Gabry Ponte: 10 Facts about San Marino’s Eurovision 2025 singer

San Marino is bringing the party to Basel this May for Eurovision 2025! They’re sending Gabry Ponte with “Tutta L’Italia!” One thing’s for sure—with this track, you’ll feel Italian even if you’re not. Are you ready?

Winning the San Marino Song Contest is never easy! With numerous auditions and artists from all over the world, the final featured 20 contestants—including Besa, who represented Albania last year. The result was decided exclusively by a professional jury, and DJ Gabry Ponte emerged as the lucky winner.

So far, San Marino has never won Eurovision, but this year, they’re determined to change this!

San Marino at Eurovision 2025: 10 Facts about Gabry Pont

1. He is from Turin

Gabry Ponte, whose real name is Gabriele Ponte, was born on April 20, 1973, in Turin—the city that hosted Eurovision in 2022. He started his music career in 1993.

2. He participates as a DJ, not as a singer

Some Eurofans wonder why Gabry Ponte was selected to represent San Marino when he isn’t actually singing. The answer is simple: besides being a musician, he is primarily a DJ and music producer. This year, he is competing with a song he produced, performing as a DJ rather than a singer.

He’s not the first DJ to take the Eurovision stage—previous examples include JOWST (Norway 2017), Gromee (Poland 2018), Darude (Finland 2019), and Lum!x (Austria 2022). However, unlike them, the two singers joining Gabry on stage have chosen to keep their identities hidden, wearing masks throughout the performance.

3. He was a member of Eiffel 65

Gabry Ponte was part of the original lineup of the famous Italian Eurodance group Eiffel 65. He joined the group in 1998 when it was formed in Turin, and together they achieved international fame for years. Gabry left the group in 2005, which eventually led to a hiatus. However, in 2010, the remaining two members resumed performing without him and have continued to this day.

4. He’s the person behind Blue (Da Ba Dee)

The famous hit Blue (Da Ba Dee) is an international sensation, but not many people know that Eiffel 65’s debut song actually comes from Italy—and it was produced by Gabry Ponte himself. This track propelled the group to worldwide success right from the start, earning them the MTV Europe Music Award for Best Italian Act in 2000.

5. He has his own label

Back in 2006, just a year after leaving Eiffel 65 to pursue a solo career, Gabry Ponte founded his own music label, Dance and Love. The label remains active to this day and is one of the most important independent Italian dance music labels.

6. He has many collaborations with LUM!X

Among former Eurovision contestants, Gabry Ponte and Austrian DJ LUM!X have crossed paths numerous times, collaborating on hits like Monster, Thunder, and Forget You. All of these tracks have become incredible club bangers, showcasing their signature high-energy dance sound.

7. He was co-producer of a former Eurovision song

Speaking of his collaborations with LUM!X, not many Eurovision fans know that Gabry Ponte was already connected to the contest before—he was one of the co-producers of “Halo”, the song by LUM!X and Pia Maria that represented Austria in Eurovision 2022.

8. He collaborated with numerous famous artists

Gabry Ponte’s list of collaborations is incredibly long, and he’s worked with some of the most famous artists in the music industry, including Sean Paul, R3HAB, Pitbull, David Guetta, and Tacabro.

9. He is doing what he loves since he was 17

Gabry started mixing in clubs in Turin when he was just 17. Although nobody in his family had any musical inclinations and they didn’t initially guide him in this direction, once Gabry discovered his passion and began working on it, his family fully supported him on this path.

10. From Sanremo to San Marino

Gabry Ponte’s Eurovision song wasn’t originally intended for the contest. He created Tutta L’Italia for this year’s edition of Italy’s Festival di Sanremo. Not as a competing song, but more as an “anthem” for the show. With the chorus being heard every night at Sanremo and the song receiving huge success after, he decided to take the song to San Marino’s national selection for Eurovision.