Reporting From San Siro Olympic Stadium, Milan — They built a new sliding track and a new arena, they coordinated a multi-clustered event that spans hundreds of miles and delivered it almost exactly as promised in the host contract signed 2,419 days ago. And tonight they opened the first jointly named Games in Olympics history.
Italy’s Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony ran simultaneously in four locations with the main proceedings held in Milan’s legendary 75,000 seat San Siro Olympic Stadium. Over 400km away, Cortina d’Ampezzo was the site of the secondary stage, and a key part of the integrated narrative. Athletes competing in events near Livigno or Predazzo also had the opportunity to join the entrance parade from their villages along with their dispersed teammates in a seamless live video integration available for all to view.
The ceremony announcer dubbed the Games “the first widespread Olympic Games” as a mark of pride, and introduced the entrance of the athletes as “the first widespread parade.”
For almost seven years critics have been questioning the viability of a Games to be spread across Northern Italy – how would the athletes connect? How can the Olympic spirit survive with a disjointed cluster footprint?
In 2019 after I toured the entire concept first-hand, travelling for hours upon hours to find each venue, I wrote an article with the title ‘There may never be an Olympic Winter Games Host City Again.’ This new multi-city strategy to use facilities where they already exist seemed to be the way forward with less regions willing to host due to cost and climate concerns. It was not a new idea, but it was Italy that first had the courage to propose it, and the IOC had the intuition to accept it.
So Italians just ran with it. And on Friday night they owned it with no apologies.
The show opened with the usual pageantry expected at these events with elaborate sets, stunning costumes, emotionally gripping music and the thousands of volunteers that make it all work. American pop music diva Mariah Carey headlined the opening sequence singing iconic “Nel blu dipinto di blu” in Italian to thunderous applause.
Then it was time for the athletes to take over. It was a bit uncomfortable when the first five nations introduced had no athletes march into the packed house in Milan where the video screen showed the teams in other clusters. Finally, Armenia had a team of four enter San Siro to loud applause.
Then more athletes from a total of 92 nations could be seen dancing and cheering as they entered in all four locations. It worked.
The theme of the ceremony was Armonia, which according to the organizing committee means “bringing together what is different,” a nod to the joint hosts representing the city and the mountains.
During his remarks, Milano Cortina 2026 president Giovanni Malago said this was a “pioneering edition of the Olympic Games,” one that was more environmental and in compliance with IOC rules. He said it was a model of things to come for the Winter Olympics.
With two named hosts, there were two cauldrons to light. Legendary Italian alpine skiers Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lit the Milan cauldron that is suspended inside the Arco della Pace monument. In Cortina, PyeongChang 2018 Olympic champion alpine skier Sofia Goggia had the honour. The cauldrons draw inspiration from the knots of Leonardo da Vinci.
International Olympic Committee (IOC) president Kirsty Coventry — the two-time Olympic swimming champion from Zimbabwe — gave her first Olympic opening speech since her election last June.
“Over the next two weeks, you’re going to give us something truly special,” Coventry told athletes who were gathered around her on the stadium floor and at remote ceremony locations.
“You’ll show us that strength isn’t just about winning – it’s about courage, empathy and heart. You will not only make incredible memories. You will reach your Olympic dreams – and you will show the world how to live.”
Seven cities had applied to host the 2026 Games but both Sion in Switzerland and Calgary in Canada dropped from the race after losing referendums; Graz in Austria cancelled its bid due to public opposition; Sapporo in Japan switched its target to a later year and Erzurum in Turkey was dismissed by the IOC after being told it was not ready. Milan Cortina defeated Stockholm Are in the final election.
The 2030 Games are scheduled to take place in French Alps and then the flag will be passed to Utah in the United States in 2034. Switzerland is the only country in the running for the 2038 edition.
The full sports program begins Saturday and the Games run until the torch is extinguished during the Closing Ceremony February 22 at the historic Arena di Verona.
