The countdown towards Milano Cortina 2026 begins

Milano Cortina 2026 will see the showpiece return to one of the heartlands of winter sports with the vision to leave a lasting legacy and deliver sustainable Games on an economic, environmental, and social level.

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will see ski mountaineering added to the programme of sports that thrilled global fans in Beijing 2022.

Italy, the homeland of global superstars such as Sofia Goggia, Arianna Fontana, Federica Brignone and Armin Zoeggeler, is set to deliver another spectacle for the ages.

Milano Cortina 2026 will mark the third time Italy will host the Olympic Winter Games after Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006.

The return of the Olympic Winter Games to Italy, 70 years after Cortina 1956 and two decades after Turin 2006, will see two cities play host to the spectacle. Milan, the economic and fashion capital, and the ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The Games will be staged across three regions, including Cortina nestled in the heart of the Dolomite Alps and Milan in the northern Lombardy region. The 14 venues will be spread across 22 square km from Lombardy to the Veneto regions through the provinces of Trento and Bolzano.

Most indoor competitions will be held in the Milan cluster, while the outdoor events will take place in the Cortina cluster.

The Games will see around 3,500 athletes from 93 countries competed for medals with two million spectators expected at the competition venues.

The Opening Ceremony of the Olympic Winter Games will be staged at the San Siro stadium in Milan on 6 February 2026, while the Closing Ceremony is set for the Verona Arena on 22 February.

The sports programme will be expanded in Milano Cortina 2026, with ski mountaineering making its debut at the Olympic