Winter Olympics 2026: Everything You Need to Know About the Milan-Cortina Games

The Winter Olympics are heading back to the Alps for the first time in 20 years, and the 2026 Games promise to be one of the most exciting yet. Sports like ice hockey, skiing, skating, and snowboarding will take centre stage as Italy hosts the world’s biggest winter sporting event.

The 25th Winter Olympics will take place in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, with around 3,500 athletes competing across 116 events in 16 disciplines over 19 days.

Here’s a complete guide to what to expect.

When Do the Winter Olympics Begin?

The Winter Olympics officially start on Friday, but competition begins earlier.

• The first qualifying rounds kick off on Wednesday

• The first medals will be awarded on Saturday

• The Games will end with the closing ceremony on February 22, held at the Verona Olympic Arena

Opening Ceremony Details

The opening ceremony will take place on Friday, and for the first time ever, it will be spread across multiple locations.

The main event will happen at Milan’s famous San Siro Stadium, which holds about 80,000 spectators and is home to AC Milan and Inter Milan.

Other celebrations will also take place in:

• Predazzo

• Livigno

• Cortina d’Ampezzo

Athletes will parade in the areas where their competitions will be held.

The ceremony will also feature performances from major Italian and international artists, including pop star Mariah Carey.

Which Cities Are Hosting the Games?

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be based around two major hubs:

• Milan, Italy’s second-largest city

• Cortina d’Ampezzo, a famous mountain resort in the Dolomites

Events will also be held across northern Italy, making Milan-Cortina 2026 the most widely spread Winter Games in Olympic history.

The four main clusters include:

• Milan

• Valtellina (Bormio, Valdisotto, Livigno)

• Cortina (including Antholz/Anterselva)

• Val di Fiemme (Predazzo, Tesero)

Verona will host the closing ceremony and will later stage the Paralympics opening on March 6.

Italy is hosting the Olympics for the fourth time overall, after Winter Games in 1956 and 2006, and the Summer Olympics in 1960.

How Can You Watch the Winter Olympics?

Official broadcasters will show the Games worldwide. Some major networks include:

• Peacock and NBC Olympics (USA)

• CBC Gem and TOU.tv (Canada)

• BBC and Discovery+ (UK)

• NRK and HBO Max (Norway)

Key Events to Look Out For

Some of the biggest events at the Winter Olympics include:

• Alpine skiing

• Figure skating

• Ice hockey

• Ski jumping

• Freestyle skiing

Snowboarding events like Slopestyle, Big Air, and Halfpipe are also very popular, especially among younger fans, with stars such as Mark McMorris and Scotty James expected to compete.

New Olympic Sport in 2026

A brand-new sport will make its Olympic debut:

Ski mountaineering (Skimo)

It will feature:

• Men’s sprint

• Women’s sprint

• Mixed relay

Full List of Sports and Disciplines

Milan-Cortina 2026 will include eight sports and 16 disciplines, such as:

• Alpine skiing

• Biathlon

• Bobsleigh

• Curling

• Ice hockey

• Luge

• Snowboard

• Speed skating

• Ski mountaineering
  …and more

Top Athletes to Watch

Several major stars are expected to shine in 2026, including:

• Lindsey Vonn, returning at age 41 hoping to add to her medal collection

• Mikaela Shiffrin, one of the greatest alpine skiers ever

• Chloe Kim, a two-time Olympic snowboarding champion

• Ilia Malinin, the “Quad God” of figure skating

In ski jumping, Japan’s Ryoyu Kobayashi and Slovenia’s Domen Prevc are among the favourites.

Freestyle skiing star Eileen Gu will also be one of China’s biggest athletes at the Games.

Ice hockey will be huge, with NHL players returning to the Olympics for the first time since 2014. Canadian legend Sidney Crosby is expected to headline the competition.

Which Countries Will Win the Most Medals?

Norway is once again expected to dominate. They topped the medal table in:

• PyeongChang 2018 (39 medals)

• Beijing 2022 (37 medals)

Other strong contenders include:

• USA

• Germany

• Canada

• China

 

Gender Balance at Milan-Cortina 2026

These Games will be the most gender-equal Winter Olympics ever.

• Female athlete quota will rise to over 47%

• A record 50 women’s events will be held

Official Mascots

The mascots for Milan-Cortina 2026 are:

• Tina (Olympic mascot)

• Milo (Paralympic mascot)

They are joined by six snowdrop characters called “The Flo.”

Security and ICE Controversy

Several countries, including the United States, will bring security staff to support their athletes.

The US Department of State confirmed that agencies like ICE will assist with protecting Americans, but Italy stressed that all security operations will remain fully under Italian control.

ICE personnel will mainly stay within US diplomatic offices, not on the streets.

Cost of the 2026 Winter Olympics

The Games are currently budgeted at 5.2 billion euros ($6.17bn), including:

• 3.5 billion euros in public infrastructure spending

• 1.7 billion euros in private organisational funding

Italy expects around two million visitors and a global audience of more than three billion people.

Officials believe the Games will bring long-term economic benefits through tourism and improved transport.