The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics will be staged at Milan’s famous San Siro stadium and feature other venues across northern Italy, seeking to emphasise “harmony” – a Greek-rooted concept evoking unity in diversity.
Milan is co-hosting the Games with the Dolomite town of Cortina d'Ampezzo next year.
The opening ceremony will be held on Friday, 6 February in the San Siro, the focal point for the opening night.
In addition to Milan and Cortina, athletes will also parade in the Games' venues of Predazzo and Livigno, with delegations from the same country potentially split across different sites, organisers said.
"For the first time, the opening ceremony will be multi-site," said Andrea Varnier, CEO of the local organising committee.
SAN SIRO TRANSFORMED INTO STAGE SET
The ceremony will be entitled "Armonia" - harmony in English.
At its heart will be a striking spiral-shaped LED stage at the centre of the San Siro, transforming the pitch into a dynamic hub. Four ramps will radiate from the central structure, in a layout designed to evoke connection and flow.
"The word harmony means keeping things together, and blends well with these Games, which combine a city and the mountains," said creative director Marco Balich.
Breaking with tradition, there will be two Olympic cauldrons. One will be lit at the Arco della Pace (Arch of Peace) monument in Milan, while the other will burn in Piazza Dibona, a square in the heart of Cortina.
TRIBUTE TO GIORGIO ARMANI
The ceremony will retrace the history and spirit of Italy and celebrate figures such as Leonardo da Vinci.
It will include a tribute to Giorgio Armani, the designer who made Milan his home and died last month, said Giovanni Malago, the president of the Milano-Cortina organising committee.
Malago said expectations are for the event to be followed by between 2 billion and 2.5 billion people.
The opening ceremony is likely to be one of the last major events at the San Siro as the century-old stadium is facing demolition in the coming years, with a new arena planned nearby by soccer clubs AC Milan and Inter.
"I think it could be a great tribute to San Siro," said Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala.
The closing ceremony will be in the city of Verona on 22 February. The Paralympics follow from 6-15 March.