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Opening Ceremony Details, New Sports, and Full Schedule for Milan‑Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics

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  • Image caption, Italy will host the Winter Olympics for a third time
    Image: BBC
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Dual‑city opening ceremony blends Milan stadium and Cortina piazza The opening festivities launch on February 6 at Milan’s San Siro stadium and simultaneously ignite a second cauldron in Cortina’s Piazza Dibona; Newsweek lists a 2:00 p.m. local start, while AP reports an 8 p.m. local kickoff, highlighting a timing discrepancy [1][2]. High‑profile performers include Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini, and pianist Lang Lang, with additional Italian stars and actors joining the lineup [1][2].

Games run February 4‑22 with 116 medal events and early curling action Athletes begin competing on February 4 with mixed‑doubles curling round‑robin sessions, making it the sole sport featured daily before the opening ceremony [1][2]. The full program spans February 4‑22, offering a record 116 gold medals across 116 medal events, a figure echoed by AP and the BBC [2][3]. Figure‑skating team events open the competition, followed by alpine skiing, snowboarding, speed skating and other disciplines [1][2].

New Olympic disciplines debut, expanding the winter program Ski mountaineering makes its inaugural Olympic appearance, while mixed‑team skeleton and women’s doubles luge join the schedule, and ski jumping adds a super‑team event [1][2][3]. These additions increase gender‑balanced opportunities, contributing to women competing in 53.4 % of events—the highest proportion ever [3]. The expanded roster brings the total to eight new events across the Games [1].

Geographically dispersed venues link Milan, Cortina and three mountain clusters Primary sites include Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and additional mountain clusters, making this the most spread‑out Winter Olympics to date [2][3]. The closing ceremony will take place in Verona, completing the multi‑city model championed by the IOC [2][3]. Venue adaptations include a slightly shorter hockey arena in Milan and a mobile‑home athletes’ village in Cortina [2].

NHL players return and star athletes headline the competition For the first time since 2018, NHL‑contracted players are eligible, reviving league participation after a twelve‑year Olympic hiatus [3][2]. U.S. stars such as Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin, Eileen Gu, Chloe Kim, Sidney Crosby and Connor McDavid are highlighted, though some face injury concerns [2]. These high‑profile athletes boost medal prospects for the United States and add marquee appeal to the Games [2][3].

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Timeline

Jan 7, 2026 – The U.S. ski jumping federation plans to announce the final Olympic ski jumping roster by Jan 20, finalizing athletes for the expanded 2026 program that adds a women’s large‑hill event and replaces the men’s team event with a super‑team format, continuing gender‑balance progress since women’s debut in 2014 and the mixed team’s introduction in 2022 [6].

Jan 31, 2026 – UK Sport sets Team GB’s medal target at four to eight for Milan‑Cortina, aiming to improve on the three‑to‑seven goal for 2022 that fell short, while chef de mission Eve Muirhead says the team has an “opportunity to get the most we ever have” at a Winter Games [1].

Jan 31, 2026 – Kirsty Coventry becomes the first female IOC president and calls the sustainability‑focused, multi‑city model of Milan‑Cortina “the new normal” for future Olympics, marking a historic milestone for gender representation in Olympic governance [1].

Jan 31, 2026 – NHL‑contracted players return to Olympic competition for the first time since 2018, with all but one of the twelve nations fielding NHL athletes, reviving league participation after a COVID‑related hiatus and boosting U.S. hopes for a men’s gold [1].

Feb 4, 2026 – Mixed doubles curling kicks off the Games with round‑robin sessions before the opening ceremony, becoming the only sport featured daily throughout the Olympics; women’s ice‑hockey preliminaries and men’s snowboarding big‑air qualifiers follow on Feb 5 [2].

Feb 4, 2026 – Competition officially begins across 16 sports, running through Feb 22 for a record 116 medal events (including three ski‑mountaineering races) and eight new events such as mixed‑team skeleton and women’s doubles luge [2][3][4].

Feb 6, 2026 – Opening ceremonies unfold simultaneously in Milan’s San Siro stadium and Cortina’s Piazza Dibona, featuring Leonardo‑da‑Vinci‑inspired cauldrons, performances by Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini and others, and the “Armonia” theme, marking the start of the Games at 2 p.m. local time [2][3][5].

Feb 7, 2026 – The first Olympic medals are awarded, with figure‑skating team events and mixed doubles curling delivering the inaugural podium finishes of the Milan‑Cortina Games [2][3].

Feb 22, 2026 – The closing ceremony takes place in Verona, concluding the most geographically dispersed Winter Olympics to date, wrapping up competition across 195 medals (including 116 golds) and celebrating the highest proportion of women athletes ever at 53.4% of events [1][4][5].

2026 (throughout) – Italy targets at least 19 medals despite injuries to flag‑bearer Federica Brignone, freestyle skier Flora Tabanelli and alpine hopeful Marta Bassino, while athletes such as speed skater Davide Ghiotto and curler Amos Mosaner remain in contention [1].

2026 (ongoing) – Ticket sales are limited to the official MilanoCortina2026 portal and app, with a youth “Promo26” discount offering two tickets for the price of one to anyone under 26, while unauthorized sellers risk invalid tickets and the Cortina ceremony remains open to the public [2].

Post‑Games 2026 – NBC plans to broadcast prime‑time showcase events at night and stream the full schedule on Peacock to accommodate the six‑hour time difference between Italy and the U.S., ensuring American audiences can follow the Games [3].

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