The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are set to commence, offering 17 days of top-tier competition spanning 16 sports disciplines. The event will kick off with a highly anticipated opening ceremony.
With a global audience of tens of millions and nearly 100,000 spectators expected across the two venues in Italy, the opening ceremony organizers face the challenge of honoring Italy’s rich heritage while entertaining a wide-ranging audience.
Crafting a two-and-a-half-hour spectacle that pays homage to Italy’s historical and cultural influence, yet remains accessible to an international audience, presents a daunting challenge.
Prior to the start of the 2026 Winter Olympics, Marco Balich, the Emmy-winning creative director of the games, offered a glimpse into what attendees can anticipate from this year’s ceremony, including a ‘courageous’ yet potentially challenging-to-understand act by Mariah Carey.
The grand festival of winter sports is scheduled to commence on Friday, February 6, with the opening ceremony officially launching the 25th Winter Games. The ceremony is set to begin at 8 PM local time, equivalent to 2 PM EST, and will run for nearly three hours.
Before the main events, some sports competitions will begin to ensure all necessary rounds are completed. For instance, curling will be the inaugural event, starting on Wednesday, February 4.
This year’s Winter Olympics will be hosted across two primary venues in northern Italy: Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the latter having previously hosted the Winter Games in 1956.
Cortina will be the site for the more mountainous sports, such as curling, luge, bobsleigh, and skeleton races, taking advantage of the steep terrains. Meanwhile, Milan will host most skating and ice hockey events.
In a unique twist, this year’s opening ceremony will unfold simultaneously across the two main Olympic locations. This means coverage will frequently alternate between Milan’s San Siro Stadium and a specially built stage in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
The meticulously choreographed ceremony will showcase contributions from over 2,000 volunteers, with 1,300 involved in performances reflecting the theme of armonia (harmony) and Italy’s extensive influence on global design, as described by creative lead Marco Balich.
Balich elucidated that “Harmony means transforming our values into images, sounds and shared emotions. It is a journey inside the colors of Italy, but it also speaks to the whole world.”
Although Balich remained tight-lipped about specific details, he revealed the ceremony would honor Italian luminaries like Leonardo Da Vinci, and pay tribute to iconic designer Giorgio Armani, who passed away in September.
A highlight for international audiences will be Mariah Carey’s performance, where she has boldly chosen to sing a ‘very well known song’ in its original Italian, which may pose a challenge for non-Italian-speaking fans to follow.
Andrea Bocelli, the famous tenor, will also be featured, marking his return to the Olympic stage after his previous appearance at the 2006 Turin opening ceremony.
Alongside these global stars, the ceremony will include numerous Italian artists and performers, introducing international viewers to talents less familiar to them.
For those unable to secure a ticket to the 75,000-capacity stadium in Milan, and for those watching remotely, there will be a lasting element of the ceremony available throughout the 17 days of the games.
This year, the Olympic flame will be accessible for viewing 24/7 across both locations.
An intricate metal ‘cauldron’ has been designed to unfurl and reveal the flame in a special hourly performance, ensuring that even those outside the venues can partake in the $5 billion spectacle of the Winter Olympics.