The 2026 Winter Olympics will take place in Milan-Cortina, Italy, bringing ice hockey, skating, skiing, and snowboarding back to the Alps for the first time in 20 years. The Games will feature around 3,500 athletes competing in 116 events across 16 disciplines over 19 days.
2026 Winter Olympics schedule and key dates
The Winter Olympics officially begin on Friday, with qualifying rounds starting on Wednesday. The first medals will be awarded on Saturday. The Games will conclude with the closing ceremony at the Verona Olympic Arena on February 22.
Opening ceremony details
The opening ceremony will take place on Friday and, for the first time, will be staged across multiple locations. The main ceremony will be held at Milan’s 80,000-seat San Siro Stadium, home to AC Milan and Inter Milan.
Celebrations will also be held in Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, where delegations will parade in their respective competition areas. About 60,000 spectators are expected to attend, with more than 1,300 cast members involved from over 27 countries. The ceremony will include performances by Italian and international artists, including Mariah Carey.
Host cities and venues
The Games will be hosted primarily in Milan and Cortina, with additional events held across northern Italy, making Milan-Cortina 2026 the most geographically spread-out Winter Olympics.
The four main clusters are:
- Milan
- Valtellina (Bormio, Valdisotto, Livigno)
- Cortina (including Anterselva/Antholz)
- Val di Fiemme (Predazzo, Tesero)
Verona will host the closing ceremony and later the opening of the Paralympics on March 6. Italy is hosting the Olympics for the fourth time overall.
How to watch the Winter Olympics
The Games will be broadcast worldwide by official Olympic media rights holders. In the United States, coverage will be available on Peacock and NBC Olympics. Other broadcasters include CBC Gem and TOU.tv in Canada, BBC and Discovery+ in the United Kingdom, and NRK and HBO Max in Norway.
Sports and events at the Games
The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature eight sports and 16 disciplines, including alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, curling, figure skating, freestyle skiing, ice hockey, speed skating, and snowboarding.
Ski mountaineering, also known as “skimo,” will make its Olympic debut with sprint races for men and women and a mixed relay.
Athletes to watch
Alpine skiing star Lindsey Vonn leads the US athletes as she aims to add to her medal tally. Mikaela Shiffrin, snowboarder Chloe Kim, and figure skater Ilia Malinin are also among the top American athletes.
International stars include ski jumpers Ryoyu Kobayashi and Domen Prevc, freestyle skier Eileen Gu, and NHL players returning to Olympic ice hockey for the first time since 2014, with Sidney Crosby headlining for Canada.
Medal contenders and gender balance
Norway is expected to be among the top nations again after leading the medal table at the last two Winter Olympics. The USA, China, Germany, and Canada are also expected to compete strongly.
Milan-Cortina 2026 will be the most gender-balanced Winter Games in history, with female participation exceeding 47 percent and a record 50 women’s events.
Mascots and security
The official mascots are siblings Tina and Milo, joined by six snowdrops known as “The Flo.”
Italy has confirmed that it will maintain full control of security operations. US agencies, including ICE, will operate only within US diplomatic offices and not on the ground in Italy.
Cost and economic impact
The total budget for the 2026 Winter Olympics is estimated at 5.2 billion euros, including public infrastructure spending and private funds for organising the Games. Italy expects around two million visitors and a global audience exceeding three billion.
According to government estimates, revenues are expected to exceed total investment, delivering long-term economic benefits through tourism and improved transport infrastructure.
2026 Winter Olympics | Everything to Know About the Milan-Cortina Games
