Just over 10 million viewers tuned in for the opening night of Sanremo, according to state broadcaster Rai, which airs the festival. That gave it a 49.5 percent audience share, which despite being almost half of all TV viewers was actually around 1 million fewer than last year's opening night, which attracted 52.1 percent of the audience. READ ALSO: Everything you need to know about the Sanremo Music Festival, Italy's answer to EurovisionThe music competition, which this year runs from February 5th-9th, was first created as a vehicle to boost Italy's post-war economy and its cultural exports. It also served as the inspiration for the Eurovision Song Contest, which launched five years after the first Sanremo. L'esibizione di Andrea Bocelli e Claudio Baglioni di "Il Mare Calmo della Sera" al 69° Festival di Sanremo è ora disponibile su https://t.co/Q3zu2FhdQG#Sanremo2019@SanremoRai @RaiUno @ClaudioBaglioni pic.twitter.com/LvpiZwjFVg — Andrea Bocelli (@AndreaBocelli) February 5, 2019There were also less traditional – and non-Italian – performances, including a mash-up of the musicals Sister Act, Mary Poppins and Bohemian Rhapsody.

Source: The Local February 06, 2019 11:26 UTC