Milan Cortina Olympics Opening Ceremony
Spectators watch a pre-show ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics, in Milan, Italy, Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.
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The unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron Milan Cortina Winter Games opening ceremony replete with references to Italian icons and culture has started. The Olympics are returning to Italy 20 years after the country last hosted them in Turin. This is the most spread-out Olympics in history, with competition venues dotting an area of about a space roughly the size of the state of New Jersey. The main hub Friday is in Milan at San Siro soccer stadium. There are three other places where athletes will be marching, some carrying their country’s flag: Cortina in the heart of the Dolomite mountains; Livigno in the Alps; Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.
