Lake Placid Olympics vibe resurfaces at spread-out Milan Cortina Games

The Milan Cortina Olympics have been staged as a deliberate spread-out experiment across more than 13, 000 square miles of Northern Italy, a setup that organizers say is a first major test of a regional hosting model for global sports spectacles. The change matters now because the format is already shaping how the classic Winter Olympic atmosphere appears — at times evoking a small-town Winter Games spirit familiar from lake placid olympics — while also influencing planning for other large events later this year and beyond.

Spread-out model under real test

The event, described by organizers with the Italian phrase Giochi diffusi, distributes competitions across multiple host cities and clusters rather than concentrating them in a single urban core. That layout means venues and competition hubs can feel disconnected: hockey, figure skating and speedskating facilities sit on the fringes of Milan, while other events occur several hours away in alpine resorts. The approach spreads demand for transport and lodging across a wide region and shifts economic and logistical strain away from any single city.

Lake Placid Olympics feel in Livigno

Some locations have recaptured the small-village energy long associated with traditional Winter Games. One visiting talent-agency board member described driving four and a half hours from Milan to the northern resort town of Livigno and finding what he called a "Lake Placid kind of small-village feel, " with Olympians visible around town, 360-degree mountain views and ski lifts and gondolas framing the scene. In other words, pockets of the Games deliver the intimate, village-style hospitality and atmosphere many fans expect from historic Winter Olympics settings.

Less disruption, more regional identity

That intimacy comes with trade-offs. Milan holds top billing in the hosting title, but large parts of the city show little evidence of a single, unified Olympic takeover; central tourist areas and upscale neighborhoods remain relatively undisturbed. Organizers argue the distributed model invites visitors to experience different local identities across the region and is more sustainable by reusing existing infrastructure and spreading costs. At the same time, the split geography makes the Games feel like several concurrent events rather than one immediate spectacle.

Implications for upcoming events

The spread-out format is being watched as a potential template for other major international competitions. This summer's World Cup will span multiple time zones and nations within a single host region, and upcoming Games and tournaments have already planned events across distant venues. Organizers contend the approach reduces concentrated pressure on transport and hospitality systems and distributes financial responsibility. If those promised efficiencies materialize during this staging, hosts of future events may be more likely to favor regional clusters over single-city concentration.

Key takeaways

• The Milan Cortina Olympics are deliberately spread across many cities and more than 13, 000 square miles, testing a regional hosting model.
• Certain alpine sites reproduce a small-village Olympic vibe reminiscent of lake placid olympics, while major city centers can remain relatively calm.
• The format aims to reuse infrastructure, lower disruption in any single city and redistribute costs; its outcomes will shape planning for other large events.