TOthe first evening of Sanremo 76 the dominant sound, behind the scenes, seems to be that of hairdryers and setting sprays. In the backstage of the Ariston Theatre, collective rites are officiated between curling irons, strokes of brushes and clouds of hairspray that seem like irrevocable decisions. From Arisa to Elettra Lamborghini the waves are the opening stylistic feature of this edition.
The epic and inimitable beauty looks of the Festival in the Eighties and Nineties are light years away. Here every reflection is HD-friendly, every curve is tested under front light and backlight. The glamor of today is coordinated, coherent and endlessly replicable.
Arisa’s retro curl
The 43-year-old singer chooses the full brunette, shiny and compact, with an arched side tuft and large and structured curls that caress the face – and the collarbones – gently. The result is a retro grammar, reinterpreted in a contemporary key. Elegant but decisive, precise but with sufficient movement so as not to appear packed.
It’s a look designed for the foreground (and of course Instagram), with everything else destined to become the background. The choice of clothes, strictly white for the moment, amplifies the effect. The light falls on the waves as if they were the only indispensable accessory, while Des Phemmes’ white dress acts as a neutral canvas. Every reflection, every curve of the hair is also enhanced in the light and measured movements typical of his intense singing performances.
The permanent summer of Elettra Lamborghini
The singer from Bologna (32 years old in May) brings international commercial lengths to the Ariston stage. Shiny, almost frisé waveswith thatsemi-wet effect which smells of salt all year round. The root remains soft, the lengths open in wide zig-zags, calibrated ad hoc to express its instinctive and bubbly character.
Sanremo, 24 February 2026. Elettra Lamborghini on stage at the Ariston Theatre. (Photo by Daniele Venturelli/Getty Images)
The idea is of a beauty look from just getting out of the wateractually with extreme control. Everything shines, but with measure. It is sensual glamour, studied down to the millimetre, where even imperfection is planned.
The (modern) golden helmet by Mara Sattei
The 30-year-old Roman plays the card of worn golden bobwith a longer asymmetrical side on the front. The hairstyle is architectural enough to give structure to the face and look. With the full color featuring micro regrowth, which adds depth and modernity.
Sanremo, 76th Italian Song Festival – First Evening In the photo Mara Sattei. (IPA Photo)
Last but not least, it matte and voluminous styling it delicately frames the precious necklace. The waves here serve to give three-dimensionality, to let the cut breathe without theatrical excesses. In deliberate contrast with the corseted and draped dress in moiré silk by Vivienne Westwood.
The basic Corvino from Levante
Very close to turning 40, the singer abandons the idea of head shots that made headlines in the past. Opting for an ultra basic and essential hairstyle in which the absolute protagonist is the dyed jet black.
Sanremo, 76th Italian Song Festival – First Evening In the photo Mara Sattei. (IPA Photo)
With the central parting, the long waves sculpted with almost geometric precision. It’s a look that can be perfectly done on anyone.
The effect is flawless on television, artfully designed to accompany the rigid dress with shaping bustier covered in rhinestones. On the first evening of Sanremo 2026, everyone moves within the same aesthetic vocabulary. It makes the difference the custom wave accentthe new trend – inspired by the sea – to try immediately to say goodbye to winter.
