The 2026 Milan – Cortina Winter Olympics will officially kick off with an opening ceremony featuring well – known personalities like Mariah Carey and Sabrina Impacciatore.
The ceremony has been conceptualized around the concept of armonia, or harmony. According to the organizers, this represents both the movement in sports and a sense of inclusiveness as athletes and spectators from across the globe gather for the Games.
Marco Balich, the producer of the opening ceremony, described the inspiration for the theme as a form of convergence: between the two host cities, “Milan and Cortina, the city and the mountain, the harmony between man and nature, between cultures, people, and different ways of thinking.” The Dolomite ski resort of Cortina hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956.
“In this moment when brute force and bullies are dominant, I believe it is extremely important for all of us to embrace the values that the Olympics stand for, which is to compete respectfully and peacefully among all countries and nations, summed up in the title ‘Harmony,'” Balich told the .
Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 Milan Olympics Opening Ceremony.
When will the opening ceremony be held?
The ceremony will commence at 8 p.m. (2 p.m. E.T.) on February 6, 2026, in Milan and is expected to last approximately two to three hours. The ceremony coincides with the arrival of the Olympic torch relay and the formal assembly of athletes from around the world.
A few competitions will have already taken place. The Winter Games start on February 4 and February 5 with preliminary matches and qualifying races in curling, women’s ice hockey, and men’s snowboarding. The first day of also occurs on February 6 before the opening ceremony.
Where will the opening ceremony take place?
The ceremony will be held at San Siro Stadium in Milan. However, other ceremonies will be happening in other cities simultaneously, with the lighting and extinguishing of two Olympic cauldrons for the first time. One will be in Milan at the Arco della Pace and the other at the Piazza Dibona in the historic mountain town of Cortina d’Ampezzo.
“For the first time, the name of our Games includes two cities, which means we have to hold the most significant moments twice: the flag – raising ceremony and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron will take place in two locations, and we have to manage this visibility,” said Andrea Varnier, the CEO of the organizing committee.
There will also be simultaneous celebrations and athlete parades in other parts of Italy hosting Olympic events, including Livigno in Valtellina, which hosts snowboarding and freestyle events, and Predazzo in Val di Fiemme, which is the venue for skiing competitions.
Who will produce, participate in, and perform at the opening ceremony?
is scheduled to perform at the opening ceremony in San Siro Stadium. The organizing committee stated in a release that the artist famous for hits like “We Belong Together” “fully embodies the emotional atmosphere leading up to the Games. Music is a universal language that attracts diverse stories and sensibilities and aligns with the opening ceremony’s theme of harmony.”
She will be joined by Impacciatore, known for her roles in HBO’s (2022) and NBC Peacock’s (2025). Other performers include crossover tenor Andrea Bocelli, actor Pierfrancesco Favino, singer Laura Pausini, actress Matilda De Angelis, and violinist Giovanni Zanon.
The ceremony will also include a special tribute to the late fashion designer .
American rapper will once again be part of NBC’s Olympics broadcast coverage after serving as a roving correspondent during the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics. He was also an honorary coach for Team USA.
The ceremony is being produced by Balich Wonder Studio. Balich has been involved in producing a record 16 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies, from Turin in 2006 to Rio in 2016, as well as the 2022 FIFA World Cup opening in Qatar.
How can you watch the opening ceremony?
Tickets for the ceremony are available on the .
Broadcasters around the world will also air or stream the event. In the U.S., NBC will broadcast the opening ceremony at 2 p.m. E.T. and 8 p.m. E.T., with on – demand streaming available on Peacock.
