Milan, Italy, February 6, 2026: A glittering Opening Ceremony focusing on Italian history, art and culture and centered around the theme of "Armonia" ("Harmony") officially launched the XXV Olympic Winter Games on Friday evening at the San Siro Stadium in Milan.
It was not just Milan, however, as, for the first time in the history of the Winter Games, the Opening Ceremony took place across two cities, with Cortina d’Ampezzo serving as a dual event, a symbolic connecting of a network of mountain sites in real time through a single, shared narrative.
The symbolism marks only the beginning of a widespread Games, with some seven separate locations hosting events for Milano Cortina throughout the mountainous Northern Italy region, a model that represents the future of the Winter Olympics.
The Olympic cauldrons - in both Milan and Cortina - were lit by Italian Olympic skiing legends: Gold medallists Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba in Milan, and Sofia Goggia in Cortina.
In a speech aimed at the Olympians themselves, IOC President Kirsty Coventry said: "Welcome to your Games, this is your moment. I know what it feels like — that mix of excitement and nerves."
She continued: "Through you, we see the very best of ourselves. 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."
The 2,900 Winter Olympic athletes from 92 NOCs marched through their respective sites, with parades in each of Milan, Cortina, Livignio and Predazzo.
There was plenty of pomp and circumstance with global appeal, too, as pop music icon Mariah Carey - dressed by Italian designer Fausto Puglisi - performed Domenico Modugno’s Volare before singing her own hit, Nothing is Impossible.
No one was to outdo Andrea Bocelli, however, the iconic Italian tenor delivering a chilling, iconic performance of Nessun Dorma from Puccini’s Turandot as the Olympic flame made its way through the San Siro, headed to light the cauldron.
The sheer numbers of the Opening Ceremony were staggering: Some 1,200 volunteer performers committed to over 700 combined rehearsal hours. Over 1,400 costumes were designed, with 500 musicians involved in the making of the music used for it.
(Olympics.com)