Sanremo in the Spotlight: Real Estate Market and Rentals During the Festival

The Festival and the Surge in Rental Demand

During the Festival week, the city records a significant increase in short-term rental demand. Music industry professionals, brands, TV crews, journalists, and guests look for temporary housing solutions, often with specific features: central location, representativeness, sea view, and large terraces.

Areas close to the Teatro Ariston naturally become the most sought-after. However, interest also extends to the seafront and panoramic residential areas, where privacy and comfort are key elements.

The Festival generates a time-limited peak in demand, yet it is capable of reigniting attention each year on Sanremo and its real estate assets. For some owners, it represents an opportunity to optimize short-term returns; for others, it becomes a strategic moment to evaluate new management models or potential property enhancement.

The experience of other Italian cities confirms how the impact of a major event can extend beyond the week of maximum visibility, strengthening a destination’s positioning over time — as seen in Venice with its Film Festival.

Property Values: Event-Driven Effect or Consolidated Growth?

It is important to distinguish between media impact and structural market solidity.

Sanremo, within the context of the Western Ligurian Riviera, has long enjoyed a stable positioning as a lifestyle destination: mild climate, high quality of life, proximity to France, and a consolidated tourism tradition. These elements form the foundation of its real estate market, independently of the Festival.

The event contributes to reinforcing the city’s image, but it does not solely determine property values. Rather, it acts as an amplifier: increasing awareness, strengthening international perception, and keeping attention alive on a location that combines residential appeal and tourism attractiveness.

The Most Sought-After Areas During the Festival

During the Festival week, the geography of real estate demand in Sanremo becomes particularly clear. Specific territorial dynamics emerge, reflecting not only logistical needs but also positioning and lifestyle choices.

The city center, especially the area near Teatro Ariston, represents the core of temporary demand. Those who want to move on foot between events, TV studios, and side locations concentrate here. Proximity to the symbolic places of the Festival is not just practical convenience; it becomes a distinctive, almost identity-defining element for professionals and guests experiencing the week intensively.

The seafront and sea-view properties attract demand oriented toward representation. Panoramic terraces, open views, and bright interiors become ideal spaces for informal meetings, photo shoots, and networking moments. In this case, the property is not merely accommodation but part of the Festival experience itself.

Finally, the hillside and high-end residential areas respond to a different need: privacy. Villas and apartments in more secluded settings, while remaining close to the center, attract those seeking a balance between presence at the event and tranquility. This is often qualified demand, attentive to spatial quality, discretion, and comfort.

It is interesting to note how this “map” of temporary demand largely overlaps with the areas showing greater medium-term solidity. Central districts, the seafront, and panoramic locations have long represented the most sought-after segments of the local market.

Opportunities for Owners and Investors

For property owners, the Festival can represent a moment of maximum exposure. The high demand for short-term rentals highlights the potential of well-positioned properties with distinctive features.

For investors, the reflection is broader: Sanremo is not merely an “event destination,” but a market that combines second homes, lifestyle investment, and long-term appreciation prospects. Those wishing to explore the current offer can review properties for sale in Sanremo to better understand typologies, positioning, and features currently available on the market.

Choose Engel & Völkers’ Consultancy

In scenarios influenced by media events, local analysis becomes essential. Understanding which areas are truly consolidated, which property types intercept stable demand, and which dynamics are instead linked to temporary peaks is crucial.

Thanks to a strong local presence and an international network, Engel & Völkers supports property owners and investors with a strategic evaluation that goes beyond media effects, enhancing the real potential of each property.