Milan Cortina Opening Ceremony Launches Games; Mariah Carey Performs
Dual-cauldron, four-site opening on Feb. 6, 2026 featured Mariah Carey and drew 61,000 fans at San Siro in 50°F weather.
Overview
The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Feb. 6, 2026 used a four-site format with dual cauldrons and drew 61,000 ticket-holders to Milan's San Siro stadium, organizers said.
Organizers said the multi-city format staged national delegations at San Siro, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo to showcase mountain events across about 8,500 square miles of venues.
Vice President J.D. Vance was jeered when shown on San Siro's video boards and Israel's four representatives met with boos, spectators and organizers noted, reflecting conflicting crowd reactions.
Flame-lighters Alberto Tomba, Deborah Compagnoni and Sofia Goggia are Olympic champion Italian Alpine ski racers, and the two cauldrons stand about 2½ miles and 250 miles from San Siro, organizers said.
The Games run through Feb. 22, 2026 with a closing ceremony scheduled in Verona, and Slava Polunin said in an email that a special edition of 'Slava's Snowshow' will run at Teatro Strehler through Feb. 22.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources present mainly descriptive coverage but apply light editorial framing that emphasizes political tensions: crowd boos at Israel and the jeering of U.S. VP are highlighted and directly linked to U.S. foreign-policy choices. Language like 'unprecedented' and 'aggressive posture' and selective placement of political context casts a unity-focused ceremony as politically fraught.
Sources (4)
FAQ
The ceremony included tributes to da Vinci and Dante, Puccini and Pausini, Armani and Fellini, pasta and vino, with performances by Mariah Carey singing 'Volare', Andrea Bocelli performing 'Nessun Dorma', and representations of Italian music, art, literature, architecture, and 'La Dolce Vita'.
Olympic champion Italian Alpine ski racers Alberto Tomba, Deborah Compagnoni, and Sofia Goggia lit the flame, with one cauldron at the Arch of Peace, 2.5 miles from San Siro, and others at distant sites.
Vice President J.D. Vance was jeered on video boards, Israel's four representatives received boos, while host Italy got the loudest cheers during their parade entry.
The Parade of Nations used a four-site format: San Siro Stadium in Milan, city centre in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium, and Livigno Snow Park, with nations entering in a specific order including Greece first and Italy last.
Italy had four flag bearers: Federico Pellegrino (cross-country skiing, Milan), Amos Mosaner (curling, Cortina), Arianna Fontana (short-track speed skating, Milan), and Federica Brignone (alpine skiing, Cortina).
History
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