Overview
- For the first time, elements of the Opening Ceremony unfolded across multiple cities, with the Parade of Nations split among Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo to limit athlete travel.
- Two Olympic cauldrons were lit almost simultaneously, with Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni igniting Milan’s flame and Sofia Goggia lighting Cortina’s.
- Mariah Carey performed “Volare” in Italian and Andrea Bocelli sang “Nessun Dorma,” alongside a Giorgio Armani tribute and Laura Pausini’s national anthem rendition.
- Parts of the crowd booed when U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance appeared on stadium screens, there were jeers for the Israeli delegation, and local protests targeted ICE’s advisory role for U.S. security.
- Roughly 60,000 attended at San Siro as IOC president Kirsty Coventry urged unity under 'Armonia,' with 2,900 athletes from 92 nations now competing across widely dispersed venues for 116 gold medals.