Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics kicks off with multi-site, star-studded ceremony

Featuring tributes to da Vinci and Dante, Puccini and Pausini, Armani and Fellini, pasta and vino, and other iconic tastes of Italian culture – plus Mariah Carey hitting all the high notes in “Nel Blu Dipinto Di Blu” aka “Volare” – an unprecedented four-site, dual-cauldron opening ceremony got the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics officially started Friday.

Allowing athletes to participate in the Parade of Nations at the mountain locales for the most spread-out Winter Games in history created what perhaps was an unintended consequence: Zero competitors from any of the first five countries actually showed up at the main hub, Milan’s San Siro soccer stadium.

Mariah Carey helped ⁠to get the party started with a performance of the 1950s Italian song "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" ("In the blue, painted in blue") with its famous "Volare" ("To fly") refrain to cheers in Milan's San Siro stadium.

Fashion is its own competitor in any Olympics, from team uniforms at the opening and closing ceremonies to individual looks in the stadiums and – during the Winter Games – on the slopes. 

There's also the simmering rivalry between Europe's top two fashion cities. The Paris 2024 Summer Olympics were heralded as the most stylish yet, but Milan went for gold on the heels of its annual men’s fashion week and ahead of the women's runway previews.

The ceremony’s organisers said they sought to convey themes of harmony and peace, seeking to represent the city-mountain dichotomy of the particularly unusual setup for these Olympics while also trying to appeal to a sense of unity at a time of global tensions.

“I hope the opening ceremony is seen by everyone as an opportunity to be respectful,” new International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry