Every February, the Italian Riviera town of Sanremo turns into the centre of the country's musical universe. The Sanremo Music Festival, staged at the Teatro Ariston since 1951, is the longest-running annual national TV music competition in the world, and the 2027 edition will be its 77th. For the second time, Costa Cruises is giving travellers a way to be part of it from the water.
The line has confirmed that Costa Toscana, its flagship for the Western Mediterranean, will moor in Sanremo's bay during festival week as part of its "Music Cruise" programme. Rather than fighting for hotel rooms in a small town that gets completely overwhelmed, guests sleep aboard a resort ship parked between the sea and the city.
Two mini-cruises are scheduled around festival week, and bookings are already open. The first sailing has sold out entirely, but there is still space on the February 17-21, 2027 departure — the one timed to catch the festival's final nights, when the competition reaches its most anticipated moments and the winner is decided.
Costa is promising onboard activities tied to the festival plus new additions and surprises to be revealed closer to the date. Guests can also head ashore: Sanremo itself is a classic Ligurian resort with a palm-lined seafront and a historic old town, and the surrounding area offers easy detours. The French border and the Riviera di Ponente are within reach if you want to stretch the trip.
Who is this for? Music fans who want to say they were at Sanremo without paying inflated festival-week hotel rates, and cruise travellers looking for a themed sailing with a genuine event at its core. Italians treat the festival the way other countries treat a World Cup final, so the atmosphere in town that week is a big part of the draw. Note that the ship sits in the bay — you'll experience the buzz of the city and the festival's TV spectacle from onboard screenings and events, with the option to go ashore and soak up the street scene.
If the 17-21 February sailing appeals, booking sooner rather than later is wise given how quickly the first departure filled. Beyond the festival, Costa Toscana sails year-round in the Western Mediterranean through November 2027, so there are plenty of other chances to try the ship if your dates don't line up.
Story via Cruise Industry News.
