Official Event Dates
The Opening Ceremony of Milano Cortina 2026 is scheduled for February 6, 2026, and the Closing Ceremony will take place on February 22, 2026. As is customary, some competitions may begin days before the inaugural act.
A Distinctly Italian Winter Olympics
Italy is gearing up to host the world’s top athletes for the upcoming Winter Olympics, with Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo serving as the host cities for Milano Cortina 2026. This event marks the return of the Winter Olympics to Europe after a 20-year gap since Turin 2006. This will be the third Winter Olympics in Italy’s history, following Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006. Approximately 2,900 athletes are expected to participate in 114 medal events across eight sports and 16 disciplines.
The Milano-Cortina bid was chosen by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) due to its combination of alpine landscapes, sporting experience, and the enthusiasm of the Italian public.
Progressing Towards Gender Equality
Milano Cortina 2026 will make significant strides in gender equality:
- 47% female participation
- 50 women’s events included in the program
- More mixed-gender tests than previous editions
The IOC highlighted that this will be a crucial step towards gradually closing the gender gap in some winter sports.
New Events and Disciplines
The program will include 116 events, with eight new tests:
- Olympic debut of alpine skiing mountain (sprints and mixed gender relay)
- Inclusion of double luge by gender
- Dual moguls in freestyle skiing (male and female)
- A new women’s event in ski jumping: long-distance individual trampoline
The parallel giant slalom mixed teams event for alpine skiing is excluded, and some combined events remain provisional.
The Most Geographically Extensive Edition
Milano Cortina 2026 will be historic for its territorial distribution:
- Two host cities: Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo
- Two regions: Lombardy and Veneto
- Two autonomous provinces: Trentino and Bolzano
- Over 22,000 square kilometers of extension
More than 90% of the venues already exist or will be temporary, emphasizing sustainability. Some notable venues include:
- San Siro Stadium – Opening Ceremony
- Arena di Verona – Closing Ceremony
- Cortina – curling and ice sports
- Bormio – alpine skiing and mountain skiing
- Milan – ice hockey and figure skating
- Livigno – snowboarding and freestyle skiing
- Val di Fiemme – Nordic sports
Cultural identity will be reflected through music and mascots. The official song, “Fino all’alba” (“Until Dawn”) by Arisa, was chosen through popular vote and will be used for both the Olympics and Paralympics. The official mascot is currently being selected through a national school competition in Italy, with the winning design to be announced following public voting.
