Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli Headline Milan-Cortina Opening Amid ICE Protests

Milan-Cortina organizers said the opening ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. local time on Feb. 6 at Milan's 76,000-seat San Siro, will be headlined by Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli, and will feature two flame cauldrons at the Arco della Pace and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Tensions have risen over the inclusion of U.S. Vice President JD Vance's delegation and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel, with Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani saying three ICE agents will be based in a Milan consulate "situation room" and local organizers saying about 1,000 people attended an anti-ICE protest in Milan.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala and European Parliament member Sandro Ruotolo condemned ICE's presence while Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and Tajani insisted the agents will work behind the scenes, a clash marked by conflicting accounts from local politicians and government ministers.

The Games span roughly 8,494 square miles across 13 venues and are expected to host about 2,916 athletes competing in 116 events across 16 disciplines, and watchdog group Mountain Wilderness said costs have risen from an initial €1.5 billion estimate to €5.72 billion.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said authorities foiled a cyber-attack of "Russian origin" targeting Olympic websites, organizers including managing director Andrea Varnier said they built new lakes for snowmaking after low snowfall, and researchers warned that 12 of 22 former Winter Olympic sites could be unsuitable by the 2080s, according to a recent study.