Dignitaries and Performances at Milano Cortina 2026

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics officially commenced with a dazzling opening ceremony at Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium on Friday. The three-hour show featured performances by international stars including American singer Mariah Carey, renowned tenor Andrea Bocelli, and Golden Globe-winning Italian pop sensation Laura Pausini.

The event drew a remarkable assembly of global leaders, with United States Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Italian President Sergio Mattarella, Premier Giorgia Meloni, International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry, and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres among the 50 dignitaries in attendance.

Security in Milan was heightened, following recent unrest in Turin and ongoing debates about the presence of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the Games. This year’s Olympics mark a historic first, with two cities—Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo—jointly hosting, and events spread across the Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino-Alto Adige regions

In addition to the main festivities in Milan, simultaneous ceremonies and athlete parades took place in Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, highlighting the Games’ broad regional involvement. A symbolic moment saw two Olympic cauldrons, inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s knots, lit concurrently in Milan’s Arch of Peace and Cortina’s Piazza Dibona.

While the official opening was on Friday, Olympic competition began earlier in the week, with curling mixed doubles starting Wednesday in Cortina. On Thursday, Milan hosted the women’s ice hockey opener, where Italy celebrated a historic 4-1 victory over France—their first-ever Olympic win in the sport.