Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics 2026 opening ceremony date, time and top gold events schedule

The 2026 Winter Olympics will officially begin with a grand opening ceremony on Friday, February 6. The event will be held at the famous San Siro Stadium in Milan. Organizers have planned a modern and inclusive celebration. The show will take place inside the stadium and across several Olympic regions through connected side events. Athletes from around the world will take part, marking the formal start of the Milano Cortina Games.The ceremony will feature major global stars from music and film. Well-known performers such as Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, and Andrea Bocelli are expected to be part of the entertainment lineup. Actress Sabrina Impacciatore, known for her role in the HBO series White Lotus, will also make an appearance. The night will end with the lighting of the Olympic flame and the traditional parade of nations. The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics is scheduled for Friday, February 6. It will begin at 2 p.m. Eastern Time and is expected to run for nearly three hours. Viewers in the United States can watch the ceremony live on NBC. Streaming options will also be available through Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. For prime-time audiences, NBC will air an enhanced replay of the ceremony at 8 p.m. Eastern Time.Although the opening ceremony takes place on February 6, Olympic competition will begin earlier. The first events are set for Wednesday, February 4. Sports like curling, luge, snowboarding, Alpine skiing, and women’s ice hockey will start competition before the official ceremony.The first gold medal of the Games will be awarded on Saturday, February 7. The men’s downhill race in Bormio is scheduled to finish that day. Other medal events on February 7 include women’s 3000-meter speed skating, men’s Big Air snowboarding, and women’s ski jumping on the normal hill.Several key gold medal events are spread across the Olympic calendar. The women’s downhill will take place on February 8. Men’s Super-G and ice dancing free dance are scheduled for February 11. The women’s Super-G will follow on February 12. Figure skating fans can look forward to the men’s free skate on February 13 and the pairs free skate on February 16.Alpine skiing events continue with men’s giant slalom on February 14 and women’s giant slalom on February 15. The women’s slalom is set for February 18. Team sports will conclude later, with the women’s hockey final on February 19 and both men’s and women’s curling finals on February 21 and 22. The Games will close with the men’s hockey final on February 22.