Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony 2026 – Start Time, Schedule & What to Expect?
The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially the XXV Winter Olympic Games and known as Milano Cortina 2026, will occur from February 6 to 22, 2026, in various locations across Lombardy and Northeast Italy. Selected events will commence on February 4, 2026. Notably, the Games will introduce ski mountaineering as a new Winter Olympic sport and will be the first Olympic Games overseen by Kirsty Coventry as president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Where & When will the 2026 Olympic Winter Games take place?
- Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026: February 6 – 22, 2026.
- Paralympic Winter Games: March 6 – 15, 2026.
How many countries will participate in the Winter Olympics 2026?
More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will be competing for 195 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic sports.
How many official venues are included in the Milano Cortina 2026 Games?
- 15 venues will host sporting competitions
What is the mascot of the Winter Olympics 2026?
Tina and Milo are the mascots for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, respectively. Their names are diminutives of those of the two host cities: Tina for Cortina and Milo for Milano.
Where you can watch the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026?
The Olympic Winter Games will be shown live in territories across the world. Broadcasters will vary depending on your location, so check with your local providers for more information about where you can watch the Games.
The venues include Milano Ice Skating Arena; Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium; Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena; Milano Speed Skating Stadium; Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena; Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium; Cortina Sliding Centre; Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre; Anterselva Biathlon Arena; Stelvio Ski Centre; Livigno Snow Park; Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park; Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium; Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium and Verona Olympic Arena.
What new sports will be at the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026?
Ski mountaineering is the only sport making its debut at Milano Cortina 2026. The principle of skimo is for athletes to race up and down a course and can alternate between being on skis and on foot. Medals will awarded in men’s and women’s sprints and in a mixed-gender relay. Other than that, some new events will introduced, namely: Women’s Doubles in luge, Women’s Large Hill in ski jumping, Mixed Team event in skeleton, Men’s and Women’s Dual Moguls in freestyle skiing and Team Combined in alpine skiing.
What sports are in the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026?
The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will feature 16 different sport disciplines, including Alpine skiing; biathlon; bobsleigh; cross-country skiing; curling; figure skating; freestyle skiing; ice hockey; luge, Nordic combined; short track speed skating; skeleton; ski jumping; ski mountaineering; snowboard and speed skating.
How to get tickets for the Winter Olympics 2026?
There are two main ways to watch the Winter Olympics 2026 live in Italy – ticket only and ticket inclusive hospitality packages. You can find where to buy on our How to Attend the Games page.
How to qualify for the Winter Olympics 2026?
Qualifying for the Olympic Winter Games is different for all sports. At the end of the day, the National Olympic Committees have the final say on who will be on the Olympic team and will announce this in January 2026. You can discover the qualifying specifics for each of the sports here and on the websites of the international federations.
