Milan Cortina 2026 Ceremonies

[Ikarus360]

Volunteer applications for the opening ceremonies has begun. Rehearsals will begin in November 2025

https://milanocortina2026.olympics.com/en/news/be-part-games-san-siro-volunteer

https://ceremonycastsignup.balichwonderstudio.com

[Ikarus360]

I noticed they recently put this render in the official website. 

[Bear]

1 hour ago, Ikarus360 said:

I noticed they recently put this render in the official website. 

that looks like a copy of the olympic rings from beijing 2022...

but also look at the screen on the top left, something is happening in the mountain venues as well

[BigVic]

On 5/30/2025 at 3:46 AM, Ikarus360 said:

I noticed they recently put this render in the official website. 

A normal Stadium OC is back for the first time in 8 long years 

[Scotguy II]

5 hours ago, BigVic said:

A normal Stadium OC is back for the first time in 8 long years 

Eh Beijing 2022 lol

[Rei]

1 hour ago, Scotguy II said:

Eh Beijing 

limited live audience due to covid. Milan's opening will be the first in 8 yrs at full capacity. That's what I think he meant.

[Bear]

what are the odds that the VLM arrangement of La Marseillaise is played for the AF'30 handover ceremony?

[Durban Sandshark]

Making me wonder if this opening ceremony will emulate Turin 20 years ago with pop music used during the parade of nations. Only this time, instead of the likes of 1970s and 1980s acts Chic, KC and The Sunshine Band, the Village People, The Buggles, Gloria Gaynor, and Boney M (which was really cool and a personal highlight for me here), why not play some Italo-disco in this segment? Don't mind if 2006 happens again but just play something a little different.  

[Bear]

Interesting tidbits about the Opening Ceremony from an NBC Sports interview with Andrea Varnier, the CEO of the Fondazione:

"[W]e are developing a potential plan to have some cluster activators. It will be Livigno, Predazzo, and, obviously, Cortina."

"So in the end, we try to have the athletes staying in these clusters do an actual parade in a venue, potentially with people watching, and then it will be the magic of broadcasters to make sure it will look like a single parade. So the athletes will be all participating. In this model, there will also be some segments that will be performed in the different venues, so that makes it like a community regardless of the distances."

He also confirms that there will be two cauldrons, one in Milano and the other in Cortina. Both will be lit and extinguished simultaneously at the opening and closing ceremonies.

In a separate NBC Sports interview, Christophe Dubi makes this comment about the Opening Ceremony plan:

"The work that they are doing to allow all athletes to — somewhat in different ways, shapes and forms — participate is a defining moment for the next Games to come. Not LA, but for the French Alps 2030 and Brisbane 2032, which is on three clusters, plus a few venues in the region. So the work they do here to have everybody involved is really outstanding."

"I cannot really reveal more, but it’s really a plan that, for us, respects the principle that the Games, no matter how spread they can be, is for the athletes to feel that the Olympic experience is something really different. So that ceremony will be reflecting this principle."

"Is it easy to do? Absolutely not. It requires an incredible level of coordination for the show, but, hey, Paris was already quite a step. This is somewhat different, because it’s not that large of a venue, but it’s several venues, and yeah, really we are incredibly thankful to the work that they have done."

Both interviews, which go further into preparations for the Games in general, can be found here:

https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/christophe-dubi-ioc-milan-cortina-2026

https://www.nbcsports.com/olympics/news/andrea-varnier-milan-cortina-2026

[yoshi]

Very interesting. I wonder if Kirsty's plan for changing the bid process will be to award the Games to countries rather than cities. The Italian plan feels like a trial for that kind of thing...

[Ikarus360]

On the other hand, I absolutely hate how Olympic ceremonies have become more and more focused to a television audience rather than the actual people in the stadiums/venues/etcetera watching them. I'm worried spreading the whole thing to multiple venues at once will diminish the quality of the actual show in San Siro. 

[BigVic]

6 hours ago, Ikarus360 said:

On the other hand, I absolutely hate how Olympic ceremonies have become more and more focused to a television audience rather than the actual people in the stadiums/venues/etcetera watching them. I'm worried spreading the whole thing to multiple venues at once will diminish the quality of the actual show in San Siro. 

Using of Verona for the Closing and the Para OC and the 1956 Olympic Stadium for the Para CC as in the bid book for the full circle moment when the Milan 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games come to a close. First time the Ceremonies have been spread out across different venuees instead of being just one or two locations. Brisbane 2032 will see a more tradtional Olympic Stadium Ceremonies instead of holding it multiple locations. 

[Rei]

On 7/22/2025 at 3:19 AM, Bear said:

Interesting tidbits about the Opening Ceremony from an NBC Sports interview with Andrea Varnier, the CEO of the Fondazione:

"[W]e are developing a potential plan to have some cluster activators. It will be Livigno, Predazzo, and, obviously, Cortina."

"So in the end, we try to have the athletes staying in these clusters do an actual parade in a venue, potentially with people watching, and then it will be the magic of broadcasters to make sure it will look like a single parade. So the athletes will be all participating. In this model, there will also be some segments that will be performed in the different venues, so that makes it like a community regardless of the distances."

He also confirms that there will be two cauldrons, one in Milano and the other in Cortina. Both will be lit and extinguished simultaneously at the opening and closing ceremonies.

So there will be also two different final lighters in remote. Interesting. Omega will better set their clocks right for the occasion!

[baron-pierreIV]

12 hours ago, BigVic said:

First time the Ceremonies have been spread out across different venues instead of being just one or two locations.  

Not really.  The following Winter Games opened in larger (OPEN) venues and then closed in smaller,  enclosed gymnasia elsewhere in town:

- Grenoble 1968

- Innsbruck 1976 
- Lake Placid 1980 
- Sarajevo 1984 
- Nagano 1998 (OC had sequences from a concert hall) 

And 1956 Summer Games had Opening/Closing Ceremonies in both Stockholm and Melbourne.  

Edited July 23 by baron-pierreIV

[BigVic]

7 hours ago, Rei said:

On 7/22/2025 at 9:19 AM, Bear said:

He also confirms that there will be two cauldrons, one in Milano and the other in Cortina. Both will be lit and extinguished simultaneously at the opening and closing ceremonies.

 

Vancouver's Closing Ceremony had two cauldrons extinguished simulaneously at the Jack Poole Plaza and BC Place after Neil Young's performance 

[Rei]

too bad he won't take part in it..😔

Legendary Italian designer dies

[sebastien1214]

The least 2026 OCOG could do would be to pay tribute to him, no matter how this tribute will be done. Especially when we have an opening ceremony taking place in the world's second largest fashion city...

[Rei]

Actually he already got involved as EA7, Armani's sport branch, contributed to design the 2026 Italian Team uniforms. This while Prada's co financing the OV in southern Milan district. One would expect Versace to jump out and make some scene too. We will see.. and there's 5 months to go! 

[Ikarus360]

Balich already hinted on a first interview months ago that, much like Torino, they wanted to do an homage to fashion, specially considering Milan role regarding it.

Lets also not forget the 1990 WC Opening (also in Milan) had a fashion parade by four brands representing each continent (Gianfranco Ferre, Mila Schon, Missoni and Valentino. Curiously, not Armani back then)


 

 

Speaking of which, Balich also hinted more details would be given in late summer, so my guess is we might hear some new hints in the coming days.

[BigVic]

On 9/6/2025 at 9:14 PM, Ikarus360 said:

Lets also not forget the 1990 WC Opening (also in Milan) had a fashion parade by four brands representing each continent (Gianfranco Ferre, Mila Schon, Missoni and Valentino. Curiously, not Armani back then)

We could see this concept reborn with fashion from all 5 continents from the Olympic Rings to showcase

[Ikarus360]

Unfortunately, it has been confirmed San Siro will be demolished after the Winter Olympics, so the Openin will be the swan song of the old legendary footy arena.

https://www.gazzetta.it/Calcio/Serie-A/Milan/30-09-2025/come-sara-il-nuovo-stadio-di-inter-e-milan-a-san-siro-le-prime-informazioni.shtml

https://football-italia.net/new-san-siro-details-oval-shape-fixed-roof/

Of course they couldn't help themselves and go with the millionth cookie-cut oval shaped roof for the new design. 🙃

[yoshi]

Oval? Fixed roof?! You mean it'll be a copy of the stadium in Vegas? You'd have thought they'd keep some of the character of San Siro, like with the stands at Camp Nou & the Bernabeu 

[baron-pierreIV]

Considering it's Milan, it's ONE OF THE UGLIEST buildings on the planet!!  It needs to go!!!

[Rei]

There have been tons of speculations about the shape of new San siro in the last decade. Including cathedrals, rings and garden roofs. And these last renderings don't show anything relevant. Besides, the historical protective restriction will become effective next november and the sale is not completed so.. we will see 😉