The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are officially open, launched in an historic ceremony held in a number of Italian locations simultaneously.
With ceremonies in both host cities, 370km apart, and athletes parades in both places and also Livigno and Predazzo, it was part of what the IOC are calling the first “widespread Olympic Games”.
Athletes from 92 delegations will compete at these Games. Not all countries had athletes marching aside from their flagbearers.
Australia was represented in all four locations, with the bulk of the team marching in Livigno. Flagbearers Matt Graham and Jakara Anthony led the way, with all the team looking like they were enjoying the experience amid strong support from the Italian crowds.
Read more about the Winter Olympics:
The ceremony brought an artistic vision and a celebration of Italian culture and music.
Pop superstar Mariah Carey delivered a version of Domenic Modugno’s iconic Italian song “Nel blu, dipinto di blu (Volare)” in the San Siro Olympic Stadium.
Later, tenor Andrea Bocelli performed the aria Nessun Dorma, 20 years after the late opera great Luciano Pavarotti sang the same piece to bring the 2006 Winter Olympics opening ceremony in Torino to a close.
The ceremony paid tribute to legendary Italian designer Giorgio Armani, with models wearing his fashion in red, white and green, making up the Italian flag on a “frunway” at San Siro.
Both Milano Cortina organising committee president, Giovanni Malagò, and IOC president Kirsty Coventry used their speeches to call for respect and unity.
Italian president Sergio Mattarella officially opened the Games, before the cauldrons, designed as “twin suns”, were lit, with Alpine skiing legends Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni providing the final touch as they stood on a raised dais in Milano.
Look back at all the action in our live blog.
Key Events
14h ago14 hours agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:46pm
14h ago14 hours agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:40pm
15h ago15 hours agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:25pm
Show all key events14h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:46pmAn incredible ceremony ends, and the Winter Olympics begin!
The fire burns in the Arco della Pace for the next 16 days (AP)
Well, that went for about half an hour over time, which is pretty good given Olympic tradition.
What did you think of that, folks?
It’s hard to imagine an opening ceremony held in two cities and celebrated in four, but then after the Paris Olympics — where they took over the city and used the Seine as a highway for the parade — all bets are off.
It was a ceremony of beautiful moments and fun as well.
Mariah Carey’s take on Volare will no doubt do the rounds on social media, but Andrea Bocelli’s Nessun Dorma was also a highlight.
The speeches doubled down on the need for Armonia (harmony) and respect, and the final fiery moments were simply done but effective.
The twin suns will be a very familiar image over the next couple of weeks.
We will bring you day one of competition – and every day of competition – in our live blog, which will be coming up this evening.
In the meantime, good luck to all athletes, particularly the Australian team, and thank you for joining us, on behalf of Simon Smale in Milano and myself Andrew McGarry. Buonasera Australia!
14h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:40pmWhich Australians will be competing on day one
Sadly, we will not have Australia’s Daisy Thomas taking part in the freeski slopestyle event on day one, as she was injured in a crash in practice and cannot compete.
Here are the Australians who will be in action on day one, later today:
Cross-Country Skiing: Women’s Skiathlon — Ellen Soehol Lie, Phoebe Cridland, Rosie Fordham, Maddie Hooker 11pm AEDT Saturday – 00:40am AEDT Sunday
Luge: Men’s Singles — Alex Ferlazzo 3am – 5:20am AEDT Sunday
Snowboarding: Men’s Big Air — Final Round – Valentino Guseli 5:30am – 6:50am AEDT Sunday
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:25pmHistory made as the Olympic flame lights the twin cauldrons
The cauldrons are lit, completing the opening ceremony (Getty Images)
The flame left the San Siro a few minutes ago, headed for the Arco della Pace (the arch of peace).
In Cortina, the flame is headed for the Piazza Nabona.
A series of Italian athletes take the flame to the verge of the cauldrons.
This is a historic moment – there have never been two cauldrons lit in different cities at an Olympic Games.
Alpine race skiers Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni receive the final baton so to speak, and they stand on a podium that rises to just below the cauldron in Milano.
They ignite the twin suns – cauldrons.
The flames rise! There are cheers in both cities.
Two cities, two identities, but one flame shared – the theme of Armonia once more.
The cauldrons are lit for 16 days!
The fireworks go off in both cities.
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:18pm
Armonia of the future
The first notes of “Ode to Joy” begin, and Milan’s Arco della Pace turns blue.
Stars begin to appear on its facade, forming the European Union flag,
We get a moment mentioning words by scientist Marquerite Hack, and shared by young girl Gaia Giraldi and astronaut Samantha Cristoferetti, the first Italian woman to serve on the International Space Station.
Dancers represent the Milky Way, transforming the stage into a moving galaxy.
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:17pm
The Olympic Oath
Two athletes, two coaches and two judges make the oath.
Then the athletes, Stefania Constantini and Dominik Fischnaller, complete the oath.
“… We promise to take part in these Olympic Games, respecting and abiding by the rules and in the spirit of fair play, inclusion and equality.
Together we stand in solidarity and commit ourselves to sport without doping, without cheating, without any form of discrimination.
We do this for the honour of our teams, in respect for the Fundamental Principles of Olympism, and to make the world a better place through sport.
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:15pm
The Olympic anthem
As the Olympic flags are raised in both venues simultaneously, it is time for the Olympic anthem.
The performance sees pianist Lang Lang playing alongside Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli.
The notes flow from Lang Lang’s piano, and Bartoli’s exquisite vocals soar along with The Teatro alla Scala Children’s Choir in the background as the flags slowly rise in the San Siro and in Piazza Nabona in Cortina.
It’s beautiful.
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:08pm
The Olympic flag comes into the stadium
The Olympic flag enters the San Siro, carried by a number of Italian figures and famous Olympians.
Milano
Tadatoshi Akiba (Japan), Mayor of Hiroshima (1999-2011)Rebeca Andrade (Brazil), most decorated Olympian in Brazilian history, two-time Olympic gold medallistMaryam Bukar Hassan (Nigeria), artist and poet, appointed UN Global Advocate for Peace in 2025Nicolò Govoni (Italy), writer and activist, nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 2020 and 2023Filippo Grandi (Italy), UN High Commissioner for Refugees (2016-2025)Eliud Kipchoge (Kenya), five-time Olympian and two-time Olympic championCindy Ngamba (Refugee Olympic Team), first ROT athlete to win Olympic gold (Paris 2024)Pita Taufatofua (Tonga), first athlete from Tonga to represent his country at both the Summer Olympic Games (2016, 2020) and Winter Olympic Games (2018) – and the man who went viral for going shirtless at an opening ceremony
And in Cortina:
Franco Nones (Italy), first Olympic champion in cross-country skiing (1968)Martina Valcepina (Italy), Three-time Olympic medallist (2014, 2018)
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 10:02pm
The Olympic Truce
An important part of the Olympics is the Olympic Truce.
The poem “Promemoria (Memorandum)” by Gianni Rodari, is read out.
Italian-Tunisian rapper Ghali performs it beautifully.
There are things to be done each day: like wash and read and play and set the table at midday.
There are things to be done each night: close your eyes, go to sleep, have dreams for dreaming, have ears for not hearing.
There are things you must never do, not by day nor by night not by sea nor by shore: for example WAR
There is some stunning choreography, and a choral effect. The message is important, and it seems to strike a chord in the crowd.
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:55pm
Andrea Bocelli sings Nessun Dorma
Andrea Bocelli left the San Siro stunned with his rendition of Nessun Dorma (Getty Images)
Twenty years ago, Luciano Pavarotti sang Nessun Dorma to bring the opening ceremony in Torino to an end.
This time, Andrea Bocelli stands in a spellbound San Siro, singing the same famous aria. Goosebumps again as the strings and his wonderful voice combine.
The crowd erupts in the stadium.
This is not the end, however. This is the torch relay, with footballer Giuseppe Bergomi and Franco Baresi – representing Inter Milan and AC Milan – handing over to new torchbearers, as they circle the stadium.
That incredible final note rings out as the torch is held aloft in the stadium.
The flame leaves the stadium, on the way to the cauldron.
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:52pmThe 25th Winter Olympics are officially open
The Italian president, Sergio Mattarella, gets another reception as he makes the shortest and most important speech of the night.
He declares the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 officially open.
The roar builds in the stadium, as some simple flare fireworks go off at ground level to mark the announcement.
That’s it, folks, we are truly underway!
15h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:42pm
IOC president, Kirsty Coventry calls for respect and unity
Swimming great and groundbreaking first female IOC President, Kirsty Coventry, comes to the lectern.
She says welcome to your Games to the Italian people and then turns to the athletes with a passionate defence of the Games.
“I know that feeling of making it. Be proud of getting this far, and now enjoy it. Enjoy every second.
“You’ll show us what it means to be human, to dream, to overcome, to respect each other, to care for each other.
“You’ll show us that strength isn’t just about winning, it’s about courage … and heart.
“This is why we all love the Olympic Games because through you we see the very best of ourselves.
“We see that we can be brave, we can be kind, and we can get back up regardless how hard we fall.”
“To people around the world, thank you for believing in the magic of the Olympic Games.”
That theme of Armonia comes out in her next section as well.
“In Africa we have a word called Ubuntu. It means I am because we are. That our strength comes from caring for each other.
“We all know this spirit. It lives and breathes in every community. I see this spirit most clearly at the Olympic Games, where athletes from every corner of our world compete fiercely, but they also respect, support and inspire one another.
“They remind us that we are all connected, that our strength comes from how we treat each other, and that the best of humanity is found in courage, compassion and kindness.
“So let these Games be a celebration of what unites us, of everything that makes us human.”
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:29pmThe flags of the nations enter the stage as the formalities start
President of the Organising Committee for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics Giovanni Malago (Getty Images)
The music swells and the flags are waved on stage before a burst of applause from the San Siro crowd.
Giovanni Malagò, President of the Organising Committee for the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games Milano Cortina 2026, and IOC President Kirsty Coventry are here to welcome the athletes and the public.
Malagò welcomes the Italian president, who gets another big cheer.
“Bienvenuti, welcome to Milano Cortina duemilaventisei (2026),” he says.
He says the Olympic world has changed so much since Italy first hosted in 1956.
“We stand ready to make Olympic history again.
He calls it a “pioneering edition of the Olympic Games”.
Malagò says it means so much to him because he knows how hard people have had to work to get here.
“I love my country, I love sport and I love the Olympic movement”, he says.
He thanks the people of Milano and Cortina, the regions, the Italian Olympic and Paralympic Committees.
“I would like to say grazie to the Italian people. Grazie to the thousands of volunteers who will make these Games so special. And grazie to all those who will take part in this historic spectacle.”
He says to the athletes:
These games belong to you. And the time. And a time when so much of the world is divided by conflict. Your very presence demonstrates that another world is possible.
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:27pm
A guide to Italian hand gestures
This seems on the face of it to be a possibly risky segment, but here we go as Italian comedian and actress Brenda Lodigiani takes the audience – and the watching world – through Italian hand gestures.
It’s a parallel language, and as anyone who’s ever been to Italy knows, extremely expressive.
From beautiful, to asking for a coffee, from shushing people away to anything else.
It’s all covered in a couple of minutes.
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:18pm
Time travel
There’s never a bad time to bring some musical theatre to the Olympics, and this is our time.
This musical is a single shot spanning from the 1920s to the 1990s and then the present day of Winter Olympics, with music, images, rhythm and movement.
There are 2D moving cut-outs, choreography, costumes and elements that create scenes like flipping pages of an animated book.
An animated version of actress Sabrina Impacciatore pops up in different sporting guises, and now she appears in person as we go from the Jazz Age onwards.
Who knew the 60s and 70s were so colourful? The fashion, the colours and the sound all changes.
Then it’s the 80s and 90s, as snowboarding starts to get a guernsey in the winter world, and the beat drops in with a vengeance.
Now we get to the modern moment, with all the new disciplines of winter sport, the apparel is streamlined with fluoro and neon, and the techno lands.
The energy is up.
The music builds from Andrea Farri, Adriano Celentano and MACE.
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:12pmIt’s the host nation, Italy!
The Italian team are here 1 and EVERYONE is happy to see them (Getty Images)
After a bit of a wait, finally there is a huge roar for the Italian team, the third biggest in the Games with 195 athletes.
MACE switches it up to an amped-up chorus of “Figaro”, and they come into the various venues with big smiles and waving to the ecstatic crowds.
This is the moment they have been waiting for!
There are four flagbearers, two at Milano and Cortina.
Short track speed skater Arianna Fontana is carrying the flag for the second time after having the honour in PyeongChang in 2018.
Also carrying the flag are Cross-Country skier Federico Pellegrino, Curler Amos Mosaner and Alpine Skier Federica Brignone.
If crowd vibes are any guide, this team is ready for a huge Games.
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:10pm
It’s France
The French team come out second-last, not in alphabetical order but because they are the next hosts of the Winter Games in the French Alps in 2030.
Their flagbearers are snowboarder Chloe Trespeuch in Livigno and Alpine skier Clement Noel, also in Livigno,
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 9:07pm
United States enters the Games
The United States team is the biggest at Milano Cortina (Getty Images)
It’s time for the biggest team at the Winter Olympics!
The 232-strong team (plus three alternates) is always up for Olympics, Winter or Summer.
The flagbearers are Speed Skating defending champion Erin Jackson and Bobsleigh athlete Frankie del Duca.
Between freestyle skiers Lindsay Vonn and Mikaela Schiffrin, and snowboarder Chloe Kim, they are ready to make headlines.
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 8:59pm
Say hello to Sweden
Scandinavian countries are always well represented at the Winter Olympics, and Sweden is no different.
They won seven gold medals in Beijing, and will be looking for something similar here.
Their flagbearers are Alpine Skier Sara Hector in Cortina, and Freestyle Skier Walter Wallberg in Livigno.
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 8:56pm
Hello Slovenia
Now it’s time for Slovenia to enter the Games.
We have more family connections here – Slovenia is very well known for its ski jumpers, and here we have two represented in the flagbearers.
In Predazzo, it’s brother-sister combination Domen Prevc and Nika Prevc.
That’s a pretty amazing effort from that family, although both their parents were competitive ski jumpers as well. You muight say it’s a bit of a dynasty.
16h agoFri 6 Feb 2026 at 8:52pm
Netherlands is here
One of the traditional teams at the Winter Olympics, Netherlands makes its entrance.
The flagbearers are Skeleton racer Kimberley Bos in Cortina, and Short track Speed Skater Jens van T’Wout in Milano.
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