While the Olympics are always full of amazing sporting moments, one of the highlights of the Games has always been the Opening Ceremony.
The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics are just around the corner, and Team USA’s roster of athletes is gearing up to bring home several bronze, silver, and gold medals. NBCUniversal will continue to serve as the Games’ exclusive broadcaster, with events airing across NBC, Peacock, CNBC, and USA Network.
This year’s Olympics Opening Ceremony promises to be a memorable one, as the ceremony will put a twist on the “lighting and extinguishing of the Olympic cauldron,” per the event’s website.
“For the first time, there will be two Olympic cauldrons,” the website reveals, noting that one will be located at the Arco della Pace in Milan and the other at Piazza Dibona in Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Scroll down for more information about the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, including where and when to watch and who is hosting.
When is the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
The 2026 Winter Olympics will kick off on Friday, February 6.
Where can I watch the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
Viewers can tune in live to the Opening Ceremony at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. A primetime encore presentation of the event will air that same day at 8 p.m. ET.
“For the first time in Winter Olympics history, the Milan Cortina Opening Ceremony will take a multi-centered approach to the celebration, ensuring athletes at the various competition venues across Italy have the opportunity to participate,” reads NBC’s Olympics website. “While the main ceremony will take place at San Siro Olympic stadium, athletes, spectators, and local communities across the country will be brought into the celebration with multiple athlete parades and two separate Olympic cauldrons.”
Who is hosting the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
Today‘s Savannah Guthrie will cohost the event with NBC Sports’ Terry Gannon. Three-time Olympic gold medal winner Shaun White will also provide commentary in the broadcast booth for the ceremony’s Parade of Nations. Mike Tirico, who will head NBC’s primetime Olympics coverage, will also help cover the Opening Ceremony from California, where Super Bowl LX will take place two days later.
What will happen during the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
According to the Opening Ceremony’s website, the event will feature over 1,300 total cast members, over 500 musicians, over 1,400 costumes, and more than 1,000 stage elements. In addition to the lighting of the two cauldrons, viewers can also expect performances from several famous faces.
Promising to be “one of the most impressive and spectacular events in the history of the Games,” the event’s website reads, “For the first time, it will be a widespread Ceremony, taking place in different locations: an event of global scope, the result of a choral project involving thousands of people and deploying artistic, technical and organisational skills of the highest level.”
Who is performing at the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
The Opening Ceremony will feature performances and appearances from both Italian celebrities and global stars, including Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, and Sabrina Impacciatore. Other confirmed performers include Laura Pausini, Pierfrancesco Favino, Ghali, Cecilia Bartoli, Lang Lang, and Matilda De Angelis.
Are tickets available for the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
Tickets for the Opening Ceremony are currently available to purchase online, ranging in price from €260.00 (around $311) to €2,026.00 (around $2,427).
2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony, Friday, February 6, 2/1c and 8/7c, NBC and Peacock
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