Major Lazer, major lazer presence unclear as Milan Cortina Games end in Verona
The Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics closed in the ancient Verona Arena, where the twin cauldrons in co-host cities were extinguished and the final ceremonies played out. major lazer involvement is unclear in the provided context.
Fire and the Olympic flag
The twin Milan and Cortina Olympic cauldrons were extinguished inside the Verona Arena as International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry declared the 2026 Games over and told local organizers they “delivered a new kind of winter games and you set a new, very high standard for the future. ” The Olympic flag was handed off to neighboring France in an official ceremony, and organizers noted the 2030 Winter Games will stage events in the Alps and Nice on the Mediterranean Sea, with speedskating to be held either in Italy or the Netherlands.
Ceremony highlights and opera nods
The 2½-hour closing paid tribute to Italian dance and music, opening with a whimsical salute to Italian lyric opera. Madama Butterfly and Aida were unpacked from mirrored crates while 17th century musicians played the “Libiamo ne’ lieti calici” from La Traviata, a nod to the Arena’s long history as the venue for a summer opera festival. Opera characters led by the jester Rigoletto spilled into the piazza and mixed with bemused flag-bearing athletes, some of whom pulled out their phones to film.
Major Lazer involvement remains unclear
The ceremony ranged from lyric opera to Italian pop of the 20th century to a DJ set: Gabry Ponte got roughly 1, 500 athletes on their feet and dancing while colored confetti exploded on stage. Italian Achille Lauro delivered the final word with the song “Incoscienti Giovani, ” or reckless young people, just before athletes filed out. Major Lazer: unclear in the provided context about any role or mention.
Performances, flame and visual moments
Roberto Bolle performed an aerial routine inside a blazing ring meant to represent the sun and was lowered to a stage that mimicked the Venetian lagoon with gondolas, dancing to a haunting song by Joan Thiele. The Olympic flame, encased in a Venetian glass vessel, was carried into the Arena by Italian gold medalists from the 1994 Lillehammer Games. The Olympic rings, illuminated in white, appeared high on the stone stairs behind the stage, flanked by national flags, when one raised the flame in the center of the stage.
Medals, records and athlete moments
A total of 116 medal events were held in eight sports across 16 disciplines over 17 days, including the debut of ski mountaineering. With final events wrapping up hours before the ceremony, the 50-kilometer mass start men’s and women’s cross-country medals were awarded by Coventry inside the Arena. Host Italy recorded its highest Winter Olympic tally ever with 30 medals, including 10 gold. Team USA closed the Games with 33 medals.
Norwegian Johannes Høsflot Klæbo became the most decorated gold medalist in a single Winter Olympics with six wins at the Milan Cortina Games. Klæbo, his country’s flag bearer in the closing ceremony, said after his win in the 50-kilometer classic that he had been iffy about competing because of a sore throat but decided he wanted to go out and give it his all. “It’s been a dream to be in the Olympics and to perform at the highest level and to do that six times, it’s just, I have no words, to be honest, ” he said. Klæbo won every race he started in these Games; his signature uphill sprint propelled him past his rivals. “I’m super satisfied for sure, but I’m also super tired, ” he added.
Paralympics and accessibility plans
The arena in Verona will transform on March 6 for the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. The Paralympic theme is “Life in Motion, ” described as “a tribute to life as change and transformation, inspired by the language of art and its unique ability to interpret the ever-changing contemporary reality. ” It is also described as “an approach that redefines the concept of disability through a new harmony between people and environment. ” Organizers said they invested 20 million euros to “enhance accessibility throughout Verona, ensuring an inclusive experience for all. ”
Looking ahead and attendance
Edgar Grospiron, president of the organizing committee for the 2030 French Alps Winter Olympics, said at a news conference, “We know we have little time. There’s little time, little money because of financial constraints, but we know we can do it. ” Broadcasters and commentators looked ahead to the 2028 Los Angeles Games and described that event as set to be the biggest Summer Olympics ever. This was the first Olympics for IOC President Kirsty Coventry, a two-time Olympic champion in swimming, who watched much of the ceremony alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. Some 12, 000 spectators joined the athletes and offi — unclear in the provided context.
Closing ceremonies extinguished the twin flames in Milan and Cortina and formally drew the 17-day Winter Games to an end while attention turns to the Paralympics in March and the next Winter Games in 2030.
