Milan‑Cortina opens
The 2026 Winter Olympics officially opened today in Milan‑Cortina with full Italian pageantry, live performances and the parade of athletes — a global kickoff for weeks of elite winter sport competition. Video highlights and live updates rolled across outlets as the ceremony set the tone for the Games. (nbcolympics.com)
The Opening Ceremony was staged on February 6, 2026, with the main hub at Milan’s San Siro stadium and linked live segments in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo in an unprecedented four‑site format. (en.wikipedia.org) Organisers lit two cauldrons: Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni ignited the Milan cauldron at the Arco della Pace while Sofia Goggia lit the Cortina cauldron, finalising a 63‑day Italian torch relay. (kcra.com) The musical line‑up mixed pop and classical stars — Mariah Carey performed “Volare” in Italian and Andrea Bocelli closed with “Nessun Dorma,” joined onstage by Laura Pausini, Cecilia Bartoli and other Italian artists. (cnn.com) President Sergio Mattarella formally declared the Games open from the stands, while visiting dignitaries including U.S. Vice‑President J.D. Vance were on the guest list and were met with audible jeers in parts of the crowd. (governo.it) Organisers said San Siro sold more than 61,000 tickets for the main ceremony and that roughly another 10,000 spectators watched the simultaneous mountain‑site events, a record turnout for a Winter Games opener. (channelnewsasia.com) Hundreds of student‑led protesters rallied in Milan ahead of the ceremony against the reported presence of U.S. ICE personnel — chanting “ICE out,” setting off whistles and prompting temporary school closures and heightened security in the city centre. (usnews.com)
