A "less divisive" opening ceremony
The opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro stadium on February 6th will be less "divisive" than that of Paris, which drew criticism from conservatives.
"I don't like making divisive statements," creative director Marco Balich told a press conference on January 20th.
During the opening ceremony of the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, a scene featuring drag queens was criticised by the Vatican and conservative politicians, who saw it as an inappropriate reference to the Last Supper.
"Some nations prefer to convey different messages," Balich said in response to a question about the Paris Olympics.
So what will Milan's ceremony feature instead? Tenor Andrea Bocelli and American pop star Mariah Carey will perform, along with Italian singer Laura Pausini and around 1,200 Olympic volunteers, organisers say. US Vice President JD Vance will be among the celebrities and politicians in attendance.
One Paris innovation will make a return: the Olympic cauldron, which attracted crowds in front of the Louvre, will stand under the Arch of Peace in the heart of Milan.
The most spread-out Winter Olympics ever
This will be the most geographically widespread Winter Olympics in history, held at venues scattered throughout northern Italy from Milan's ice arenas to Cortina's legendary Alpine slopes. It's also the first Winter Games to have two official host cities.
Italy is using mostly existing venues rather than building new infrastructure. Only two of 13 venues are new—the controversial Cortina bobsleigh track and Milan's Santa Giulia arena.
The closing ceremony will be held in Verona's nearly 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre. The total estimated cost is reported to be €5.2 billion, far below Sochi (over $40 billion) or Beijing ($38 billion).
Venues finished at the last minute
Italy's two new Olympic venues were built in a hurry and plagued by construction delays, and there were serious questions about whether they - and the Olympic Village - would be ready in time.
Milan's Santa Giulia ice hockey arena was still being finished during January test events, and an Italian Cup match was briefly stopped when officials found a hole in the ice.
Cortina's bobsled track caused even more concern after construction began with less than two years to go. Test events in November were held without spectators because construction was still ongoing, and the areas around the sites reportedly still need to be cleared up.
READ ALSO: Italy's Winter Olympic organisers insist ice hockey arena ready despite hole in rink
In December, organisers admitted there was still "a lot of finishing to do around the venues." Both are now certified, but visitors can expect a less polished experience than at established Olympic sites.
The most gender-balanced Winter Games
Milano Cortina 2026 will be the most gender-equal Winter Olympics yet, with women making up 47 percent of participants. A record 50 women's events are included.
Ski mountaineering will make its Olympic debut, with medals awarded in men's and women's sprints and a mixed-gender relay.
Other new events include women's doubles in luge and women's large hill in ski jumping.
Sunny winter weather
Milan and the Alpine areas generally offer clearer, brighter conditions than many parts of northern Europe, and these Games will benefit from an average of 10 hours of sunlight daily.
Expect cold, snowy conditions in alpine locations like Cortina (around +1°C during the day in February,). Milan will be milder, with temperatures typically ranging from 2-12°C at this time of year, with possible snowfall.
Comments