The Sanremo Festival has long been regarded as a mirror of the country, reflecting scandals, exclusions, and legal challenges. And while music is the Festival's essence, controversy serves as a counterpoint. The 2025 edition is no exception: rapper Emis Killa, competing with his song, has found himself at the center of a legal case. However, he is far from the first to face legal troubles under the spotlight of the Ariston Theatre. The singer Madame found herself in the crosshairs of the Vicenza Public Prosecutor's Office at Sanremo 2023, the first following the pandemic, on suspicion of obtaining a fake Green Pass certificate thanks to the help of two doctors. After days of silence, Madame acknowledged that she had never been vaccinated, but the Festival's artistic director kept her in the competition, and the people eventually rewarded her song 'Il Bene nel Male', making it a success. On the other hand, Morgan was excluded from the 60th edition of Sanremo after admitting in an interview that he used cocaine daily as an antidepressant. He faced another exclusion in 2020, when he changed the lyrics of his song during a live performance. His duet partner, Bugo, walked off the stage, leading to both being disqualified. Luigi Tenco's disqualification from the Sanremo competition became tragic: it was 1967, and the singer committed suicide with a gunshot in his hotel room after being eliminated from the competition. In 1986, Loredana Bertè provoked a scandal at Sanremo by appearing on stage with fake baby bump. The backlash was so intense that her record label terminated her contract. Adriano Celentano, invited as a guest by Gianni Morandi, caused an uproar when he "excommunicated" priests, monks, and the Church, accusing them of no longer speaking about God. The Vatican even issued an official response in the following days. Sanremo remains, year after year, a reflection of Italy itself, reflecting both music and controversy.