Milan-Cortina 2026, everything ready for the opening ceremony: guests, times and how to follow it on TV

There is now very little left until the official start of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, an event that returns to Italy after Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006. Anticipation for the opening ceremony which will be held on Friday 6 February is very high, with millions of spectators expected all over the world. The heart of the show will be the San Siro stadium in Milan, where over 2,000 volunteers and performers will give life to an event of impressive dimensions.

For the first time in history, a parallel ceremony will also take place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, while smaller celebrations will take place in Livigno and Predazzo. There will be two Olympic braziers, symbol of the flame: one at the Arco della Pace in Milan and one in Piazza Dabona in Cortina, self-propelled structures inspired by Leonardo da Vinci, illuminated by thousands of low-consumption lights.

The guests who will liven up the opening ceremony

Names of international and national caliber will alternate on the San Siro stage. Among the confirmed stars are Andrea Bocelli, Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini and Ghali. The big screen will see the participation of actors such as Pierfrancesco Favino and Sabrina Impacciatore. Overall, the ceremony will see the participation of approximately 1,200 volunteer performers, 500 musicians and 1,400 costumes, with 1,000 props available to make the ceremony unique.

The times for accessing the stands and the prices for attending

The official celebrations will begin at 8pm, but a musical pre-show will start as early as 7.15pm to entertain the public while waiting for the start. The stadium gates will open at 4pm to manage the influx of spectators. Of the 80,000 seats expected, around 60,000 are paid, with prices starting from 260 euros up to 2,026 euros for the seats closest to the stage. To encourage sales, the Milan-Cortina Foundation has provided a special “buy one, get one” offer.

How to follow the ceremony on TV

For those who will not be at the stadium, the ceremony will be visible on TV. The free-to-air live broadcast will be on Rai 1 starting at 7.45pm and in free streaming on Rai Play. By subscription, it will also be broadcast on Eurosport, HBO Max, Discovery+, DAZN, TIMvision and Prime Video Channels.

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