Milan Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony

 Opening Ceremony 

The theme of the dual Opening Ceremony is Harmony alongside being the first ever dual-hosted Winter Olympics. The ceremony began a focus on Italian Beauty with a museum like setting at the San Siro with artistic dancing from Accademia del Teatro alla Scala within and outside of display cases with a stadium of lights in the background. 

Next up was a focus on Opera with a catwalk-style of paparazzi with a comical reveal of three bobbled headed figures as the classical music began and the central stage became awash with three pouring paints of Blue, Red and Yellow.

As the classical music scene came to an end, a famous face appeared in the form of Mariah Carey who gave a wonderful rendition of Volare before the Bobbled trio returned with a focus on electric style music. Sergio Mattarella, the president of Italy and IOC President and former multiple Olympic Gold medallist Kirsty Coventry were introduced to the crowd before the performing resumed with models portraying the Italian flag entering the arena as the flag handover and raising ceremony began. with a tribute to the late Giorgio Armani. 

Due to the dual hosting, the flag ceremony was also dualled with raisings in both Milan and Cortina followed by the Italian national anthem which was sung superbly. The next scene was the City and the Mountain with performers bringing together two huge Olympic Rings which were then joined by the remaining trio to form the quintet of Olympic Rings.

Next up was the traditional Athlete Parade which saw an historic first with four different parades across four main venues and opening as always with Greece whose Flagbearers paraded in Predazzo with Livigno joining Milan and Cortina as the parade venues.  The flagbearers for GB were Ice Dancer Lilah Fear in Milan and Bobsleigh pilot Brad Hall in Cortina. After 90 countries had paraded then came the next hosts in France and a huge cheers in all four venues for the hosts of Italy. 

The performing resumed with a focus on 100 Years of Winter Olympics going back to the inaugural Games of Chamonix from 1924. Then a comical scene based on hand gestures as Italians apparently do 200 hand gestures per day and very nicely done it was too. 

The traditional gathering of all 92 flags commenced ahead of speeches from Kirsty Coventry (IOC President) and Giovanni Malago (Milano-Cortina Committee President) and then followed by Sergio Mattarella who officially declared the Games were open. 

A superb performance of Nessun Dorma by the legendary Andrea Bocelli followed by the procession of the Olympic Flame into the San Siro and messages of Hope and Peace before the entry of the Olympic Flag. Both Milan and Cortina had raisings of the Flag. 

Another Winter Olympics historic first with the lighting of two cauldrons in Milan and Cortina done in perfect synchronicity and ended the Opening Ceremony to open 16 days of competition.