The 1991 Eurovision Song Contest was supposed to be held in the seaside resort San Remo which is known for its annual festival of Italian music, but host broadcaster RAI moved it to Rome at a very late stage due to ongoing instability in the Balkan region. For the second time since the very first Eurovision Song Contest in 1956, the Netherlands decided to withdraw from the contest due to the country's Remembrance Day. Malta took the open spot which meant that the country was back for the first time since 1975. The contest was presented by Toto Cutugno, who won for Italy the previous year. Toto was joined on stage by Italy's other winner, Gigliola Cinquetti, who won the contest in 1964. For the majority of the show the presenters spoke solely in Italian.
