Closing Ceremony Olympics 2026 Set for Verona Arena as Olympic Flag Passes to France
The Closing Ceremony Olympics 2026 will bring the Milan Cortina Winter Games to a close inside Verona’s ancient Arena on Sunday with a 2½-hour program of Italian music and dance. The decision to stage the finale in Verona matters because organizers chose a roughly mid-distance site to link far-flung mountain, valley and city venues that made these the most spread-out Winter Games in Olympic history.
Verona Arena and its first-century origins
Organizers will use the Roman amphitheater — a monument built in the first century for gladiator fights and exotic animal hunts — as the stage for the closing rites. Volunteers were photographed preparing near the Arena on Tuesday, Feb. 17, 2026, as final logistical work continued ahead of the event. The Arena’s historic footprint helps account for a more intimate crowd compared with the season-opening spectacle in Milan.
Closing Ceremony Olympics 2026 lineup: Bolle, Lauro and Gaby Ponte
The 2½-hour ceremony is programmed to celebrate Italian music and dance, both classic and contemporary, and will be headlined by ballet dancer Roberto Bolle, pop singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte. Organizers have emphasized an Italian-centered artistic program for the night.
Parade configuration: 1, 500 Olympians and 92 nations
Organizers expect some 1, 500 Olympians — a bit over half of those who competed — to march into the Arena. Athletes will enter en masse behind a pair of flag bearers from each of the 92 participating nations. Host Italy’s flag bearers will be biathlete Lisa Vittozzi and speedskater Davide Ghiotto, and the United States will be represented by hockey player Hilary Knight and ice dancer Evan Bates; all four are gold medal winners.
Attendance figures: 12, 000 spectators versus opening crowd
Some 12, 000 spectators are expected to join athletes and officials inside the Arena for the closing ceremony. That contrasts sharply with the opening ceremony, which drew more than 60, 000 people to Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium where performances included Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli. What makes this notable is the stark difference in scale between a modern stadium opening and a centuries-old amphitheater finale.
Flag transfer and the closing sequence
The program will include the formal transfer of the Olympic flag to France as part of the closing protocol. The mid-distance placement of Verona was chosen in light of the Games’ dispersed venues, a practical choice intended to bring a geographically balanced conclusion to competitions that stretched across mountains, valleys and cities.
Organizers, athletes and local staff have been preparing in the days leading up to Sunday’s ceremony, with volunteers visible around the Arena on Feb. 17. The evening is set to blend pageantry and performance within a historic setting while marking the formal handover to the next Winter Games host.
