Winter Olympics opening ceremonies in photos, from Milan to Cortina

The 2026 Olympics have officially begun after Friday’s opening ceremony, a one-of-a-kind event that spanned four venues across the northern section of the country.

Milan hosted the main event, with satellite ceremonies unfolding in co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo, as well as in Livigno and in Predazzo. There was opera, people wearing giant head masks in the likeness of famous Italian composers. Mariah Carey sang. It was, in many ways, your typical Olympic spectacle.

Here’s a look at the sights from across Italy, in photos.

Milan

The main ceremony unfolded at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, home to AC Milan and Inter Milan of Italy’s Serie A in international football. Most of the celebrities and biggest artistic flourishes happened here.

Giant paint tubes drop colorful cloth onto the performance stage. The ceremony was heavy on references to Italy’s artistic culture.

The Italian contingent enters San Siro Stadium. Each country’s athletes were spread out across the four clusters. Milan features ice hockey, speedskating, short track and figure skating.

An array of colorfully dressed performers dances during the opening ceremony. Organizers touted the proceedings as having a theme of “harmony.”

Performers dressed in giant-headed costumes representing Italian composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini dance around Italian actress Matilda De Angelis.

Fireworks go off at the Arco della Pace in Milan after the lighting of the cauldron. Italian Alpine skiing legends Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lit it together.

American singer Mariah Carey performed, including a rendition of the Italian classic “Volare” — in Italian. She followed with her own song “Nothing Is Impossible.”

From left: Laura Mattarella, First Lady of Italy; Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy; and Kirsty Coventry, President of the IOC, watch Friday’s ceremony.

Former IOC president Thomas Bach and U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance watch the ceremony next to Coventry and Sergio Mattarella, the Italian President.

Fireworks erupt from the Olympic rings at San Siro Stadium near the end of Friday’s ceremony.

Cortina d’Ampezzo

In the co-host town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, high in the Dolomites, something more like a local parade unfolded, with athletes marching up the main street, Corso Italia, in the town square.

Team Latvia walks up the Corso Italia through the heart of Cortina. One of three satellite ceremonies to accompany Milan’s main event, the show in Cortina had an intimate feel as fans lined the streets and others watched from hotel balconies.

Sofia Goggia, the Italian Alpine skier who will compete in the speed events beginning Sunday in Cortina, walks up the Corso Italia with the Olympic torch. Cauldrons were lit in both Milan and Cortina.

An exuberant Madagascar delegation marches during the Parade of Nations in Cortina. With athletes spread across four clusters, even the countries with larger contingents were walking in smaller numbers at each venue.

Team USA’s contingent passes in front of Cortina’s city hall. Athletes in Alpine skiing, curling, bobsled, luge and skeleton are competing in the Dolomite resort town.

American flag bearer Frank Del Duca, a bobsledder, leads the way as Team USA proceeds through the parade.

Goggia lights the Olympic torch in Cortina. In Milan and Cortina, organizers selected Italian Alpine skiing legends to get the final honor of lighting the flame.

Livigno

In the far northwest corner of Italy sits Livigno, a snow sports community hosting freestyle skiing and snowboarding. A small ceremony unfolded there at the Livigno Snow Park.

French athletes walk out during the parade in Livigno. The French won 14 medals at the Winter Olympics in 2022.

With plenty of scarves and flags, Great Britain’s delegation walks in the parade. Team GB, eyeing its best Winter Olympics ever, has medal hopefuls in the cluster.

The lone Kenyan athlete competing at these Olympics, giant slalom skier Issa Gachingiri Laborde Dit Pere, walks through the ring with his country’s flag. Several countries are sending only a single athlete.

In a tight formation, a jubilant Australian contingent makes its entrance. The Aussies won four medals at the 2022 Beijing Olympics, the country’s best performance ever.

Fans watch the opening ceremony from the edge of the Livigno Snow Park, which will host several freestyle skiing and snowboarding events.

Predazzo

In this small town in Val di Fiemme, the ceremony had a community feel, attracting local fans. Cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined will be contested here.

Cross-country skier Jose Cabeca, the lone member of Team Portugal in Predazzo, enters during the small ceremony. Portugal also has two Alpine skiers at these Games.

Team Greece kicks off the athlete parade. As the nation that hosted the ancient Olympics, Greece always has the honor of going first.

Team USA’s contingent makes its entrance in Predazzo. The Val di Fiemme cluster will feature cross-country skiing, ski jumping and Nordic combined. U.S. star Jessie Diggins will contest her final Olympic events in this region.

With perhaps the most unique outfits of all, the team from the Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, enters in Predazzo. The work of Czech designer Vojtěch Preissig inspired the get-ups.

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