Milano Cortina 2026 officially begins with spectacular and unique Opening Ceremony
The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games are officially underway!
The Opening Ceremony (or ceremonies in this unique case!) took place in four different locations across northern Italy. There were simultaneous Parades of Athletes in Milan, Cortina, Livigno, and Predazzo, while other aspects of the ceremony were held in both Milan and Cortina.
Because of the wide footprint of these Games, the four parade locales meant that athletes could participate in the Opening Ceremony without having to venture far from their competition venues.
Fittingly, the theme for the ceremony was “Harmony” or “Armonia” in Italian, bringing together city and mountains, humanity and nature.
The ceremony featured 1200 volunteer performers, from the ages of 10 to 70, who went through more than 700 hours of rehearsals. More than 1400 costumes were created for the spectacle.
The first scene of the artistic program was a tribute to Italian Beauty, with the myth of Cupid and Psyche brought to life by dancers, who were later joined by other performers looking like neoclassical statues.
The Fantasia segment that followed opened with three large paint tubes, featuring the foundational primary colours of red, blue and yellow, suspended above the stage. The music was a celebration of three great masters of Italian opera—Rossini, Verdi, and Puccini—with a vocal performance by Mariah Carey. Italian creativity was showcased through icons such as cuisine, architecture, fashion, and design.
It was then time for some official protocol, including the introduction of Kirsty Coventry, the first woman to be IOC President, followed by the raising of the Italian flag—something that took place in both Milan and Cortina—and the singing of the Italian national anthem.
Next, the Olympic rings made their appearance, coming together in the air above the stage in Milan.
That set the stage for the Parade of Athletes, decentralized for the first time ever.
Team Canada’s flag bearers, Mikaël Kingsbury and Marielle Thompson, led the delegation marching in Livigno, proudly wearing the Team Canada x lululemon collection.
There were also strong contingents of Team Canada athletes in Milan…
And Cortina…
And Predazzo. All told, approximately 135 Team Canada athletes marched in the Opening Ceremony.
After the athletes were celebrated, it was time to celebrate the history of the Olympic Winter Games, with a trip back through time inspired by posters from past Games and innovations that have come to Olympic sports.
After the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, officially declared the Games open, the majestic voice of Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma welcomed the Olympic torch into San Siro Stadium—although it soon exited for the flame lighting that would take place later.
That was followed by the entrance of the Olympic flag and the singing of the Olympic anthem
