Featuring tributes to da Vinci and Dante, Puccini and Pausini, Armani and Fellini, pasta and vino, and other iconic tastes of Italian culture – plus Mariah Carey hitting all the high notes in “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” aka “Volare” – an unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron opening ceremony got the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics officially started Friday.
US athletes walk during the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, in Milan, Italy, February 6, 2026. © Francisco Seco, AP
Allowing athletes to participate in the Parade of Nations at the mountain locales for the most spread-out Winter Games in history created what perhaps was an unintended consequence: Zero competitors from any of the first five countries actually showed up at the main hub, Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium.
The Olympic Rings is revealed above dancers at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. © Piero Cruciatti, AFP
Mariah Carey helped to get the party started with a performance of the 1950s Italian song "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" ("In the blue, painted in blue") with its famous "Volare" ("To fly") refrain to cheers in Milan's San Siro stadium.
US singer Mariah Carey performs at the San Siro stadium in Milan. © Wang Zhao, AFP
Fashion is its own competitor in any Olympics, from team uniforms at the opening and closing ceremonies to individual looks in the stadiums and – during the Winter Games – on the slopes.
There's also the simmering rivalry between Europe's top two fashion cities. The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics were heralded as the most stylish yet, but Milan went for gold on the heels of its annual men’s fashion week and ahead of the women's runway previews.
France's flag bearer Clement Noel (C-L) and France's Chloe Trespeuch (C-R) lead the French team in Livigno, northern Italy, on February 6, 2026. © Jeff Pachoud, AFP
The ceremony’s organisers said they sought to convey themes of harmony and peace, seeking to represent the city-mountain dichotomy of the particularly unusual setup for these Olympics while also trying to appeal to a sense of unity at a time of global tensions.
“I hope the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as an opportunity to be respectful,” new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry said when asked this week about possible crowd reactions.
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan. © Susana Vera, AFP
One symbol of how far-flung things are at these Olympics: Instead of the usual one cauldron that is lit and burns throughout the Games, there will be two, both intended as an homage to Leonardo da Vinci’s geometric studies. One is in Milan, 2½ miles (4 kilometres) from San Siro, and the other is going to be 250 miles (400 kilometres) away in Cortina.
The people given the honour of lighting both following a ceremony expected to last nearly three hours was a closely guarded secret, as is usually the case at any Olympics. At the 2006 Turin Games, it was Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo.
Rings start to form the Olympic symbol during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan. © Piero Cruciatti, AFP
(FRANCE 24 with AFP, AP and Reuters)
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