| Eurovision Song Contest 2016 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Country |  San Marino | |||
| National selection | ||||
| Selection process | Internal selection | |||
| Selection date(s) | Artist: 12 January 2016 Song: 9 March 2016 | |||
| Selected artist(s) | Serhat | |||
| Selected song | "I Didn't Know" | |||
| Selected songwriter(s) |
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| Finals performance | ||||
| Semi-final result | Failed to qualify (12th) | |||
| San Marino in the Eurovision Song Contest | ||||
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San Marino participated in the Eurovision Song Contest 2016, held in Stockholm, Sweden. The Sammarinese national broadcaster Radiotelevisione della Repubblica di San Marino (SMRTV) internally selected Turkish singer Serhat with "I Didn't Know" to represent the nation in the contest. The song was written by Olcayto Ahmet Tuğsuz and Nektarios Tyrakis and was presented to the public on 9 March 2016 alongside its music video. While initially a ballad version had been selected, SMRTV subsequently opted to use the disco version of the song for the contest based on feedback from the public. To promote the entry, Serhat embarked on a promotional tour across Europe in the lead up the Eurovision Song Contest. San Marino performed eighth in the first semi-final, held on 10 May 2016, and placed 12th with 68 points, failing to qualify for the final.