{"id":453587,"date":"2026-02-07T01:48:13","date_gmt":"2026-02-07T01:48:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/453587\/"},"modified":"2026-02-07T01:48:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-07T01:48:13","slug":"milan-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony-biggest-moments-performances","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/453587\/","title":{"rendered":"Milan Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony: Biggest Moments, Performances"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tThe Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics<\/a> kicked off on Friday with an unprecedentedly widespread opening ceremony that was certainly more somber that the Paris 2024 opener but still delivered a classy spectacle and projected an overall elegance that reflects its Italian spirit.<\/p>\n

\n\tHeld in the two host cities and in several Alpine venues, the event featured more than 1,000 performers \u2014 including Mariah Carey<\/a> and Andrea Bocelli<\/a> \u2014 who celebrated Italian history, culture and fashion.<\/p>\n

\n\tMilan\u2019s San Siro 75,000-seat stadium was the main venue for the roughly three hour live Olympic opener. The ceremony took place amid tight security with thousands of Italian police officers, aided by surveillance drones and robots that patrolled the area around the stadium where dozens of heads of state, including U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, watched the show.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe lead-up to the games had been marked by protests over the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, who will not be in the streets but are instead there as security for Vance and Rubio, as well as a Russian cyberattack aimed at some Olympics-related websites and hotels. Tensions over the presence of ICE in Italy caused the official hospitality hangout space for the U.S. Olympic team in Milan to undergo a name change from The Ice House to The Winter House.<\/p>\n

\n\tVeteran Olympic ceremonies wizard\u00a0Marco Balich, who produced the opener, built the multi-location show around the Greek concept of \u201charmony,\u201d intended to bring together city and mountains, man and nature and the 2,900 athletes from cultures that share the Olympic space.<\/p>\n

\n\tBalich told Variety that, unlike previous Olympic openers such as the star-studded Paris 2024 opener, \u201cThis is the first time we\u2019re going to have a somber ceremony.\u201d Olympics organizers are focusing on deploying less glitz and more ecological sustainability, while still generating lots of excitement.<\/p>\n

\n\tWhich they did, in a more understated manner than the bombastic, and fun, Paris 2024 Olympics spectacle held on the River Seine.<\/p>\n

\n\tRead on for the biggest moments from this year\u2019s Winter Olympics opening ceremony.<\/p>\n

\t\tWelcome to Italy\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t06 February 2026, Italy, Mailand: Olympia, Olympic Winter Games Milan Cortina 2026, opening ceremony in Milan, San Siro, dancers from the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala perform during the opening ceremony under the motto \u201cArmonia\u201d. Photo: Michael Kappeler\/dpa (Photo by Michael Kappeler\/picture alliance via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tThe live action in Milan\u2019s San Siro stadium started on time with a countdown and a tribute to Italian beauty and Neoclassical sculptor Antonio Canova. Canova\u2019s 18th century statue depicting the myth of Cupid and Psyche was brought to life on stage, intending to become symbolic tale of attraction, transformation, and union, visually embodying the concept of\u00a0 \u201cArmonia,\u201d or \u201cHarmony\u201d in English, that organizers say is inspired by the word\u2019s original Greek meaning of a harmony as a dialogue between diverse elements. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe piece, in which the stadium was transformed into a living museum, featured 70 young dancers from Milan\u2019s Accademia del Teatro alla Scala. This segment showcased reproductions of four iconic works by Antonio Canova: the Venus Italica, the Genius of Death, the Bust of Paris, and the Naiad.<\/p>\n

\t\tItalian Harmony: Fantasia\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tMatilda De Angelis<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tItalian actress Matilda De Angelis (C) performs during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on February 6, 2026. (Photo by Piero CRUCIATTI \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tItaly\u2019s Matilda De Angelis, who made her international acting breakthrough in Susanne Bier\u2019s \u201cThe Undoing\u201d \u2013 alongside Nicole Kidman and Hugh Grant \u2013 took to the stage as an orchestra conductor and launched into what is being called a Symphony of Fantasia celebrating Italian creativity. The music shifted between different registers: from a trumpet reminiscent of Nino Rota\u2019s film scores for Federico Fellini movies to a stadium choir, then from an Antonio Vivaldi aria to the pop music of the late Raffaella Carr\u00e0, the iconic Italian singer, actor, and dancer who was a TV sensation across Europe and Latin America. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe musical medley culminated in an electronic remix of of Gioachino Rossini\u2019s opera \u201cLa Gazza Ladra\u201d and ended with the aria \u201cVincer\u00f2\u201d from Giacomo Puccini\u2019s \u201cTurandot,\u201d performed by the late great Luciano Pavarotti, in a recorded version.<\/p>\n

\t\tGrand Parade\/Mariah Carey Sings\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tMariah Carey<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tUS singer Mariah Carey performs during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on February 6, 2026. (Photo by WANG Zhao \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tA grand parade of characters inspired by symbolic categories of Italian creativity through the ages culminated in Mariah Carey Carey, surrounded by a kaleidoscope of colours on stage, performing entirely in Italian for the first time. Carey sang Domenico Modugno\u2019s \u201cNel Blu, dipinto di Blu\u201d \u2013 known internationally as \u201cVolare.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tWritten by Domenico Modugno and performed at the 1958 Sanremo Festival, \u201cVolare,\u201d with its famous refrain \u2013 \u201cvolare! oh, oh!\u201d \u2013 marked a milestone in the history of Italian song, becoming a global phenomenon and winning two Grammy Awards, an unprecedented achievement for Italian music at the time. Carey\u2019s \u201cVolare\u201d performance was conceived as a symbolic gesture, again underscoring the event\u2019s \u201charmony\u201d theme and the ambition to highlight local culture while giving the broadcast global appeal. <\/p>\n

\n\tCarey segued from \u201cVolare\u201d into her hit single \u201cNothing is Impossible\u201d from the 2025 studio album \u201cHere For It All.\u201d She wore a an Art Deco-inspired gown featuring beads and crystals on the bodice, waist and skirt. And a diamond necklace, earrings and bracelet, valued at $15 million.<\/p>\n

\t\tPresidential Entrance, Followed By Giorgio Armani Tribute\t<\/p>\n

\n\tThe President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, and the President of the International Olympic Committee, Kirsty Coventry, took their seats in the San Siro grandstand.<\/p>\n

\n\tTheir symbolic grand entrance was followed by a fashion show inspired by the Italian flag and based on one of Armani\u2019s last drawings before he died at 91 last September.<\/p>\n

\n\tThree groups of models walked the runway wearing Armani creations in green, white, and red, transforming the Italian flag into a living image. It was a moment of collective recognition, a tribute to Italian fashion and the elegance of one of its most celebrated figures.<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMILAN, ITALY \u2013 FEBRUARY 06: Models wearing creations designed by Giorgio Armani walk during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tArmani is also the official technical outfitter of Italy\u2019s winter sports athletes.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe flag bearer chosen to embody Milan\u2019s creative and contemporary spirit was supermodel Vittoria Ceretti who is currently romantically linked to Leonardo DiCaprio.<\/p>\n

\t\tLaura Pausini Sings Italy\u2019s National Anthem\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tLaura Pausini<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMILAN, ITALY \u2013 FEBRUARY 06: Laura Pausini performs the national anthem during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Sarah Stier\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tGlobal pop icon Laura Pausini, a multiple Grammy Awards winner, sang Italy\u2019s national anthem which resounded simultaneously in both host cities, creating a shared moment between Milan and Cortina where a mountain choir amplified its emotional power.<\/p>\n

\t\tOlympic Rings\/Transition To Multiple Locations\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMILAN, ITALY \u2013 FEBRUARY 06: The Olympic rings come together as a fireworks display is seen during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tMilan joined Cortina in this unprecedented multi-location ceremony, with the Olympic circles multiplying in a dance number that embraced the city and the mountains, until they recomposed into the emblem of the Games, with music played by a Stradivarius violin as accompaniment. As the Olympic emblem appeared, the ceremony shifted into multi-location mode.<\/p>\n

\t\tFirst Widespread Parade of Athletes\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tTOPSHOT \u2013 Iran\u2019s flag bearers Danyal Saveh Shemshaki (R) and Samaneh Beyrami Baher parade during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo (Val di Fiemme), on February 6, 2026. (Photo by Javier SORIANO \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\t
Reflecting the fact that these are the most spread out Olympics in the games\u2019 history, the athletes\u2019 parade took place in the sites closest to where they will compete. Milan\u2019s San Siro Olympic Stadium is hosting the athletes competing in ice sports. Livigno has the Livigno Snowboard Park. So athletes competing in Bormio and Livigno will compete in freestyle skiing, snowboard, and also men\u2019s Alpine skiing. Predazzo has the ski jumping stadium. And Cortina will host athletes in ski jumping, cross-country skiing and Nordic combined, besides sliding sports and curling, among others.<\/p>\n

\n\tOrganizers are proud of pulling off the feat of transforming the geography of the Games into what they call a single, shared stage with TV coverage weaving it into a seamless narrative. There are more than 2900 athletes from 92 participating delegations, including four skiers from Iran. Benin, Guinea-Bissau, and the United Arab Emirates are participating for the first time.<\/p>\n

\n\tRussian skiers and lugers at the Games are not displaying a national identity with team colors, a flag or an anthem and were not part of the opening ceremony.<\/p>\n

\n\tThe last team to parade was host Italy. As soon as they began, the music switched to the rambunctious \u201cLargo Al Factotum\u201d number from Rossini\u2019s \u201cThe Barber of Seville.\u201d <\/p>\n

\t\tSabrina Impacciatore Dazzles With Time-Traveling Musical Number\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMILAN, ITALY \u2013 FEBRUARY 06: Sabrina Impacciatore performs a musical during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Elsa\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tSabrina Impacciatore, known to U.S. audiences for roles in \u201cThe White Lotus\u201d and \u201cThe Paper,\u201d performed a time-traveling musical number celebrating 100 years of Winter Olympics history featuring a panoply of on-stage costumes, including a fabulous vintage ski outfit designed by Emilio Pucci for jet-setting Princess Soraya of Iran who wore it in Cortina where Italy\u2019s first Winter games were held in 1956.<\/p>\n

\n\tThat year no artificial snow was used in Cortina. But in today\u2019s global warming world there are plans for snow cannons to spew nearly 2.4 million cubic meters (3.1 million cubic yards) of fine-grained flakes. Organisers are vowing to use entirely renewable energy to power the cannons which should guarantee sufficient cover for the 116 Olympic medal events scheduled over 17 days.<\/p>\n

\n\tImpacciatore\u2019s live stage performance featured scenes spanning from the 1920s to the 1990s, and into the present day, with a musical selection featuring jazz and swing music, and iconic Italian singer Adriano Celentano\u2019s hit song \u201cPrisencolinensinainciusol,\u201d considered the first Italian rap song ever written. The song\u2019s improvised text is an invented language that phonetically mimics English.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPrisencolinensinainciusol,\u201d which is said by Celentano to stand for universal love, features in Spike Lee\u2019s film \u201cHighest 2 Lowest\u201d recorded by Aiyana-Lee with the title \u201cPrisencolin (Americano Joint).\u201d<\/p>\n

\t\tItalian President Opens the Games \u2013 Bocelli Sings \u201cNessun Dorma\u201d\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMILAN, ITALY \u2013 FEBRUARY 06: Andrea Boccelli performs during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Sarah Stier\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tFrom the presidential box, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, officially declared the Olympic Winter Games Milan Cortina 2026 open. Then a pair of torchbearers entered the stadium, kicking off a symbolic relay. The Olympic flame was first entrusted to a group of three Italian athletes and then the relay movement continued uninterrupted. The sequence was segued by Andrea Bocelli belting out Puccini\u2019s aria \u201cNessun Dorma\u201d culminating in the flame\u2019s exit from San Siro, symbolically opening the path for the Games to kick off beyond the ceremony venue.<\/p>\n

\t\tCharlize Theron Delivers Message of Peace\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMILAN, ITALY \u2013 FEBRUARY 06: Charlize Theron, UN Peace Ambassador, delivers a speech inspired by Nelson Mandela during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Sarah Stier\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tOscar-winning actor Charlize Theron addressed the opening ceremony as a U.N. Messenger of Peace, delivering a message of hope inspired by Nelson Mandela.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cPeace is not just the absence of conflict. Peace is the creation of an environment where all can flourish, regardless of race, color, creed, religion, gender, class, caste or any other social markers of difference,\u201d Theron said. \u201cToday, this message seems more relevant than ever. So let these games be more than just sport. Let them be a reminder of our common humanity, our respect for one another, and a resounding call for peace everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\tThe South African-born actor, known for her performances in \u201cMonster,\u201d \u201cBombshell\u201d and \u201cMad Max: Fury Road,\u201d spoke during the ceremony\u2019s protocol segment focused on the Olympic Truce and symbols of peace. Her address concluded a section exploring peace symbols found across different cultures, religions and traditions, representing reconciliation, hope and the rejection of violence.<\/p>\n

\t\tLang Lang and Cecilia Bartoli Light up San Siro\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tMILAN, ITALY \u2013 FEBRUARY 06: Cecelia Bartoli performs a song with Lang Lang performing a piano piece during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Alexander Hassenstein\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tAfter the Olympic flag was raised simultaneously in Milan and Cortina, mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli sang the Olympic anthem accompanied by Lang Lang, clad in white at a white grand piano, and the Teatro alla Scala Children\u2019s Choir. Their performance was followed by the Olympic oath performed in Italian. The oath was first pronounced by Belgian athlete Victor Boin at the Games of the VII Olympiad Antwerp in 1920. The oath of the modern Games was originally written by Pierre de Coubertin, the French educator and historian who founded the International Olympic Committee but it has been modified over time.<\/p>\n

\t\tGrand Finale: Olympics Flame and Lighting of the Cauldrons\t<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tFinal torchbearer Italian skier Sofia Goggia (C) uses the torch of the Olympic flame to light the Olympic cauldron designed by Marco Balich during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Cortina d\u2019Ampezzo, northern Italy, on February 6, 2026. (Photo by Stefano RELLANDINI \/ POOL \/ AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n

\n\tIn Milan and Cortina, for the first time in the history of the Winter Olympics, the flame was passed from hand to hand to reach two Olympic cauldrons, one for each host city. The one in Milan is at the Arco della Pace (Peace Arch) that is one of the city\u2019s iconic monuments and represents the idea of peace achieved after conflict. The cauldron in Cortina is in the central Piazza Dibona. <\/p>\n

\n\tBoth cauldrons feature more than 1,400 parts and are modelled after the intricate knot design of Leonardo da Vinci\u2019s \u201cNodi Vinciani.\u201d Leonardo embedded these intricate knot patterns in several of his masterpieces, including the tapestry in the Last Supper and the decorative embroidery on the neckline of the Mona Lisa. The flame became transformed into Armonia, the ceremony\u2019s overriding theme. Fireworks and a cascade of sparks from the Olympic rings followed.<\/p>\n

\n\tIn the U.S., the Games are getting full-court-press treatment from NBC and Peacock. In Europe, HBO Max is streaming the Olympic competition alongside local broadcasters.<\/p>\n

\n\tAs for American representation, the U.S. is fielding its largest Winter Olympics team ever, with 232 athletes including Lindsey Vonn, whose comeback attempt at age 41 is being threatened by the recent rupture of her left anterior cruciate ligament. We will known on Sunday if Vonn manages to compete.<\/p>\n

\n\tLet the Games begin!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics kicked off on Friday with an unprecedentedly widespread opening ceremony that was…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":453588,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[35],"tags":[166624,23385,99,58926],"class_list":{"0":"post-453587","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-sports","8":"tag-andrea-bocelli","9":"tag-mariah-carey","10":"tag-sports","11":"tag-winter-olympics"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453587","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=453587"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/453587\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/453588"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=453587"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=453587"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=453587"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}