Sal Da Vinci

Sal Da Vinci, born Salvatore Michael Sorrentino, is the singer and actor who will represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 with “Per sempre sì”. He won Festival di Sanremo 2026 and returned to the Eurovision spotlight after a very long career in music, theatre, film and television. He was born in New York in 1969 during one of his father Mario Da Vinci’s tours, but he grew up in Naples and built his career there. Today, many people know him because of Sanremo. However, his story started much earlier, when he was still a child.

Early years in theatre and film

Sal Da Vinci entered show business very young. He made his stage debut at the age of seven and worked next to important names from Italian cinema and theatre. During the 1980s, he also appeared on screen. In 1984, he starred in the film Il Motorino. Three years later, he acted in Troppo Forte with Carlo Verdone and Alberto Sordi. Even so, music soon became the center of his artistic life. That choice shaped the rest of his career and gave him a clear direction as both a singer and performer.

Music breakthrough in the 1990s

During the 1990s, Sal Da Vinci changed from a young performer into an established recording artist. In 1994, he won Canale 5’s Festival Italiano with “Vera”. The song opened new doors for him. Moreover, Marcos Llunas later turned it into the Latin American hit “Vida”. In the same period, Sal built his early album catalogue with Sal Da Vinci in 1994, Un po’ di noi in 1996 and Solo in 1998. So, by the end of the decade, he already had a clear place in Italian popular music.

Theatre success and Sanremo 2009

After that, Sal Da Vinci became even stronger on stage. From 2002 to 2006, he played the leading role in the musical C’era una volta… Scugnizzi. The production won the ETI award for best musical in 2003. At the same time, he kept recording. He released albums such as Anime napoletane in 2005 and Canto per amore in 2008. Then came a major national moment in 2009. Sal entered Festival di Sanremo with “Non riesco a farti innamorare” and finished in third place. Soon after, he released the album with the same title.

Albums, collaborations and stage work in the 2010s

Sal Da Vinci stayed busy in the 2010s. He released Il mercante di stelle in 2010, È così che gira il mondo in 2012, Se amore è in 2014, Non si fanno prigionieri in 2016 and the compilation Sinfonie in Sal Maggiore in 2018. He also worked with well-known artists. On Se amore è, he collaborated with Gaetano Curreri, Clementino, Ornella Vanoni and Gigi D’Alessio. Later, he worked with Renato Zero on Non si fanno prigionieri and sang a duet with him on “Singoli”. At the same time, theatre stayed important. He led shows such as Stelle a metà, Italiano di Napoli and, in 2019, La fabbrica dei sogni.

Rossetto e caffè and a new peak

In the 2020s, Sal Da Vinci reached a new generation. He released Siamo gocce di mare in 2021, but his biggest recent turning point came in June 2024 with “Rossetto e caffè”. The single became a major hit and one of the most-streamed songs of 2024. It also earned double platinum status. In 2025, he brought the song to the Sanremo stage with The Kolors during the cover night. Meanwhile, he kept moving forward. He released the December 2024 single “Non è vero che sto bene” and led the show Stasera… che sera!. Then he played a major Piazza del Plebiscito concert in September 2025 and opened the new Teatro Augusteo production Dalla parte del cuore in December 2025.

Sal Da Vinci at Eurovision 2026

Now Sal Da Vinci stands at another high point. In February 2026, he returned to Sanremo as a competitor with “Per sempre sì”. He won the festival and accepted the chance to represent Italy at Eurovision 2026 in Vienna.