Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Officially Begin With Star-Studded Opening Ceremony at San Siro

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 officially began on Friday, February 6, with a historic Opening Ceremony that broke new ground for the Winter Olympics. For the first time in Winter Games history, the ceremony took a multi-centered approach with the main celebration at Milano's San Siro Olympic Stadium and simultaneous athlete parades in Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The ceremony started at 20:00 CET (2:00 PM ET) and featured a spectacular three-hour celebration of sport, culture, and Italian heritage that captivated a global television audience. The star-studded event showcased an impressive lineup of international and Italian performers, headlined by global superstar Mariah Carey, renowned pianist Lang Lang, Italian pop legend Laura Pausini, and the incomparable tenor Andrea Bocelli. The musical performances were interwoven with theatrical presentations highlighting Italy's rich cultural heritage and the Alpine beauty of the host region. Italian actors Pierfrancesco Favino and Sabrina Impacciatore served as ceremony hosts, guiding viewers through the evening's festivities with warmth and Italian flair. The production values rivaled any previous Olympic ceremony, with cutting-edge technology creating stunning visual displays that transformed San Siro into a winter wonderland. In a historic first, Milano Cortina 2026 will feature two separate Olympic cauldrons, reflecting the dual-city nature of these Games and the distributed competition venues across northern Italy. The innovative approach symbolizes the partnership between Milan's urban sophistication and Cortina d'Ampezzo's mountain majesty. More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will compete for 195 medals across 16 Olympic disciplines over the next 17 days. The Games represent Italy's return to hosting the Winter Olympics for the first time since Torino 2006, renewing the nation's proud Olympic traditions. Competition actually began before the Opening Ceremony, with mixed doubles curling round-robin matches already underway and women's ice hockey preliminary round games commencing. The figure skating team event also started on Thursday, allowing the Games to build momentum ahead of the official kickoff. This scheduling allows athletes in early events to participate in the Opening Ceremony without compromising their competitive preparations. The staggered start has become standard practice at recent Olympic Games, maximizing both athletic performance and ceremonial participation. NBC and Peacock provided comprehensive coverage for American audiences, with coverage hosted by Terry Gannon and Savannah Guthrie. Special correspondents Snoop Dogg and Stanley Tucci added unique perspectives and entertainment value to the broadcast, bringing celebrity star power to NBC's Olympic coverage. The network's investment in personality-driven storytelling aims to attract casual viewers while serving die-hard Olympic fans. International broadcast partners around the world delivered the ceremony to billions of viewers in what Olympic organizers expect will be one of the most-watched Opening Ceremonies in Winter Games history. The Milano Cortina 2026 Games will unfold across multiple venues in northern Italy through February 22, with competition sites in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno, Bormio, Anterselva, and Val di Fiemme. The distributed model presents logistical challenges but allows Italy to showcase its diverse Alpine regions while utilizing existing facilities rather than building costly new venues. Notable competitions to watch include Alpine skiing in Cortina, hockey in Milan, and Nordic events in Val di Fiemme. As the Games begin in earnest, the world's attention turns to the ice, snow, and slopes where Olympic dreams will be made and broken over the next two and a half weeks.