The 2026 Winter Olympics are back in Italy after 20 years. Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo share hosting duties from February 6 to 22. More than 2 billion people worldwide are expected to tune in for the Opening Ceremony.
San Siro Stadium in Milan sets the stage for this massive event. Athletes from 92 nations will compete for medals in 116 different events. This guide tells you everything about watching the ceremony and what you’ll see during the show.
Quick Facts: Winter Olympics 2026 Opening Ceremony
| Date | Friday, February 6, 2026 |
| Venue | San Siro Stadium, Milan |
| Theme | “Armonia” (Harmony) |
| Start Time (CET) | 8:00 PM |
| Live Stream HD | Watch Here ( From Anywhere) |
| Global Viewers | Over 2 billion expected |
| Closing Ceremony | February 22, 2026 at Verona Arena |
Winter Olympics 2026 Opening Ceremony Date and Time
The ceremony happens on Friday, February 6, 2026. San Siro Stadium in Milan hosts the main event in the evening local time.
Your Local Start Time:
- US East Coast: 2 PM (live coverage) or 8 PM (primetime replay)
- US West Coast: 11 AM (live) or 5 PM (primetime replay)
- United Kingdom: 7 PM
- Canada Eastern: 2 PM
- Sydney, Australia: 6 AM on February 7
- Tokyo, Japan: 4 AM on February 7
American fans get to watch live during the afternoon. NBC runs the show again at 8 PM for people who prefer evening viewing.
Milan’s time zone sits 6 hours ahead of New York. This setup means US viewers can catch the best moments during daytime hours instead of staying up all night.
San Siro Stadium: The Opening Ceremony Venue
San Siro opened in 1926 and turns 100 years old in 2026. The stadium fits 75,817 people and serves as home base for AC Milan and Inter Milan soccer teams. Italians call it “La Scala of Football” because of its legendary reputation.
The venue has seen World Cup games, Champions League finals, and concerts by world-famous musicians. This might be one of the last major events at San Siro since plans exist to build a new stadium nearby.
The ceremony uses a theme called “Armonia.” That’s Italian for harmony. Something totally new happens this year. The Olympic tradition spreads across four different locations at once. Athletes parade through San Siro in Milan and also at venues in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo, and Livigno.
A spiral-shaped LED stage sits at the center of San Siro. The design connects all Olympic sites through visual effects. Two Olympic flames burn during the Games. One lights up at the Arco della Pace in Milan. The other glows in Piazza Dibona square in Cortina.
The Closing Ceremony shifts to Verona Arena on February 22. That ancient Roman stadium ranks as the third biggest that still works today.
Preliminary Competitions Before the Opening Ceremony
Curling mixed doubles began on February 4. That’s two days before the Opening Ceremony. Ice hockey preliminary games also started on February 5 along with figure skating and other sports.
The Olympic Committee allows early starts because these tournaments need extra days to finish. Athletes in these sports still walk in the Opening Ceremony even though they already competed.
Who Will Perform at the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
The Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony features an extraordinary lineup of international and Italian artists.
Mariah Carey leads the performers. The five-time Grammy winner sings Domenico Modugno’s classic Italian song “Volare” (Nel blu, dipinto di blu). Creative director Marco Balich praised her decision to sing an entire song in Italian. He said the stadium will likely sing along with her.
Andrea Bocelli brings his legendary voice to the ceremony. The Italian tenor returns to Olympic ceremonies 20 years after his 2006 Turin performance. Bocelli said performing at an Olympic Opening Ceremony is “a great honour and deeply moving experience.”
Laura Pausini performs as well. The Golden Globe-winning singer-songwriter won her award in 2021 for “Io Sì” from The Life Ahead.
Lang Lang adds international flair to the program. The world-renowned Chinese pianist joins to show harmony between nations.
Other Italian stars include:
- Cecilia Bartoli (opera mezzo-soprano)
- Ghali (Italian-Tunisian rapper who rose to fame with “Ninna nanna”)
- Pierfrancesco Favino (award-winning actor and producer)
- Sabrina Impacciatore (Emmy-nominated star of The White Lotus and The Paper)
- Matilda De Angelis (actress serving as narrator)
Marco Balich runs the creative side as lead producer. His company Balich Wonder Studio has designed ceremonies for several Olympics before. He worked on Salt Lake City in 2002, Turin in 2006, Sochi in 2014, and Rio in 2016.
US Broadcast Team: Terry Gannon from NBC Sports teams up with Mary Carillo. Shaun White joins them when countries parade their athletes. The three-time Olympic snowboard champion provides commentary during the Parade of Nations. Mike Tirico adds commentary from California where he’s preparing to call Super Bowl LX two days later.
Snoop Dogg reports from Cortina where he will interview athletes and members of the US bobsledding team. Britney Eurton, Lewis Johnson, Tina Dixon, and Nicole Auerbach serve as additional on-site reporters across the various ceremony locations.
Expected Program and Highlights
The Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony unfolds at San Siro Stadium with a groundbreaking multi-location format never seen before at a Winter Olympics. The approximately three-hour spectacular includes several key moments.
Parade of Nations
Athletes march into venues across four locations at the same time: Milan’s San Siro Stadium, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo, and Livigno. This approach brings athletes closer to their competition sites and allows broader participation across Italy’s Olympic territories.
The parade follows Olympic protocol with Greece leading as always. Countries continue in alphabetical order by Italian names. Italy closes the procession as the host nation. Team USA’s flagbearers are Olympic speed skating gold medalist Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca.
Historic Dual Cauldron Lighting
Two Olympic cauldrons light at the same time for the first time in Olympic history:
- Milan cauldron at the iconic Arco della Pace monument (4.5 metric tonnes)
- Cortina cauldron in Piazza Angelo Dibona in the mountain town’s heart
Both cauldrons pay tribute to Leonardo da Vinci’s geometric “Knots” designs. The synchronized lighting represents unity between the two host cities and the distributed nature of these Games.
“Armonia” Theme
The ceremony revolves around the concept of “Armonia” (Harmony). The show celebrates unity between mountains and cities, balance between tradition and innovation, and connection between Italian art, music, and athletics. The theme promotes peace and dialogue among nations.
Production Scale
The show features massive scale rarely seen at Olympic ceremonies:
- 1,400 performers take part
- 1,300 different costumes fill the stage
- 1,000 props enhance the show
- 500 musicians recorded the ceremony’s soundtrack
Giorgio Armani Tribute
A special segment honors legendary fashion designer Giorgio Armani. He passed away in 2024 after building his fashion empire in Milan. Armani designed Italian team uniforms for decades and became known worldwide.
Visual Spectacle
The ceremony transforms San Siro with a spiral-shaped LED stage at the stadium’s center. Visual effects connect all Olympic sites. The show includes references to Leonardo da Vinci and Italian design masters. Projections celebrate Italian cultural heritage from Christopher Columbus to modern innovation.
Official Speeches
Olympic and Italian officials deliver welcoming remarks. They celebrate Olympic values and Italy’s role as host. The ceremony includes traditional elements like raising the Olympic flag and the Olympic oath.
Multi-Location Celebrations
Beyond San Siro, celebrations occur at Cortina d’Ampezzo with an athlete parade along Corso Italia. Predazzo and Livigno host local ceremonies with athlete representation. Two large screens near Cortina’s Bell Tower stream the Milan ceremony live.
The ceremony officially kicks off the Games even though preliminary events in curling started February 4. Ice hockey, figure skating, and other sports began February 5. This early start gives tournaments with longer schedules enough time to complete before the Closing Ceremony on February 22.
How to Watch the Winter Olympics 2026 Opening Ceremony on TV
United States: NBC owns the exclusive rights to broadcast everything. The ceremony airs live at 2 PM Eastern Time on NBC. The primetime replay starts at 8 PM Eastern. USA Network and CNBC show additional Olympic coverage all week.
United Kingdom: BBC broadcasts at least two live events every day on BBC One and BBC Two. BBC iPlayer carries over 500 hours of Olympics content. You need a valid TV license to watch. Discovery+ and TNT Sports also offer complete coverage.
Canada: CBC and Radio-Canada hold all broadcast rights. The public broadcaster promised to air at least 100 hours on free television. CBC covers everything across all their platforms.
Australia: Nine Entertainment owns the rights for Australian viewers.
Europe: European Broadcasting Union members show at least 100 hours on free TV channels. Warner Bros Discovery runs pay-TV coverage on Eurosport in 49 European countries.
Italy: RAI provides free coverage as the host country. Warner Bros Discovery also has Italian pay-TV rights.
How to Live Stream the Winter Olympics 2026 Opening Ceremony Online
United States: Peacock streams every Olympic event live. The service costs $7.99 per month (with ads) or $16.99 per month (ad-free). College students pay just $2.99 monthly. Peacock includes all 116 medal events, full replays, highlights, and extra content.
The Gold Zone feature returns from the Paris Olympics. It lets you watch multiple events at once through split screens. Multiview allows you to stream up to four different events on one screen at the same time. Rinkside Live offers an immersive viewing mode for figure skating and hockey with multiple camera angles.
You can also stream on NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, and the NBC Sports app but you need cable login credentials.
United Kingdom: BBC iPlayer offers free streaming with a TV license. Discovery+ provides complete streaming through TNT Sports.
Canada: CBC Gem streams all events for Canadian viewers at no charge.
Australia: 9Now provides streaming for Australian fans.
New Zealand: SKY Go works as the streaming platform through SKY TV.
All major streaming services work on computers, phones, tablets, and smart TVs. Most offer apps for Roku, Apple TV, Fire TV, and other devices.
Tickets for the Opening Ceremony
Official tickets only come from tickets.milanocortina2026.org. All tickets are digital. They arrive through a mobile app.
Opening Ceremony Ticket Prices:
- Category A: €2,026
- Category B: €1,400
- Category C: €700
- Category D: €260
You can buy up to 4 tickets per account for the Opening Ceremony. Buyers must be at least 16 years old. Children under 14 need an adult companion who is 18 or older.
An official resale platform exists for sold-out events. Never buy tickets from unauthorized sellers or random websites. Those tickets might be fake. You could lose your money and get turned away at the gate.
Hospitality packages include guaranteed tickets, better seats, meals, and sometimes hotels and transportation. These packages are sold at hospitality.milanocortina2026.org.
Most regular Olympic event tickets cost less than €100. Opening and Closing Ceremonies cost more because demand is extremely high and seats are limited.
When and Where is the Closing Ceremony?
The Closing Ceremony happens on February 22, 2026 at Verona Arena. This historic Roman theater was built nearly 2,000 years ago.
Tickets for the Closing Ceremony range from €950 to €2,900. The ceremony includes the traditional handover to the next Olympic host. The 2030 Winter Olympics will take place in the French Alps.
Roberto Bolle headlines the Closing Ceremony. The principal dancer at La Scala Theatre Ballet returns to Olympic ceremonies. He and director Alfredo Accatino previously worked together on the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
The Paralympic Winter Games run from March 6 to 15, 2026. The Paralympic Opening Ceremony takes place at Verona Arena. The Paralympic Closing happens at Cortina Ice Stadium.
2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony FAQs
What time does the Opening Ceremony start?
Friday, February 6, 2026 at 2 PM Eastern Time for live coverage. NBC shows a primetime replay at 8 PM Eastern. The ceremony begins at 8 PM local time in Milan (7 PM GMT).
Where can I watch for free?
US viewers need Peacock subscription ($7.99-$16.99 monthly) or cable access. UK viewers use BBC iPlayer with a TV license at no extra cost. Canadians watch free on CBC Gem.
How much are tickets?
Opening Ceremony tickets cost between €260 and €2,026. Only buy from the official website tickets.milanocortina2026.org.
Why do some events start early?
Curling started February 4 and ice hockey on February 5 because those tournaments need more days. The Opening Ceremony still officially launches the Games on February 6.
What makes this ceremony unique?
This is the first Opening Ceremony happening at four locations at the same time. Athletes parade in Milan, Cortina, Predazzo, and Livigno all together. Two Olympic cauldrons light up for the first time ever.
Who are the performers?
Mariah Carey sings “Volare” in Italian. Andrea Bocelli performs as the legendary Italian tenor. Laura Pausini, Lang Lang, Cecilia Bartoli, Ghali, Pierfrancesco Favino, and Sabrina Impacciatore also take part in the show.
Who are Team USA’s flagbearers?
Olympic speed skating gold medalist Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca carry the flag for Team USA.
How long does the ceremony last?
The Opening Ceremony runs approximately three hours from start to finish.
The 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony promises an unforgettable night of sports, culture, and global unity. The historic multi-location format and world-class entertainment make this one of the most ambitious Olympic ceremonies ever staged.
