The 2026 Winter Olympics officially commenced Friday evening with opening ceremonies held simultaneously in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. The event, broadcast globally, featured a Parade of Nations and the lighting of Olympic cauldrons, marking the start of the Games.
Celebrations unfolded at Milan’s San Siro Stadium and at venues in Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The ceremony included performances by Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli, and Sabrina Impacciatore, known for her role in the HBO series “White Lotus.”
More than 2,900 athletes representing 92 national Olympic committees are participating in the Milano-Cortina Winter Games. The United States delegation is the largest, with over 230 athletes, followed by Canada with 210 and Italy, the host nation, with 196.
The lighting of the Olympic cauldrons, a central moment of the ceremony, took place at the Arco della Pace in Milan and in Piazza Dibona in Cortina d’Ampezzo. The cauldrons, designed to pay homage to Leonardo da Vinci, feature a sun-like structure inspired by his intricate knot patterns. They are designed to expand in diameter from 10.2 feet to 14.8 feet and contain the Olympic flame within a glass and metal container.
Italian Olympic champion Alpine ski racers Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lit the cauldron in Milan, while Sofia Goggia, as well an Olympic champion Alpine skier and a current competitor in the 2026 Games, lit the cauldron in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
According to the Olympic Charter, the duty of declaring the Games officially open falls to the head of state of the host country. President Sergio Mattarella most recently performed this duty for a Winter Olympic Games.
The Olympic flame’s journey to the cauldrons spanned 63 days across Italy, culminating in the lighting ceremony. The Games will continue through February 22nd.
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