The 25th Winter Olympic Games 2026 officially opened in Italy.

For the first time in history, the Opening Ceremony was held simultaneously in four cities – Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Predazzo, and Livigno. The main part of the event took place in Milan at the “San Siro” Stadium.

This format allowed athletes to attend ceremonies in the cities where they will be competing. Holding the ceremony in multiple locations is due to the long distances between the Games clusters.

The ceremony included the traditional athletes' parade. The Olympic flame was lit in both major host cities. In Milan, it was lit by three-time Olympic alpine skiing champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni, and in Cortina d'Ampezzo, by 2018 Olympic alpine skiing champion Sofia Goggia.

The ceremony was organized by Balich Wonder Studio, whose director, Marko Balich, has produced 14 Olympic ceremonies.

The Olympic Games will run until February 22.