Italy is buzzing with winter games. The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games are officially underway after a vibrant and logistically ambitious opening ceremony held simultaneously across four Italian locations on Friday evening.
The primary celebration took place at Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium, with parallel events held in the mountain venues of Cortina, Livigno, and Predazzo. Despite the complexity, the production proceeded seamlessly.
The ceremony reached an emotional peak as Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli performed a powerful rendition of Nessun Dorma while the Olympic torch entered San Siro. Two cauldrons were lit, one in Milan and another in Cortina, symbolizing the dual-host nature of these Games.
The athletes’ parade concluded jubilantly, with the host Italian team entering last to massive cheers across all four sites. Great Britain had dual flagbearers: figure skater Lilah Fear in Milan and bobsledder Brad Hall in Cortina. While Team USA and Ukraine received warm welcomes, the crowd reacted with boos when U.S. Vice-President JD Vance appeared on screen, and negative reactions also met the delegations from Israel and Georgia.
The artistic segments celebrated “Italian beauty” and “fantasia,” featuring a tribute to the late fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died in 2025. American superstar Mariah Carey, adorned in a sparkling white outfit, performed a rendition of Volare.
“We stand ready to make Olympic history again, inspired by the values that unite all of us: excellence, friendship and respect,” said Giovanni Malago, president of the Milan-Cortina organizing committee.
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, the first woman to hold the role, formally declared the Games open. In her address, she told the athletes, “You remind us that we can be brave. That we can be kind. That we can get back up, no matter how hard we fall… This is the magic of the Olympic Games: inspiring us all to be the best that we can be, together.”
