Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Milano–Cortina 2026 Winter Games Open With Multi‑Site Ceremony at San Siro

The regionwide edition showcases existing venues across northern Italy following a last‑minute push to finish preparations.

Overview

  • An opening show featuring Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini leads a ceremony split across sites, with two Olympic cauldrons at Milan’s Arco della Pace and Cortina’s Piazza Dibona.
  • Athlete parades are staged simultaneously in San Siro, Predazzo, Livigno and Cortina d’Ampezzo, reflecting the Games’ decentralized format.
  • Organizers report venues are ready after late work on key sites, including Milan’s main hockey arena, an unfinished gondola in Cortina and ongoing finishing around the sliding track.
  • Roughly 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will compete in 16 disciplines from Feb. 4–22, with 116 events and the return of NHL players to the Olympic hockey tournament.
  • New program elements include the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering, a skeleton mixed team event, women’s doubles in luge and added freestyle and ski‑jump formats; coverage varies by market with NBC/Peacock in the U.S., Claro Sports across much of Latin America, Televisa/ViX in Mexico and RTVE/Eurosport/MAX in Spain.