Two Olympic flames rose into the night sky Friday, one beneath Milan’s Arco della Pace and the other in Cortina d’Ampezzo, marking the official start of the 2026 Winter Games in a ceremony that unfolded across northern Italy.
In a first for a Winter Olympics, twin cauldrons were lit simultaneously to symbolize the partnership between the urban host, Milan, and its Alpine counterpart roughly 250 miles away. Retired Italian Alpine champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni ignited the Milan flame, while downhill gold medalist Sofia Goggia lit the cauldron in Cortina. The lighting capped a 63-day torch relay across Italy.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared the Games open following remarks from International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry, the first woman elected to lead the IOC.
The Parade of Nations, a cornerstone of Olympic ceremony, began with Greece, honoring its role as the birthplace of the Games. Host nation Italy entered last to a standing ovation, its athletes dressed in Emporio Armani. More than 2,900 athletes from 92 national Olympic committees are set to compete through Feb. 22.
Italian culture anchored much of the evening’s pageantry. Dancers from the Teatro alla Scala academy opened the show with choreography inspired by winter sport, while large figures representing composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Gioachino Rossini appeared in tribute to the country’s musical legacy.
American singer Mariah Carey performed the Italian classic “Nel blu, dipinto di blu,” widely known as “Volare,” later calling the moment “such a dream come true” in a social media post.
Tenor Andrea Bocelli followed with Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma,” delivering the climactic “Vincerò”—“I will win”—as the Olympic flame advanced toward its final destination.
A tribute honored the late Giorgio Armani, who died in 2025 at age 91. The designer long outfitted U.S. Olympic teams and was closely associated with Milan’s fashion identity.
The ceremony concluded with a first in Winter Olympic history: two cauldrons lit simultaneously. The twin flames will burn throughout the Games, symbolizing the partnership between the metropolitan host and its mountain co-host. It ran for 3 1/2 hours, an hour longer than its scheduled run time.
The 2026 Games span approximately 8,500 square miles across northern Italy, making them the most geographically dispersed Winter Olympics on record, an area comparable in size to the state of New Jersey.
Fireworks burst over Milan as the flames rose, signaling the official start of Italy’s third Winter Olympics, following Cortina in 1956 and Turin in 2006. In 1960, the country also hosted the Summer Olympics in Rome.
