The winter sporting event of the year, the 2026 Winter Olympics, will be returning to the Alps after a twenty-year hiatus. The event will be hosted in Milan and in Cortina d’ Ampezzo, which will feature activities such as ice hockey, skiing, skating and snowboarding all set against the stunning beauty of Italy’s alpine scenery.
To help you prepare for the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, we have compiled a list of important information that you may want to know before attending the Games.
When Do the 2026 Winter Olympics Begin and End?
The 2026 Winter Olympics will officially open on Friday, with the early rounds of qualification taking place on Wednesday. The first medals will be awarded on Saturday, while the Games will come to a close with the closing ceremony on February 22 at the Verona Olympic Arena.
Opening Ceremony: Date, Venue, and Highlights
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics will be held on Friday, marking the first time in the history of the Winter Olympics that the ceremony will be held on a Friday.
Main venue: San Siro Stadium, Milan (80,000 capacity)
Additional celebrations: Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d’Ampezzo
Expected attendance: 60,000 spectators
The athletes will march in the regions in which they will compete, making it a multi-location event. The ceremony will also include performances by top Italian and international artists such as Mariah Carey.
Host Cities and Venues for Milan-Cortina 2026
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be the most spread-out Winter Olympics in history, taking place across northern Italy.
Main Olympic Clusters:
- Milan
- Valtellina (Bormio, Valdisotto, Livigno)
- Cortina d’Ampezzo (including Anterselva/Antholz)
- Val di Fiemme (Predazzo, Tesero)
The closing ceremony will take place in Verona, followed by the opening ceremony of the Paralympics on March 6.
This will be the fourth time Italy has hosted the Olympic Games, following the Winter Olympics in 1956 and 2006, and the Summer Olympics in 1960.
How to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics Live
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be broadcast globally by official rights holders, including:
- United States: NBC Olympics, Peacock
- Canada: CBC Gem, TOU.tv
- United Kingdom: BBC, Discovery+
- Norway: NRK, HBO Max
Coverage will include live events, highlights, and on-demand content.
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Key Events to Watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Some of the most eagerly awaited sports events at the 2026 Winter Olympics include:
- Alpine skiing
- Figure skating
- Ice hockey
- Ski jumping
- Freestyle skiing
Freestyle snowboarding events like Slopestyle, Big Air, and Halfpipe are likely to draw massive crowds worldwide, including young supporters.
New Sport at Milan-Cortina 2026
A major highlight of the 2026 Winter Olympics is the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering (skimo).
Events include:
- Men’s sprint
- Women’s sprint
- Mixed relay
Full List of Sports and Disciplines at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The Games will feature 8 sports and 16 disciplines, including:
- Alpine skiing
- Biathlon
- Bobsleigh
- Cross-country skiing
- Curling
- Figure skating
- Freestyle skiing
- Ice hockey
- Luge
- Nordic combined
- Short track speed skating
- Skeleton
- Ski jumping
- Ski mountaineering
- Snowboard
- Speed skating
A total of 116 medal events will be contested by approximately 3,500 athletes over 19 days.
Top Athletes to Watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics
Tina & Milo. Meet the Official Mascots of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games #MilanoCortina2026.
…and don't forget The Flo, their super cute friends!#Mascots2026 | #TinaMilo | #Olympics | #Paralympics | #Sanremo2024 | @Olympics | @Paralympics pic.twitter.com/NoUjrKbEgL
— Milano Cortina 2026 (@milanocortina26) February 7, 2024
Several global superstars are set to headline the 2026 Winter Olympics:
Lindsey Vonn (USA) – aiming to add to her Olympic medal haul
Mikaela Shiffrin (USA) – widely regarded as the greatest alpine skier ever
Chloe Kim (USA) – two-time Olympic snowboarding champion
Ilia Malinin (USA) – figure skating’s Quad God
Ryoyu Kobayashi (Japan) and Domen Prevc (Slovenia) – ski jumping favourites
Eileen Gu (China) – two-time Olympic gold medallist
Ice hockey enthusiasts will also be able to watch NHL players make their Olympic comeback after 2014, as Sidney Crosby will lead Team Canada.
Medal Table Favourites at Milan-Cortina 2026
Norway is likely to continue its dominance, having won the medal tables at both the 2018 and 2022 Winter Olympics.
Close competition is likely to come from:
- United States
- China
- Germany
- Canada
Gender Equality at the 2026 Winter Olympics
The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature the most gender-balanced Winter Olympic Games in history:
- Women’s participation: over 47%
- Record 50 women’s medal events
This is a huge improvement from the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics.
Official Mascots of the 2026 Winter Olympics
The Milan-Cortina mascots are:
Tina – Olympic mascot (short for Cortina)
Milo – Paralympic mascot (short for Milan)
They are joined by six snowdrops collectively known as “The Flo.”
Security and ICE Involvement Explained
Italy will retain complete control over security at the 2026 Winter Olympics. Although US agencies, such as ICE, will help American delegations, Italian authorities have confirmed that all ground operations fall within Italian jurisdiction. ICE agents will work only out of US diplomatic offices and not from public spaces.
Cost and Economic Impact of the 2026 Winter Olympics
The budget for the 2026 Winter Olympics is estimated at €5.2 billion ($6.17bn):
- €3.5bn in public infrastructure spending
- €1.7bn in private investment
Italy looks forward to:
- 2 million visitors
- Global viewership of over 3 billion
- Economic legacy in tourism and transport infrastructure development
Italian organizers are confident of generating more than €5.3 billion in revenue, leaving a lasting legacy for the regions hosting the event.
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