Sanremo attracts over 11 mn viewers on first night

(ANSA) - ROME, MAR 3 - The 2021 Sanremo Music Festival got off to a decent start on Tuesday, despite there being no audience in the Ligurian city's Ariston theatre due to COVID-19 rules, attracting 11.176 million viewers to State broadcaster RAI's Rai1 channel on its opening night, 46.4%, of the overall TV audience share.
    Last year the much-loved festival pulled in 12.48 million viewers on the opening night, 51.2% of the share.
    The festival, which runs until Saturday, revolves around a best-song competition.
    The winner gets to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest.
    The annual music extravaganza usually takes place in February but has been pushed back this year due to the pandemic.
    One of the highlights of the opening night was an appearance by AC Milan forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
    Laura Pausini, who won the best original song prize at the Golden Globes on Sunday for 'Io Si' from in The Life Ahead, Sophia Loren's latest film directed by her son Edoardo Ponti, is one of the guests of honour on Wednesday.
    She is one of many Italian artists whose careers were launched by the festival. (ANSA).