience.
INTERVIEW
How are you living these days of waiting?
I experience them as a sort of continuous euphoria, in the brightest sense of the term. It's a cocktail of strong emotions, adrenaline, happiness. I feel extremely lucky, like all the artists who participate. We are doing something beautiful in a complex historical moment, and this carries enormous weight. There is also the pressure, the anxiety, the media attention, but thank goodness they are there: without it, I would worry. Anxiety, after all, helps me stay focused.
Are you rehearsing the song a lot in view of the Festival?
Yes, I'm trying it, but I try not to get obsessive. “Demonstration of love” must remain a place of pleasure, not of maniacal control. Obsession takes away the fun, and I want to arrive at Sanremo with energy, not with rigidity.
Is there anything that really scares you?
Potentially everything. But it is useless to list the fears one by one. If you start thinking about it too much, you get stuck. Even seemingly stupid things, like the famous Ariston stairs: when they become a narrative, you risk forgetting even how to walk. I prefer to get there and see what happens, without anticipating panic.
What relationship have you had with Sanremo in past years?
I always watched it with friends and family, especially during high school. I madly love the fact that in Italy there is only one moment in which music becomes truly collective, almost like the World Cup or the European Championships. For a week, with all the contradictions of the case – from looks to controversies – the focus on music is total. This chorality is unique, and it is something that I defend a lot.
Last year you were in Sanremo as a spectator. What impression did experiencing it up close make you?
It was beautiful. Seeing so many people move physically, actively, for the music is something that stays with you. Sanremo is not just television: it is a city that vibrates around songs.
Will there be parallel projects or activities during the Festival?
Yes, the days will be very full. We are organizing various things related to music, I can't go into details, but I will be around a lot. Let's say I won't go unnoticed.
Looking beyond Sanremo, are you already working on new music?
There are already many songs: some finished, others to be refined. We're figuring out how and when to let them out. But the thing I really want, regardless of everything, is to play. Doing concerts, being out and about. I make music for live, because music really only exists there, in the air, not on platforms.
Do you have any favorites among this year's Bigs?
I'm very curious about Sayf, I find him really strong. And then Tredici Pietro is a friend!
ABOUT
Mazzariello was born with Antonio: being his surname, one has never separated from the other. He writes his songs starting from the guitar, sometimes on the piano, but he has always been fascinated by words. After publishing his first songs in 2021, with “Pubblicità Progresso” he gets the cover of Spotify's Indie School and lays the foundations to establish himself as one of the most promising young singer-songwriters on the emerging Italian scene. The entry into the Futura Dischi roster in 2022 is celebrated with the inclusion in the soundtrack of Summertime 3, Netflix's generational TV series, and with the release of the new singles Chissà and Vertigini.
After his first live experiences during the summer of 2022, he released the singles “non call me love” and “bambini per semper” in collaboration with Altea, both anticipating his first EP “office lost objects”, taken on a mini acoustic tour in the main Italian cities between February and March 2023 and a summer tour.
At the beginning of 2024 he returns with “Antisommossa” (Futura Dischi/Epic Records Italy) EP with which he has the opportunity to perform at May 1st 2024 and some of the most important Italian festivals. One single after another Mazzariello is demonstrating his ability to build an evocative and colorful world with music, giving a voice to life and its emotions, whether positive or negative, in an extremely intimate and personal way.
After performing at the Concertone del Primo Maggio in Rome at the Circo Massimo and having taken his new EP around Italy on a summer tour that saw him tread the stages of the most evocative festivals, he arrives at Sanremo Giovani 2024 with “AMARSI PER LAVORO”. In April he released the single “NOSTALGIA & KARAOKE”, followed in June by “FOR A MILLION EURO”.
In April he released the single “NOSTALGIA & KARAOKE”, followed in June by “PER UN MILLION DI EURO” (Futura Dischi/Epic Records Italy), songs brought live in Nostalgia & Karaoke (Summer Tour) on the stages of the main Italian festivals.
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