2026 Winter Olympics Kick Off With Multi-Venue Opening Ceremony in Italy
The 2026 Winter Olympics opened on Feb. 6 with a ceremony staged simultaneously at four locations across northern Italy, marking the first time the event used multiple sites to accommodate its distributed venues. Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli delivered performances while the parade of nations unfolded at San Siro Stadium in Milan along with locations in Predazzo, Livigno and Cortina d’Ampezzo. IOC President Kirsty Coventry addressed the gathering before Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared the Games open and two Olympic cauldrons were lit for the first time.
According to NBC News, the production paid tribute to Italian heritage with segments evoking the film “La Dolce Vita,” representations of composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini, and symbols such as the moka pot and a tram carrying motorcycle champion Valentino Rossi. An all-female color guard presented the Italian anthem for the first time at an Olympics, and 60 Armani models showcased monochromatic outfits in the national flag colors. Carey performed “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu” in Italian while Bocelli sang “Nessun Dorma,” repeating a piece from the 2006 Turin ceremony.
Greece led the parade of athletes in keeping with tradition, and Italy concluded it as the host nation to the music of “Figaro.” The United States fielded its largest Winter Olympics contingent with 232 athletes from 32 states, entering in Ralph Lauren uniforms and led by flag bearers Erin Jackson and Frank Del Duca, NBC News reported. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates made their Winter Olympic debuts with two athletes each, while countries including Jamaica, India and Ireland aimed for their first medals in the Games.
Olympics.com data places total participation at 2,849 athletes from 93 nations competing in 116 events across 16 disciplines at 15 venues. The figure includes a record 47 percent women and the addition of ski mountaineering as a new sport, according to a PBS NewsHour assessment. This edition became the first Winter Olympics co-hosted by two cities, with Milan managing ice events and Cortina d’Ampezzo and other Dolomite areas hosting snow competitions.
Organizers stated that the Olympic flame traveled 75,000 miles through 60 cities with 10,001 bearers before reaching the ceremony. Sofia Goggia lit the cauldron in Cortina d’Ampezzo while Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni participated in the Milan lighting at Arco della Pace, accompanied by fireworks and projections of the solar system and Olympic rings. The flame journey and dual cauldrons underscored the connection between Milan and the mountain venues.
Italian Olympic Committee president Giovanni Malagò spoke during the formal program, describing sport as a universal language that unites the Olympic family. Coventry, the first woman to serve as IOC president and a seven-time medalist, said, “Now it’s your moment… show us what it means to be human… strength isn’t just about winning. It’s about courage, empathy and heart.” The ceremony also included readings by Charlize Theron drawing on Nelson Mandela’s words about peace and common humanity.
A total of 1,200 volunteers ranging in age from 10 to 70 contributed to the event after more than 700 rehearsal hours, wearing 1,400 costumes crafted from 7,500 meters of fabric, according to production details shared during the broadcast. Celebrities including Stanley Tucci, Usher, Donatella Versace, Jeff Goldblum and Michelle Yeoh attended the proceedings, which NBC streamed on Peacock in the United States. The opening set the stage for competition that began the following day in disciplines ranging from curling to alpine skiing.
