Each edition of the Olympic Games seeks to distinguish itself from those before it. Continuing that tradition, the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games opened with a striking first as two Olympic cauldrons were lit simultaneously, launching the Games in a spectacle of color, music, and technology.

Athletes from around the world took part in the Parade of Nations during an opening ceremony staged across four locations, another Olympic first. Large crowds gathered at San Siro, while celebrations also unfolded in Livigno, where flag bearers Mikaël Kingsbury and Marielle Thompson led Team Canada. India, still a newcomer to winter sports, was represented by alpine skier Arif Mohammad Khan from Kashmir as its flag bearer. Despite the International Olympic Committee’s efforts to promote gender equity, nearly two dozen of the 90 participating nations have no female athletes at these Games.

Following the Paris 2024 Summer Games, which staged their opening ceremony along the River Seine, Italy continued the approach of taking Olympic ceremonies beyond enclosed stadiums. The Milano-Cortina organizers emphasized wider public engagement and the use of existing infrastructure rather than building new venues. Several locations selected for this edition were originally intended to host Winter Olympic events nearly eight decades ago, plans that were abandoned due to World War II.

On the sporting front, the Milano-Cortina Games are being closely watched as Norway, the dominant nation in the past three Winter Olympics, faces stronger competition from other European countries and the United States. Norway leads the all-time Winter Olympic medal table with 148 gold, 134 silver, and 123 bronze medals. The United States follows with 114 gold, 121 silver, and 95 bronze medals, while Germany is close behind with 105 gold, 97 silver, and 65 bronze. Canada ranks fifth overall with 77 gold, 72 silver, and 76 bronze medals. India is still seeking its first Winter Olympic medal.

The global balance of winter sports is also evolving. Asian nations such as South Korea, China, and Japan continue to make progress, though they remain well behind their European and North American counterparts.

The Milano-Cortina Games also mark a historic milestone for the Olympic movement. They are the first Games held under the leadership of Kirsty Coventry, the first woman and the first African to serve as President of the International Olympic Committee. A five-time Olympic swimmer, Coventry addressed her first opening ceremony as IOC president by emphasizing the values of respect and shared humanity.

“Olympics reminds us we can choose respect,” Coventry said. Reflecting on moments of perseverance and sportsmanship, she added, “When we see an athlete stumble and find the strength to rise, we are reminded that we can do the same.” She described the Olympic spirit as extending beyond sport to reflect “what makes us human,” and told athletes, “Strength is not just about winning, it is about courage.”

Coventry also praised Italy’s “dedication, creativity and teamwork” in hosting the Games.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli delivered a powerful rendition of Nessun Dorma as the Olympic flame was carried through San Siro, symbolically extending the Games beyond the opening ceremony venue. Bocelli interrupted his world tour to perform, nearly two decades after his appearance at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. Organizers described the performance as “one of the most iconic moments of the event.”

Italy’s President Sergio Mattarella formally declared the Games open from the presidential box at San Siro. The ceremony also included traditional elements such as the dove of peace, underscoring opposition to war. Academy Award-winning actress and United Nations peace ambassador Charlize Theron delivered a reading inspired by Nelson Mandela.

“Today, this message seems more relevant than ever,” Theron said. “So let these Games be more than just sport, let them be a reminder of our common humanity … and a resounding call for peace everywhere.”

In keeping with Olympic protocol, two athletes, two judges, and two coaches, representing both women and men, took the Olympic Oath on behalf of the global sports community, pledging fair competition. Reflecting the distributed nature of the Games, the Olympic flag was introduced simultaneously in Milan and Cortina before the Olympic anthem was played. The name Milano-Cortina itself underscores the dual-host identity of the event.

The 2026 Games are widely described as having two distinct souls: an urban presence centered in Milan and an alpine character spread across multiple valleys in northern Italy. This approach allows extensive use of existing venues, enhancing efficiency and environmental sustainability, but it also presents significant logistical challenges due to the geographic spread of competitions.

In Milan, Olympians Rebecca Andrade, Eliud Kipchoge, Cindy Ngamba, and Pita Taufatofua carried the Olympic flag, joined by figures recognized for their commitment to peace, rights, and solidarity. In Cortina, Italian Olympic champions Franco Nones and Martina Valcepina carried the flag.

The ceremony concluded with the simultaneous lighting of two golden, spherical cauldrons, one at the Arco della Pace in Milan and the other at Piazza Angelo Dibona in Cortina. Designed to symbolize the sun, the cauldrons pay tribute to the geometric motifs of Leonardo da Vinci’s Knots.

Speed skating legend Enrico Fabris passed the torch to ski icon Alberto Tomba and alpine skier Deborah Compagnoni, who together lit the Milan cauldron. Fabris won three medals at the Torino 2006 Games and remains Italy’s most successful athlete from that edition. In Cortina, the cauldron was lit by alpine skier Sofia Goggia, Italy’s first Olympic women’s downhill champion, who claimed gold at PyeongChang 2018.

With its dual hosts, historic firsts, and emphasis on shared values, the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games opened with a ceremony that sought to reflect both the evolution of the Olympic movement and its enduring ideals.

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