In the words of Winter Olympics 2026 performer Mariah Carey, “it’s tiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiime!”
Well, almost time for the Milano Cortina Games, which will unite viewers worldwide for three weeks in February. From gravity-defying figure skaters to adrenaline-chasing snowboarders, athletes from over 90 countries will convene in the snowy mountains of Italy—as well as the country’s historic cities—to compete in 16 of the riskiest and most beautiful sports held on the ice and snow.
Before the festivities officially kick off with a star-studded opening ceremony on February 6, here’s everything you need to know about the Winter Olympics 2026.
Where are the 2026 Winter Olympics taking place?
The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are spread across Milan and resort towns throughout the Dolomites, including Cortina d’Ampezzo, Bormio, Livigno, Val di Fiemme, and Anterselva.
The official opening ceremony will take place at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, though Olympic athletes and their teams will take part in celebrations in the areas hosting their competitions. To mark the end of the games, the closing ceremonies will take place at the Verona Olympic Arena, a historic Roman amphitheater about two hours outside Milan.
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When are the 2026 Winter Olympics?
As always, the lead-up to the Olympics began in Greece when the lighting ceremony kicked off the Olympic torch relay on November 26. Throughout the following weeks, official torchbearers carried the symbolic flame throughout various regions of Italy, including the town of Feltre, where Heated Rivalry stars Hudson Williams and Connor Storrie took their turn carrying the Olympic torch.
While some Winter Olympic qualifying rounds begin on Wednesday, February 4, the Milano Cortina Games officially commence with the opening ceremony on February 6 and run until Sunday, February 22.
The Heated Rivalry stars are currently living Shane Hollander’s and Ilya Rozanov’s best lives.
How to Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics
US viewers will be able to catch all of the action on NBC and Peacock, with plenty of daytime programming due to the six-hour time difference between Milan and Eastern Standard Time. Preliminary and round-robin competitions can be watched live on NBCOlympics.com and Peacock starting on February 4. You can view the full schedule here.
On February 6, NBC and Peacock’s live coverage of the opening ceremony begins at 1:40 pm ET, while primetime coverage starts at 8 pm ET. The closing ceremony will air live on NBC at 2:30 pm ET on February 22.
Who is performing in the Opening Ceremony?
The theme of this year’s ceremony is harmony (or “armonia,” in Italian). Italy’s pride and joy, Andrea Bocelli, will headline the ceremony, which will also feature musical performances by five-time Grammy Award-winner Mariah Carey and famed Chinese pianist Lang Lang. Grammy-winning Italian singer Laura Pausini, opera singer Cecilia Bartoli, and Italian rapper Ghali will also perform.
Meanwhile, White Lotus season two star Sabrina Impacciatore will take part in “telling the story of the country’s identity and cultural richness on the Olympic stage.” Her fellow Italian actors Matilda De Angelis and Pierfrancesco Favino will reportedly perform with violinist Giovanni Zanon.
According to a press release, the ceremony will also include a special tribute to the late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died in September at the age of 91. Armani famously designed the Italian team’s Olympic uniforms for over a decade.
Team USA athletes to watch
Consider 2026 the year of the Olympic comeback. Celebrated downhill skier Lindsey Vonn is set to compete in her fifth Olympics at 41 years old after ending her five-year retirement in 2024. (On a torn ACL no less!) Meanwhile, 20-year-old figure skater Alysa Liu is returning to the Olympics after announcing her retirement from the sport in 2022.
Meanwhile Chloe Kim is looking for an Olympic hat trick. After becoming the youngest woman to win Olympic gold in snowboarding in 2018, she made history again by becoming the first woman to win consecutive halfpipe gold medals at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
As for athletes making their Olympic debut, 22-year-old Laila Edwards is the first Black woman to play for Team USA's Olympic hockey team, while 26-year-old Amber Glenn is the first out LGBTQ+ woman’s figure skater to compete in the Olympics. She also happens to be the first skater to win three consecutive U.S. figure skating titles since Michelle Kwan.
Click here for scheduling information.
New Sports Debuting at the 2026 Winter Games
There will be 16 sports represented at the Winter Olympics and 116 medal events. Events include 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.
Only one sport is completely new to the 2026 Winter Olympics: Ski mountaineering, which combines uphill climbing and downhill skiing. Events will include a men’s and women’s sprint, as well as a mixed-gender relay.
Five pre-established Olympic sports have added new events:
- Freestyle skiing has added men’s and women’s dual mogul races.
- Luge has added women’s doubles.
- Skeleton (a high-speed, single sled sport) has added a mixed-team competition.
- Ski Jumping will now include a women’s large hill individual event.
- Alpine Skiing has added a team combined event, featuring one athlete for downhill and one for slalom, which involves skiing between poles or gates.
Closing ceremony
The closing ceremony, which will feature a performance by ballet dancer Roberto Bolle, will take place on February 22. Aside from celebrating the Olympic athletes, this event marks the passing of the Olympic flame from Milan to the French Alps, which will host the 2030 Winter Games.
