Winter Olympics 2026: Italian President Sergio Mattarella Declares The Milano Cortina Games Open

An unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron Winter Olympics opening ceremony replete with references to Italian icons and culture has officially kicked off the Milan Cortina Games, as the sports spectacle returns to a nation that last hosted the event 20 years ago.

This is the most spread-out Winter Olympics in history, with competition venues dotting an area of about 8,500 square miles (more than 22,000 square kilometers), roughly the size of the entire state of New Jersey.

The main hub Friday is in Milan at San Siro soccer stadium. There also will be three other places where athletes can march, some carrying their country’s flag: Cortina d’Ampezzo in the heart of the Dolomite mountains; Livigno in the Alps; Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento.

That allows up-in-the-mountains sports such as Alpine skiing, bobsled, curling and snowboarding to be represented in the Parade of Nations without needing to make the several-hours-long trek to Milan, the country’s financial capital, and back.

Italian President Declares The Olympics Open

Italian President Sergio Mattarella has declared the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics open.

The declaration was followed by huge sparklers shooting from the stage.

Malago Cheered By Fans In San Siro

Giovanni Malagò, the president of the Milan Cortina Foundation that organized the 2026 Winter Olympics, told the crowd in San Siro, “Benvenuti,” or “Welcome” in Italian, adding, “We welcome you to a land of history and innovation, of creative culture and passion.’′

Malagò was head of the Italian Olympic Committee when Italy won the bid to stage the Milan Cortina Games.

He was cheered several times, including when he said he loved sports, “and I love the Olympic movement,’′ and when he called out all of the territories across northern Italy that are hosting venues.