The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, set for February 6 at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, marks the start of the Milano Cortina Games with a star-studded lineup including Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, and hosts Terry Gannon and Shaun White, while the torch relay has traversed Italy’s regions en route to the cauldron lighting.
Key Ceremony Details
- Date and Time: Friday, February 6, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. CET / 19:00 UTC), with a prime-time replay at 8 p.m. ET.
- Venue: San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy – the first Winter Olympics opener at a football stadium.
- Hosts and Performers: Terry Gannon and Shaun White host; performers include Mariah Carey (headliner), Lang Lang, Cecilia Bartoli, Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, plus actors Pierfrancesco Favino, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Matilda De Angelis.
- Team USA Flag-Bearers: Erin Jackson (long track speedskating) and Frank Del Duca (bobsledding).
- Official Opener: Italian President Sergio Mattarella; IOC President Kirsty Coventry presides.
- Broadcast: Live on NBC, streaming on Peacock, NBC app, NBC Sports app, NBCOlympics.com, and NBC.com.
Torch Relay Highlights
The flame, lit November 26, 2025, in Olympia, Greece, arrived in Rome on December 4 and has covered 12,000 km across all 20 Italian regions and 110 provinces, visiting over 300 municipalities.
- Notable Stops: Naples (Christmas), Bari (New Year’s Eve), Cortina d’Ampezzo (January 26, marking 70 years since 1956 Games), Sicily (recently in Trapani, heading to Cefalù), Sardinia, Tuscany (Florence), and upcoming Veneto (Venice on January 22), Bolzano (January 27), Livigno (January 30).
- Torchbearers: Celebrities like Antonio Giovinazzi (Taranto), Gelindo Bordin (Vicenza), Carolina Kostner (Bolzano).
- Route Climax: Ends at San Siro for cauldron lighting on February 6.
Games Overview
Hosted by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Olympics run February 6-22 with ~2,900 athletes in 18 sports (plus new ski mountaineering). Curling starts February 4; key events include men’s downhill skiing (February 7), figure skating golds (February 13/19), and ice hockey finals (February 19/22). India’s athletes: Arif Mohammad Khan (alpine skiing), Stanzin Lundup (cross-country skiing).