Following yesterday’s announcement that Diodato will perform his 2020 Sanremo-winning song Fai rumore in the first semi-final of this year’s Eurovision Song Contest in Turin, today, Eurovision.tv revealed the second interval act of the show – a tribute to Italo-disco by the name ‘The Dance Of Beauty’. The performance will feature music from world-renowned Italian DJs Benny Benassi and Dardust, as well as British indie band Sophie and The Giants.

Italian house music (or “Italo-house”) has been one of the most successful exported genres from the nation since the 70s and through the 80s, but its peak came in the mid-90s, when the likes of Black Box, Robert Miles, Gala and Eiffel 65 topped the charts across Europe and the world with their unique ethereal, futuristic sounds, often accompanied by more traditional acoustic instruments like the piano.

Perhaps the most recognisable artist in this segment to international audiences will be Benny Benassi, one of the most successful house DJs of all time, who has collaborated with the likes of Britney Spears, Katy Perry and Chris Brown. However, those of a certain age will probably remember him best for his suggestive hit Satisfaction from the summer of 2003.

Another name recognisable to fans of Eurovision and Sanremo will be Dario “Dardust” Faini, who has collaborated with practically every Italian pop musician at some point. Most notably, among the dozens of entries he’s written for the Festival, he was responsible for the lyrics and music of Soldi, which came second for Italy and Mahmood in Tel Aviv in 2019.

His talents are multi-faceted: not only a highly-accomplished DJ and producer, he is also a clasically-trained pianist and multi-instrumentalist who’s composed concept albums that blend more traditional sounds with contemporary beats and motives. He’s provided music for Italy’s Olympic Games bid for Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo in 2026, and music from his 2016 album Birth could be heard at the handover ceremony in Beijing earlier this year.

Alongside them will be Sheffield-based indie band Sophie and The Giants, with whom Dardust and Benassi collaborated for the 2021 hit Golden Nights.

In today’s press release, the EBU says it aims to turn PalaOlimpico into a “giant disco” and a “dance floor like no other” during this interval act, which will no doubt hit a nostalgic chord with many of the millions viewing the show.

Are you excited to see this Italian house extravaganza on stage at PalaOlimpico in May? Let us know on social media, and remember to look out for, and vote in, the last of our Public Reacts polls over the coming days!