Security was tight in Sanremo on Monday, the day before the opening of the 66th edition of the televised song festival at the Ariston theatre in the Ligurian coastal town on Tuesday.
Local police commissioner Leopoldo Laricchia said controls had been stepped up "in line with the terrorism alert across Europe", with the deployment of explosive detection dogs, police agents carrying metal detectors and anti-terrorism squads and the introduction of a no-fly zone. Meanwhile there was growing anticipation over the scheduled appearance of British singer-songwriter Sir Elton John on Tuesday evening.
The participation of the gay rights activist and icon who has two children with his spouse David Furnish comes amid heated debate in Italy over a bill introducing civil unions for same-sex couples that is currently before the Senate, and which includes provisions for stepchild adoption, or the adoption by one partner in a civil union of the other partner's biological child.
Sanremo presenter and artistic director Carlo Conti played down his presence, saying he had been invited as a "musical guest" in September 2015, before the controversy over the civil unions bill broke out.
All eyes will also be on co-presenter Gabriel Garko on Tuesday, after the Italian television actor suffered mild injuries in an explosion at a Sanremo villa last week that left one elderly woman dead. On Thursday doctors said Garko was fit enough to participate in the five-day prime time television bonanza. However, Conti said Sunday that the actor and sex symbol was "notably shaken" by what had happened but that he was "keeping (it) inside".
Meanwhile it emerged that Belgian DJ and music producer Lost Frequencies would be among the festival guests, along with Nicole Kidman, Ellie Goulding, Maitre Gims, Hozier, J Balvin, Roberto Bolle, Laura Pausini, Eros Ramazzotti, i Pooh, Elisa and Renato Zero.
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