[3] The artists competing in the new format were selected through two separate contests: Standard section and Area Sanremo.

The selection was preceded by four afternoon shows, conducted by Luca Barbarossa and Andrea Perroni, where the artists and their entries were presented.

On October 19, 2018, Rai Commission for Sanremo Music Festival 2019 announced a list of 677 acts, but only 69 artists coming from all Italian regions -excluding Basilicata and Valle d'Aosta- and from abroad were selected in the first phase.

The special guests of Sanremo Music Festival 2019 were:[25][26] Simone Montedoro and Anna Ferzetti hosted PrimaFestival, a side-show that aired on Rai 1 immediately after TG1.

The show featured details, curiosities and news relating to Sanremo Music Festival 2019.

Rocco Papaleo, with the participation of Anna Foglietta and Melissa Greta Marchetto and a group of journalists of Italian press, hosted Dopofestival - The Dark Side of Sanremo a talk show that aired on Rai 1 immediately after Sanremo Music Festival.

The international television service Rai Italia broadcast the competition in the Americas, Africa, Asia and Australia.