Overview
- The opening begins at 20:00 on February 6 at San Siro, with synchronized segments linking Cortina, Livigno and Predazzo and mirrored protocol elements and athlete parades across the sites.
- Two cauldrons will be lit and extinguished simultaneously in Milan’s Arco della Pace and Cortina’s Piazza Dibona, featuring Leonardo‑inspired, low‑emission designs produced with Fincantieri.
- The 2.5‑hour show led by creative director Marco Balich centers on the theme “Armonia,” prioritizing athletes and favoring an analog, human‑driven presentation over digital spectacle.
- Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey singing in Italian and Laura Pausini headline a roster that includes Italian actors, with organizers also reporting large volunteer participation onstage and backstage, though exact totals vary by outlet.
- A Rome exhibition on the Games and two commemorative stamps have launched, and Deputy PM Matteo Salvini cites €3.5 billion invested with an estimated €5.3 billion economic impact, as daily shows around the Milan cauldron run hourly from 17:00 to 23:00 from February 7 to 22.