The 2026 Winter Olympics will kick off in Milan on Friday with a lavish opening ceremony featuring star-studded performances, stunning visuals and all the glitz expected of sport’s biggest winter stage.
Featuring more than 1,300 performers, including 1,200 volunteers from 27 countries, the ceremony has been months in the making, with a host of global music stars set to take to the stage at the 76,000-capacity San Siro stadium.
Music will play a central role in the ceremony, with organisers aiming to showcase Italy’s culture while putting a modern spin on the spectacle.
But one performance in particular could leave fans momentarily confused.
Mariah Carey is among the headline acts set to take to the stage, though not in the way viewers might expect.
Organisers have said the US superstar has made the ‘courageous’ decision to sing a ‘very well-known song’ in its original Italian.
Legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli is also set to perform during the ceremony.
‘Singing at the Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Games is a great honour and a deeply emotional experience,’ he said.
Volunteer dancers rehearse during preparations for the opening ceremony inside a temporary structure next to San Siro stadium
The ceremony has been months in the making, with a host of global music stars set to take to the stage at the 76,000-capacity San Siro stadium
Music will play a central role in the ceremony, with organisers aiming to showcase Italy’s culture while putting a modern spin on the spectacle
In the stands, dozens of heads of state and government are expected to attend, including US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella will receive a special tribute, one of the night’s several moments organisers are keeping under wraps.
The event will begin at 8pm local time (7pm GMT) at San Siro, the iconic 75,000-seat stadium home to football giants AC Milan and Inter Milan.
The opening ceremony is expected to be the last major event staged at the ageing venue, which was built nearly a century ago and is due to be replaced in the coming years.
Unlike previous Games, the inaugural celebration will unfold across multiple locations, with Milan hosting the main event.
Satellite celebrations, including athlete parades, will also take place in Predazzo, Livigno and Cortina d’Ampezzo, giving athletes and spectators outside Milan a chance to share the moment.
The joint hosts of the Games, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, are located about five hours apart.
Mariah Carey is among the headline acts set to take to the stage, though not in the way viewers might expect. Pictured: Mariah Carey is seen arriving at the airport ahead of the Milano-Cortina Olympic games
The event will begin at 8pm local time (7pm GMT) at San Siro (pictured), the iconic 75,000-seat stadium home to football giants AC Milan and Inter Milan
More than 500 musicians have taken part in over 700 hours of rehearsals across Milan and the satellite locations, with meticulous attention paid to costumes, make-up and hairstyles ahead of the global showcase.
Costumes will be central to conveying Italy’s cultural roots, an especially fitting choice in Milan, one of Europe’s fashion capitals.
The spectacle will feature 182 original designs, more than 1,400 costumes and 1,500 pairs of shoes, brought to life by a backstage army of 110 make-up artists and 70 hair stylists.
Four concentric catwalks will come together in the centre to form a main stage, where key moments will take place.
There will be a special tribute honouring the late fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died in 2025.
Historical figures Leonardo da Vinci and Christopher Columbus will also be celebrated. The latter will be treated ‘in a light and elegant way, with no intention to provoke,’ according to designer Massimo Cantini Parrini.
The spectacle will feature 182 original designs, more than 1,400 costumes and 1,500 pairs of shoes, brought to life by a backstage army of 110 make-up artists and 70 hair stylists
Four concentric catwalks will come together in the centre to form a main stage, where key moments will take place
The Olympic cauldron will feature moving parts and is designed to open and close at specific moments throughout the Games.
It takes inspiration from da Vinci’s knots and ‘integrates 244 pivot points and 1,440 components, mounted on pins and bearings,’ according to the Olympic website.
Two cauldrons will be lit simultaneously, one in each host city.
Competitions start on February 4, two days before the opening ceremony, and will run until the closing ceremony on 22 February 2026.
Curling, luge, snowboarding, Alpine skiing and women’s hockey are the first events to get underway.
