Italian broadcaster Radiotelevisione italiana (RAI) announced in October 2016 that the winning performer(s) of the Big Artists section of the Sanremo Music Festival 2017 would earn the right to represent the nation at the Eurovision Song Contest in Kyiv, Ukraine.

The artist accepted the invitation to represent Italy at Eurovision and decided that "Occidentali's Karma" would be his contest entry.

Their return in 2011 with the song "Madness of Love", performed by Raphael Gualazzi, placed second—their highest result, to this point, since their victory in 1990.

Since 2015, the winning artist of the Sanremo Music Festival is rewarded with the opportunity to represent Italy at the Eurovision Song Contest, although in 2016 the winner declined and the broadcaster appointed the runner-up as the Italian entrant.

On 20 October 2016, the Italian broadcaster RAI confirmed their continued tradition of selecting Italy's Eurovision entry from the Sanremo Music Festival.

[8][9] Further solidifying this decision, RAI took to Twitter to announce that Gabbani would bring "Occidentali's Karma," to the Eurovision stage in Kyiv.

[10] The Eurovision Song Contest 2017 was held at the International Exhibition Centre in Kyiv, Ukraine, featuring two semi-finals on 9 and 11 May, followed by the grand final on 13 May 2017.

[11] Eurovision rules stipulate that all participating countries, except the host nation and the "Big Five" (France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the United Kingdom), must qualify from one of the semi-finals to enter the final.