Verona Arena closing ceremony: latest updates as verona arena hosts Olympic finale
The 2026 Winter Olympics curtain falls with the closing ceremony scheduled at the verona arena, organisers from Milan-Cortina set to stage a spectacle after 16 days of highs, lows and plenty of drama. UK viewers were told the build-up begins from 7 p. m. and the ceremony was variously listed as getting under way at 7. 30 p. m. GMT and as starting at 8: 30 p. m. (1930 GMT) inside Verona’s ancient Roman arena.
Flagbearers and Team GB success
Matt Weston and Charlotte Bankes will carry Team GB’s flag at the closing ceremony. Weston won two golds at the Games, following up his triumph in the men's skeleton with another gold in the mixed team event alongside Tabby Stoecker. Bankes was selected after competing in her fourth Olympic Games and won Team GB's first ever Winter Olympic gold on snow with Huw Nightingale in the mixed snowboard cross.
Weston said: "To be selected as flagbearer is a massive, massive honour and I'm so proud to be able to represent the country at the Closing Ceremony. The fact that it's taking place at such an iconic venue makes it even more exciting. I think it will be a unique and very Italian experience, and a great way to end the Games. " Bankes said: "To be asked to carry the flag is a dream come true and feels like a moment for our entire snowboard cross team. We have made history for our sport, and I will be walking out there carrying it for everyone who has been part of that journey. Leading Team GB out at my first Closing Ceremony will be very special. It is a chance to reflect on everything we have put into these Games and to celebrate the medals we have won, and those we have come so close to. "
Verona Arena backdrop for finale
The verona arena is the Verona Olympic Arena, an ancient Roman amphitheatre built in 30 AD and described as Italy's third-largest. Built to host gladiator battles, organisers say it will provide a stunning backdrop and an embodiment of Italian cultural heritage. The venue is about a two-hour drive from Milan and three hours from Cortina d'Ampezzo, and it will also host the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games opening ceremony in March.
Local protests before the ceremony
Hours before the closing ceremony, hundreds marched through Verona in a rally called "Olympics? No thanks" to protest housing costs and environmental concerns linked to the Winter Games. The march was organised by university groups and associations that say the event disrupts forests, pours concrete onto fragile land and deepens social inequality. Giannina Dal Bosco, a 76-year-old activist, said: "We are here to defend our territory from speculation... and from the impossible cost of attending events. "
Protesters marched for around two hours outside the security perimeter, from the 16th-century Porta Palio to the 19th-century Arsenal Square, briefly stopping at the point closest to the red zone and unsuccessfully asking to be allowed inside. Before the march moved on, activists painted the words "FIVE CIRCLES, A THOUSAND DEBTS" in large letters on the road. One banner read: "Fewer Games for the few, more homes for everyone. " Several protesters wore keffiyeh scarves and waved Palestinian flags.
A demonstrator named Francesca, 34, who travelled from Vicenza about 60 km (40 miles) away, said the landscape had been "disfigured" by new Olympic structures. She said: "They built concrete monstrosities like the bobsleigh track, which will serve no purpose. Public money has been wasted that could have been used for hydrogeological safety and housing plans. " Verona’s mayor Damiano Tommasi said high-profile events such as the Olympics always carried the risk of people seeking visibility and trying to exploit the moment, and that it was appropriate to deploy a heightened level of security. A much larger demonstration drawing nearly 10, 000 people took place in Milan on the first day of the Games and later turned violent.
Ceremony content and cultural theme
Organisers said the finale will "weave together" Italian music, art and sport, "celebrating unity and the enduring bonds between athletes and nations" under a theme described as "Beauty in Action. " Coverage of the Games has also included lighter moments and profiles, with items noted such as a piece on a dog on the course recalling past wildlife interruptions and a feature titled "How Alysa Liu became the unlikeliest Olympic figure skating champion. "
Sporting notes and aftermath
Zoe Atkin's capture of a bronze medal earlier on Sunday was highlighted as ensuring these Games have been the most successful in Team GB's history, with eyes already turning to 2030. Other competition notes from the Games included Knight now holding the U. S. women's hockey record for most career goals in the Olympics, Bates cementing his ice dance legacy with partner Madison Chock, and Liu's not ready to retire from figure skating after securing dual Olympic gold. Canada's Connor McDavid did not win a gold medal but was described as going home from the Milan Cortina Olympics honored as the best men's hockey player from the Games. In men's hockey action, a high stick to the mouth cost Hughes two teeth, but his overtime goal lifted the U. S. to gold over Canada.
With cultural performances planned and contested views on the Games visible on Verona's streets, the closing ceremony at the verona arena will mark the end of two weeks of competition and the official handover to Paralympic events in March.
