Opening ceremony Olympics 2026: Milan show set for Feb. 6
The 2026 Winter Olympics are officially days away from their opening ceremony—but competition has already begun. The first events on the Olympics schedule started Wednesday, February 4, 2026, with early sessions in curling leading off the Games before the televised pageantry arrives later in the week.
For anyone asking “when do the Winter Olympics start” or “when is the opening ceremony for the Winter Olympics,” the short answer is: competition is underway now, and the opening ceremony is Friday.
When do the Olympics start?
Competition at the 2026 Winter Olympics begins Wednesday, February 4, 2026, two days before the opening ceremony. That early start is built into the event calendar so that tournaments with round-robin formats—especially curling—can fit their full schedules and medal rounds into the Games window.
This means the Games have already “started” in practical terms, even though the official ceremonial start (the parade of nations and cauldron lighting) is still ahead.
Opening ceremony Olympics 2026: time and venue
The opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, February 6, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. ET, running into the late afternoon. It will be staged at San Siro Stadium in Milan.
This edition is also set to use a multi-location format for parts of the athlete parade, reflecting how widely spread the venues are across northern Italy. The goal is to include athletes who are stationed far from Milan in mountain clusters where events are happening at the same time.
Where are the Winter Olympics this year?
If you’re wondering “where are the Winter Olympics this year,” the answer is Italy, with the Games anchored by Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milan as co-hosts.
Unlike many past Winter Games that were concentrated in one metro area plus nearby mountains, this Olympics footprint is intentionally broad. Events are spread across multiple clusters in northern Italy, including alpine and sliding venues in the Cortina region and additional mountain sites used for Nordic and snow sports, with major indoor events staged in and around Milan.
The geography is a feature, not a bug: organizers are leaning into an “urban + mountain” identity that puts arenas, resorts, and historic venues into one combined showcase.
Key dates on the Olympics schedule
Here’s a tight snapshot of the dates most people are searching for right now:
| Date (ET) | What’s happening | Location |
|---|---|---|
| Wed, Feb. 4 | Competition begins (early events start) | Northern Italy venues |
| Fri, Feb. 6 (2:00 p.m.) | Opening ceremony | Milan |
| Sun, Feb. 22 | Closing ceremony | Verona Arena |
The headline window most fans use is Feb. 6–22, but the full “competition window” is Feb. 4–22 because of those pre-ceremony events.
Winter Olympics opening ceremony: what to expect
The opening ceremony is built around three reliable pillars: the parade of nations, the formal opening of the Games, and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. With events already underway, the ceremony functions less as a “start line” and more as the moment the Games fully take over global attention—broadcast production, celebrity presence, and the symbolic launch of the two-week sprint to closing night.
For viewers, the most practical takeaway is timing: if you’re planning a watch party, the opening ceremony is an afternoon event in ET, not a late-night broadcast.
Sources consulted: International Olympic Committee, Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, Associated Press, Reuters
