Ice skaters Alysa Liu and Ilia Malinin, snowboarder Chloe Kim, skiers Mikaela Shiffrin and Lindsey Vonn, and oodles of other athletes will compete at the 25th Winter Olympics beginning on Friday, Feb. 6, in Milan-Cortina, Italy.
Although some sports will start two days earlier, the 2026 Games will officially kick off with the opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro Olympic Stadium. Fans always look forward to the music, celebrity performers, Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron. Milan organizers have also teased innovative approaches to the welcome festivities.
Sports lovers last watched the Winter Games broadcast from Beijing, China in 2022, but they were marred by the COVID-19 pandemic and flopped in the TV ratings. The 2024 Paris Summer Games, however, were a huge hit, with NBC averaging 30.4 million viewers a day. Although the Winter Olympics are less popular than the Summer Games—with just 16 sports featured—NBC Universal and its various platforms are pulling out all stops to get fans to tune in.
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Italian opening ceremony creative director Marco Balich has hinted there will be plenty of heart-warming moments in the snow. Balich said his team is aiming for a “very essential human-driven” ceremony with “no technological thrills.”
Christophe Dubi, the Olympic Games executive director, said, “We’re gonna celebrate the athletes the way they have done in Paris. And that is what will make for a true Olympic experience back to the roots.”
While some lucky sports fans will experience the Olympics opener in person, most of us will be viewing from the comfort of home! Read on to find out more about how to watch the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony.
Where are the 2026 Winter Olympics taking place?
The cities of Milan and Cortina in Northern Italy are hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics. It’s a unique dual approach to the Games featuring the main city of Milan and the beautiful mountain resort town of Cortina. Organizers decided to spread out the Games’ footprint in Italy—making them sustainable and eco-friendly—by using mostly pre-existing venues.
Cortina d'Ampezzo, ItalyAs Olympics.com has reported about 2026 Milan, “The parade of delegations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron will remain the highlights, complemented by new initiatives promoting inclusivity and participation across the competition venues.”
According to a press release, the ceremony will also weave together “imagination and beauty, Leonardo da Vinci and the great inventors, Italian design and taste, music and elegance.”
Related: Icy Twists! USA Figure Skating Reveals 2026 Olympic Rosters for Milan-Cortina
How will the opening ceremony look different?
For the first time ever, two Olympic cauldrons will be lit to open the Games. One will be located in Milan—at the Arco della Pace—an iconic landmark of the city. The other will be in Cortina’s Piazza Angelo Dibona. As always with an opening ceremony, details on how the cauldron(s) will be lit are a closely-guarded secret!
The journey of the Olympic Flame for Milan Cortina 2026For the first time at a Winter Games, NBC Universal will broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies live across America. NBC and Peacock will present live coverage of the opening ceremony on Friday, Feb. 6, beginning at 2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT.
Related: IOC Issues Statement After Calls to Ban the United States From 2026 Olympics
Will the Winter Olympics opening ceremony also be aired in primetime?
Yes. Primetime “enhanced encore” coverage will begin at 8 p.m. ET/PT on NBC and Peacock.
Streaming is available on NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, and NBC Sports app via authentication with a valid cable, satellite, or TV provider. Fans can watch on mobile, tablet and connected TV devices.
However, viewers who don’t want to miss a moment of the ceremony and all Olympic events, live and on-demand, should subscribe to Peacock Premium for $10.99 a month. After subscribing and logging in, either go to PeacockTV.com/Olympics in your web browser or download the Peacock app to your phone, tablet, or connected TV device and navigate to the Olympics section.
Apple TV also recently launched a bundle with Peacock. You can bundle Apple TV and ad-supported Peacock for $15/month, or go ad-free for $20.
Why is the Winter Olympics opening ceremony airing in the afternoon ET?
It's due to the time difference. The 2026 Olympic Games are in Italy, which is six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. The ceremony will begin at 8 p.m. Milan time CET (Central European Time), which is 2 p.m. ET.
The Milan event is expected to be around three hours, just like past Olympic opening ceremonies.
What will U.S. athletes be wearing at the Olympics opening ceremony?
For almost twenty years, esteemed American Polo fashion designer Ralph Lauren has been providing official clothes for Olympic athletes, and 2026 is no exception. According to NBC.com, for the opening ceremony, Team USA will be wearing Lauren’s cozy wool clothing, including a long white toggle coat, an American flag turtleneck sweater, tailored trousers, mittens, and hat. It’s all made in America. Fans can also purchase the items on ralphlauren.com, but showing your support won’t be cheap—for example, a Team USA opening ceremony toggle coat costs $1,998!
Speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder and U.S. Army Sgt. Frank Del Duca will jointly carry the United States flag in the opener. Both athletes competed in the 2022 Winter Olympics, with Jackson winning the gold medal in 500 meter speedskating. Jackson said Feb. 3 on TODAY about her important role, “It means so much. It’s a really big honor.”
What is the venue for the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics?
The centerpiece for the 2026 Opening Ceremony will be Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium—which was built nearly 100 years ago and is home to famed rival soccer clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan. The ceremony will mark the final major sporting event at San Siro Stadium, which will be demolished after the Games to be replaced by a modern arena.
San Siro Stadium will host the opening ceremony.According to event organizers, the ceremony will also involve “multiple competition venues in a way no one has seen before.”
Who will perform at the opening ceremony?
Mariah Carey will be the headliner at the Milan stadium, along with famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore, renowned pianist Lang Lang, legendary Italian singer Laura Pausini, actress Matilde De Angelis (The Law According to Lydia Poet) and actor Pierfrancesco Favino all scheduled to perform.
Mariah Carey performs during the 2025 MTV Video Music Awards.Carey, 56, said in an Instagram video announcing her gig, "Ciao! Get ready for Milano Cortina 2026. See you at the Stadium San Siro on the 6th of February for the Olympic opening ceremony. See you in Milan!" Fans hope Carey will deliver a performance equal to Celine Dion, who memorably opened the Summer 2024 Paris Olympics.
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Who will host the 2026 Winter Games opening ceremony on NBC?
TODAY co-anchor Savannah Guthriewas set to host alongside longtime NBC Sports commentator Terry Gannon , but tragically, on Feb. 1, news broke that Guthrie's mother Nancy had gone missing. Guthrie rushed to her mom's Tucson, Arizona home and then pulled out of NBC's Olympics coverage. On Feb. 4, the network announced longtime NBC personality Mary Carillo would fill in for Guthrie at the Olympics opener. Also, American three-time Olympic snowboarding gold medalist Shaun White is joining Gannon and Carillo for the parade of nations.
Savannah Guthrie at the 2022 Beijing Winter GamesWhite said about his gig, “I know what that moment means when the world is watching, and I can’t wait to help bring that magic to everyone at home.”
Meanwhile, NBC’s primetime host Mike Tirico will contribute to the coverage remotely from northern California, where he is preparing to cover Super Bowl LX on Sunday, Feb. 8. After that, Tirico will fly to Italy to host the rest of the Games.
Up Next: 17 Athletes to Watch at the 2026 Winter Olympics—Including Lindsey Vonn’s Historic Return
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