The countdown has begun. In less than four months, on February 6, 2026, the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games will officially open. Two years after the fabulous displays seen on the Seine, the Italian organizing committee knows the bar is high. It presented its project this Thursday at a press conference in Milan. The concept is called Harmony. A single word to simultaneously describe a fundamental aspect of sport and the beauty of Italy, encompassing art and innovation, nature and cities, tradition and future ", justifies the OCOG.
A ceremony and “four iconic locations”
First lesson: this ceremony will be like these Games, that is to say, fragmented. Two cauldrons will be lit, one in Milan, at the foot of the Arco della Pace, and the other in Cortina d'Ampezzo, on Piazza Dibona. The San Siro stadium will be at the center of the opening ceremony, which will also take place in Cortina, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme so as to involve all the athletes. A major first. It's a parade that should give the screen the feeling of being all together., explains Andrea Varnier, general director of the organizing committee. This is the first time that athletes already in the mountains will be able to participate. » A good idea on paper to offer the best possible experience to Olympians.
A clip showing the country's architectural and cultural heritage was presented. It announces that " the biggest show on the planet comes to Italy » and mentions “ four iconic places ", without being more specific. The delegations will be able to choose which sites their flag bearers will be located on. A tribute to the Italian spirit and a message of peace will be shared with the world " adds the clip.
🇮🇹 From Leonardo to design, from music to elegance — Italian creativity unites under one idea: Armonia.
— Milano Cortina 2026 (@milanocortina26) October 16, 2025
The road to the #MilanoCortina2026 Opening Ceremony begins now.#MilanoCortina2026 #Olympics #RoadToCeremonies #OpeningCeremony @Olympics @BalichWS pic.twitter.com/YhX6lVLezU
Giorgio Armani and Leonardo da Vinci
The organizing committee has released a first name: that of Matilda De Angelis, Italian singer and actress, who shared the bill in the film this year. Dracula with Oscar-winning actor Christoph Waltz. His role? Still a secret... but it will be unforgettable ", promises the OCOG, claiming to have brought together " a world-class cast for a show that will thrill the world ».
« Armonia will be the central theme of a story that blends imagination and beauty, Leonardo da Vinci and the great inventors, Italian design and taste, music and elegance. It will be a collective narrative celebrating Italian talent in all its forms, from artists to athletes, including the younger generations shaping the future. ", reads the event website. A special tribute will be paid during the ceremony to designer Giorgio Armani, a figure in Italian fashion and sport, who died on September 4.
« Armonia is a simple but powerful word. It's the key that allows us to intertwine different languages—artistic, visual, and human—and transform them into a collective experience. It will be a story that moves and inspires, where every gesture and every image will be part of a shared project., commented Maria Laura Iascone, director of Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies. We will be moved, we will cry, but we will also laugh a little at ourselves. »
