Overview
- Levante and Gaia shared an unscripted kiss at the end of their Sanremo 2026 performance during the covers night.
- Rai executive Claudio Fasulo said the distant live framing followed a preplanned camera sequence that was not fully checked because the morning run‑through was audio‑only.
- Fasulo added that Rai had a separate close‑up of the kiss but posted it one second after televoting closed to avoid favoring contestants on social media.
- Festival director Maurizio Pagnussat said there was no censorship, noting a stage‑change ritual prevented a tighter shot and saying he would have captured the moment if it had happened earlier.
- Levante told reporters the kiss was not rehearsed, the show used the CuePilot automated system, and the director was unaware of the plan and later expressed regret about the missed shot.