Olympics Opening Ceremony kicks off Milano Cortina 2026 at San Siro in Milan

Milano Cortina 2026 officially opens Friday with an opening ceremony built around a rare “city-and-mountains” concept that unfolds across multiple locations in northern Italy. The main show is staged at San Siro in Milan, while parallel athlete-parade elements and companion moments play out in mountain venues—an approach designed to fit the most geographically spread Winter Games in Olympic history.

For U.S. viewers, the key planning detail is the time difference: the opening ceremony begins Friday, Feb. 6 at 2:00 p.m. ET (8:00 p.m. local time in Italy). An evening encore presentation is also scheduled Friday at 8:00 p.m. ET.

Opening ceremony olympics 2026: a multi-location first

Organizers have framed the ceremony around unity between Milan’s urban identity and the Alps’ winter-sport heartland. Instead of forcing widespread travel for athletes on one night, the ceremony is designed to include participants who are already based closer to mountain competition clusters.

The athlete parade is set to take place in four locations tied to Games venues: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno, and Predazzo. A second major symbol reinforces that split-host design: two Olympic cauldrons are expected to be lit—one in Milan and one in Cortina—burning through the Games.

The creative theme is “Armonia” (Harmony), with much of the run-of-show kept under wraps until the event begins.

When do the winter olympics start, and how long do they run?

If you’re searching “when do the olympics start” or “when does the olympics start,” competition and ceremony don’t line up perfectly:

• Competition begins Wednesday, Feb. 4, 2026, with early sessions in select sports.

• The official opening is the opening ceremony on Friday, Feb. 6, 2026.

The Winter Olympics run through Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026, with the closing ceremony in Verona. The Games are being held in Italy, answering the common question “2026 winter olympics held in which country.”

Winter olympics opening ceremony: what to expect at San Siro

San Siro’s transformation from a football cathedral into an Olympic venue is a centerpiece of the spectacle, with a large-scale staging built for televised production as well as an in-stadium audience. Performers announced for the night include Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli, alongside cultural segments that highlight Italian arts and design.

Security planning has been a visible part of the buildup in Milan, with heightened measures around major venues and public gathering points. Any demonstrations or disruptions remain situation-dependent, and authorities have signaled a focus on keeping transport corridors and venue access functioning through the evening.

Ticket pricing for the opening ceremony has been widely discussed, with listed prices spanning from €260 to €2,026.

Olympics schedule: what matters most for viewers

The Milano Cortina footprint is unusually wide, and that will shape daily viewing patterns. Italy is six hours ahead of Eastern Time, so many marquee sessions in Italy can land in the U.S. during late morning or early afternoon, while some preliminaries and longer-format competitions may run overnight.

Key takeaways for following the olympics schedule and results:

• Expect early-morning ET windows for some mountain events and longer sessions.

• Weather in alpine sites can trigger schedule adjustments, especially for outdoor disciplines.

• If you’re tracking one sport closely, sport-specific daily grids are more reliable than broad “Day X” rundowns.

How to watch the olympics in the United States

In the U.S., coverage is carried by the long-time Olympic rights-holder across traditional TV and a companion streaming offering. The opening ceremony is scheduled for a live daytime broadcast at 2:00 p.m. ET and a prime-time encore at 8:00 p.m. ET. Full-event streams and replays are expected to be available through the same rights ecosystem, depending on subscription and authentication requirements.

For viewers outside the U.S., coverage varies by country and typically runs through a national rights-holder with its own channel and streaming plans.

Forward look: what comes right after the ceremony

The opening ceremony is the tone-setter, but the competitive rhythm accelerates immediately afterward. With some sports already underway before Friday’s show, the first full weekend will bring a sharp increase in must-watch sessions and early medal opportunities.

The biggest logistical test for these Games will be coordination across dispersed venues—transport, broadcast timing, and athlete movement—while the biggest storytelling thread will be whether the “two worlds” concept (Milan’s city stage and the Alpine competition core) translates into a coherent, memorable Olympic experience over the next two-plus weeks.

Sources consulted: Reuters; Associated Press; Olympics.com; NBC Olympics