Ikarus360 Posted February 14 Report Posted February 14 I've been extremely busy with job these days, but finally after rewatching the ceremony multiple times I can post my review: Countdown Nothing particularly interesting. I’ve seen better countdowns in all honesty, but I guess it did the job. It was nice to see normal, everyday scenes from the host towns, though. Museum Segment I understand it was a tribute to both Italian art and Antonio Canova. The dance between Cupid and Psyche and the museum-like figures was nice and almost ethereal (it gave me vibes of Athens 2004). I’ve seen some people complaining about the music, but the mix of orchestra and synth was a nice touch that I felt throughout the whole show; it kind of made it more "Italian-esque." I think my complaint here is that we went from the countdown to this immediately, so it felt a bit rushed. Maybe it wasn't the segment I would use to open my ceremony. Painting Tubes / Artistic Expression Matilda entering and directing multiple performers with costumes evoking Italian characters and objects—such as Pinocchio, Roman soldiers, etc.—was nice. The quaint soundtrack based on famous Italian operas (and Puccini, Verdi, and Rossini themselves) was a nice touch. This was a segment where I felt the spiral stage worked perfectly. Probably one of the most Italian segments of the show. As for Mariah Carey… I gotta say, I wasn’t a big fan of her "Volare" performance, nor did I understand why she had to be there. I guess it was a move mostly to sell themselves to the American/global audience, but I think it would have been better with an actual Italian singer. Flag – Anthem It was nice to see a return of the entrance of the Head of State in the Milano tram. I guess since Mattarella’s popularity is still strong, they wanted to give him the vibe of a benevolent grandad here. The entrance of the models in the colors of the Italian flag was one of my favorite moments of the night. It screamed “Fashion Capital” as it should, considering these games are being held in Milano. The soundtrack and the almost ethereal vibe of the performers walking as Vittoria Ceretti was revealed were perfect (I really need to know the song’s name). I know it’s a segment mostly recycled from Torino, but I feel Milano-Cortina did a much-improved version here. I’ve seen some complaints from Italian netizens regarding Pausini’s performance of the anthem (then again, I know some Italians are purists regarding their anthem… I still recall the version done for the 2002 World Cup, which was highly criticized by conservatives back then). But for me, it was one of the best moments once again. A very beautiful rendition. The Rings Clearly an evolution of the Beijing handover. The same violin guy and the performers representing the meeting of mountain and city. Not particularly spectacular for those of us who already saw ring formations like London 2012, but it was still nice. Again, another recycled idea from Torino (I gotta say I felt I liked Torino’s version a bit more, though. It felt more industrial). Parade of Nations This was a first in Olympic history: the whole “diffuse” thing between the other towns. I admit I was a bit afraid of this concept when it was first revealed, but it wasn’t executed too badly. Seeing the athletes in Livigno and Cortina made me smile, as it gave me an authentic winter feel/vibe. My biggest complaint is that the music was somewhat repetitive and kind of mid, though I’ve heard worse. Also, the whole diffuse aspect made it much longer than it should have been. But I guess I forgive it because it was a first in Olympic history. I just hope it’s done better in the French Alps 2030. The placard girls' outfits were nice, although I personally prefer the Torino 2006 girls. 100 Years of Winter Olympics It began very nicely, and with Tina and Milo over there too! (Glad the mascots are now in the spotlight of ceremonies). But then there was that AI video… yikes. Probably the lowest point of the show, but luckily it was very brief. The switch between the different eras of the Winter Games was also pretty nice, but my biggest complaint is that this segment worked much better for a TV audience than a live one. The Italian gestures at the podium were a fun tongue-in-cheek moment. Absolutely loved it. Speeches I can see why the '76 Fencing Champion has a soft spot for Kirsty. She’s basically his mini-me and loves long speeches as well. Boring. Andrea Bocelli / Entrance of the Torch You can never fail with Bocelli. Some complain that he should have closed the show, but honestly, we had so many references to Torino that I’m glad that wasn’t the case. Seeing the walk of the torch while "Nessun Dorma" played was perfect. I also know some people complained about "Nessun Dorma" being used once more, but tbh, it’s a song that is heavily tied with sports, especially since the 1990 World Cup. Peace Segment Nothing particularly interesting. I guess with everything that’s happening in the world, I’ve become more cynical. Nevertheless, I still hope that humanity overall stops being dumb. Charlize Theron was okay. It's hard to do worse than Yoko Ono [or Yoko Oh No]. Olympic Anthem / Oaths It was alright. I liked the peaceful rendition of it with the piano. It was a nice detail to do the oaths in Cortina since, come on, they’re the second host. The Cauldron Some mixed feelings regarding this. I like the design of the cauldron itself, but I feel the lighting was somewhat boring and uninspired (even if the soundtrack and the firework finale around Arco della Pace were nice). Also, although it’s a trend Rio began, I’m getting a bit tired of the whole small cauldron schtick, and it just feels like performative/superficial environmentalism to me. You want to have a small flame because of environmentalism, yet you throw a fireworks show? Still, the Arco della Pace and seeing the Castello Sforza in the background was a good touch. Certainly something Paris inspired, and we might see more of onwards (famous landmarks being used for the cauldron). Final Verdict: 8/10 It was a solid opening ceremony. Straight to the point, well-paced, and, except for some hiccups like the AI video and Mariah Carey, I say it was the first winter ceremony I liked since PC 2018 (I feel it's slightly above it). The fact they got rid of floor projections was a blessing. I’ve felt it was damaging the creativity of ceremonies for a while, hurting the actual human factor and spectacle, so this was a very good decision from Balich. The stage, although small, did its job, and the LED effects worked very nicely with each segment. My only complaint, like some of you have mentioned, is that it played it too safe, which means it might not be remembered so much or considered, as zoomers/twitter users would say, "mid". Then again, after many of the strong reactions Paris had, I expected this would be the case. For old-school lovers like myself, it made me feel nostalgic and made me go back to the style of ceremonies I used to like. Very balanced, elegant, and most importantly, Italian. 2 Quote
dreamyeyes12 Posted February 15 Report Posted February 15 I know I’m late to this but I’ll give my thoughts on how I feel about Milan Cortina 2026 opening ceremony. The opening segment showing the city is nice, thought it was well done. The countdown was fine in my books. Now I will say that the Museum segment was also really nice. Those LED boxes reminds me of Tokyo 2020/21 handover ceremony in Rio 2016 closing ceremony. The circle like stage for this opening ceremony somehow reminds me of PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies, but without image projections, which I don’t mind. The section with the painting tubes and the artistic segments is very nice and creative, and also very Italian. Tbh, I was very eh about Mariah Carey, she literally showed no emotion as compared to Lady Gaga, Aya Nakamura, Celine Dion, and Yseut at Paris 2024 Olympic ceremonies and also CL, Exo, Sumi Jo, Sohyang and Ailee at PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies. The Italian anthem was very well done in my opinion, similar to how it was sang in Beijing 2022 closing ceremony. The entrance of the models wearing the colors of the flag of Italy is a very nice touch. The reformation of the rings is good. The Parade of nations is also good, love how the athletes were able to March Livigno and Cortina was a great idea. Definitely felt like a Winter vibes right there. The placedcard outfits were also nice as well. The segment showing 100 years of Winter Olympics was a nice touch but when I saw the AI video, that was a big no no in my opinion, it was just off putting to me. The Italian gestures was a funny moment in this ceremony, which I thought was heartwarming. Speeches were meh to me as usual. In my opinion, Andrea Bocelli showed much more emotion than Mariah Carey in this ceremony. It was also very nice to see Chinese pianist Lang Lang playing the Olympic anthem with the Soprano singing it. I thought this rendition of the olympic anthem was very nice, one of my favorite renditions of the Olympic anthem after Sumi Hwang’s rendition at PyeongChang 2018. Milan Cortina’s 2026 Olympic anthem is much more executed than the children’s Choir at Beijing 2022 opening ceremony in my opinion. The cauldron in this ceremony is really nice, I didn’t want to see any spoilers leading up to Feb 6th regardless but it was nice. Minus the weird AI section and Mariah Carey, I rate Milan Cortina 2026 opening ceremony an 8/10. It’s a solid ceremony in my books. Definitely has become one of my favorite opening ceremonies after PyeongChang 2018, which in my opinion, I still like PC2018 opening ceremony a little more tho than MC2026. I knew they were somehow going to play it safe because of the mixed reactions that Paris 2024 opening ceremony received, people were either going to love it or hate it, but I actually did not mind Paris 2024 opening ceremony, I also enjoyed that opening as well. Anyways, can’t wait to see what the closing at Verona on Feb 22. My ratings on Opening Ceremonies I saw: Milan Cortina 2026 Opening- 8/10 Paris 2024 Opening- 7/10 Beijing 2022 Opening- 6.4/10 Tokyo 2020/21 Opening- 4/10 PyeongChang 2018 Opening- 8.5/10 Rio 2016 Opening- 8.5/10 Sochi 2014 Opening-9/10 London 2012 Opening- 8.9/10 Vancouver 2010 Opening- 8/10 Beijing 2008 Opening- Infinity/10 Athens 2004 Opening- 10/10 Sydney 2000 Opening- 10/10 Seoul 1988 Opening- 9/10 1 Quote
Olympian2004 Posted February 20 Report Posted February 20 On 2/6/2026 at 11:49 PM, Sir Rols said: I thought that was fun and quirky. I actually laughed out loud with glee a number of times, which I can’t recall having done so for an Olympic ceremony for a long time (actually, Paris also gave me some chuckles but not as much as Milan). I think they got the tone just right - joyful and celebratory and even a bit self-mocking. And, yes, it also had solemnity, but that didn’t overwhelm it (apart from the speeches). All done with only minimal big props. What it dispensed with in grandiosity it more than made up with a joyful human scale. And, I guess there’s going to be some differences of opinion over the use of AI animation, but I actually liked that part as well - great tribute to the centenary of the WOGs. And Oh So Italian! It felt much more Italian to me than Torino ever did. Just little things in it just made me laugh in recognition. And nice mix of music, from grand opera to techno. Even the parade worked well (actually, the splits between Milano to Livorno and Cortina etc throughout the ceremony worked seamlessly IMO. I actually liked the parade parts in Cortina the best - nice to see the streets of an Alpine town feature in a ceremony. it wasn’t groundbreaking. It wasn’t grand scale. But it was Probsbly the most fun ceremony I’ve seen in a long time. Bravo! I’ll give it 8.5/10 I am very late to the party (due to being on vacation during the first week of the Games), but Roland took the words out of my mouth. It certainly was a more charming and consistent opening ceremony than Torino's. Luckily, there were only slight nods to Torino (like the well-dressed woman handing over the Italian flag) and I am still asking myself why they hired Mariah Carey for that stiff and (especially mimically) unemotional performance of "Volare", but they did a great job combining the four parades of nations into one. Just like Roland, I found it particularly charming to see a cozy Alpine town as the backdrop of the parade. It hit home that the Games have finally returned to a region of traditional winter resorts. And while this opening ceremony wasn't particularly memorable, it sure did a good job of giving these Games a festive kick-off. And now, after two weeks that (once again) flew by far too quickly, it's on to the closing ceremony... 2 Quote
Sir Rols Posted February 20 Report Posted February 20 20 minutes ago, Olympian2004 said: I am very late to the party (due to being on vacation during the first week of the Games), but Roland took the words out of my mouth. It certainly was a more charming and consistent opening ceremony than Torino's. Luckily, there were only slight nods to Torino (like the well-dressed woman handing over the Italian flag) and I am still asking myself why they hired Mariah Carey for that stiff and (especially mimically) unemotional performance of "Volare", but they did a great job combining the four parades of nations into one. Just like Roland, I found it particularly charming to see a cozy Alpine town as the backdrop of the parade. It hit home that the Games have finally returned to a region of traditional winter resorts. And while this opening ceremony wasn't particularly memorable, it sure did a good job of giving these Games a festive kick-off. And now, after two weeks that (once again) flew by far too quickly, it's on to the closing ceremony... Yay! I missed you at the opening ceremony, so really glad you made it to pop in. Always good to welcome back the old crew. 1 Quote
sebastien1214 Posted February 22 Author Report Posted February 22 Okay, my assessment of this closing ceremony... I loved the first 20 minutes, everything related to the opera. The way they played with the exterior of the Arena, and also with the Verona Theatre, was also great. As someone who appreciates the idea of a ceremony in the city, I was definitely thrilled (even if we're still far from that ideal). But then, it was a slow slide towards increasingly boring things. In fact, the segments that followed, in their attempt to be too "experimental," too "artistic"... it felt like an opening ceremony 2.0. But that's not exactly what I expect from a closing ceremony. The handover was bad. It's a competition between LA 28 and French Alps 2030 to see which one is worse. In a way, "fortunately" for 2030, the French national anthem somewhat salvages the handover. But at the same time, with the French anthem, everything is easier... Major Lazer: how awkward! And yet, I like their iconic hits. But clearly, they didn't belong in Verona tonight. I think they should have used Rigoletto a bit more; there was a really big gap between the beginning and the end without it. I think I gave the opening a 6.5, and I'll give the closing the same score. 1 Quote
Sir Rols Posted February 22 Report Posted February 22 45 minutes ago, sebastien1214 said: Okay, my assessment of this closing ceremony... I loved the first 20 minutes, everything related to the opera. The way they played with the exterior of the Arena, and also with the Verona Theatre, was also great. As someone who appreciates the idea of a ceremony in the city, I was definitely thrilled (even if we're still far from that ideal). But then, it was a slow slide towards increasingly boring things. In fact, the segments that followed, in their attempt to be too "experimental," too "artistic"... it felt like an opening ceremony 2.0. But that's not exactly what I expect from a closing ceremony. The handover was bad. It's a competition between LA 28 and French Alps 2030 to see which one is worse. In a way, "fortunately" for 2030, the French national anthem somewhat salvages the handover. But at the same time, with the French anthem, everything is easier... Major Lazer: how awkward! And yet, I like their iconic hits. But clearly, they didn't belong in Verona tonight. I think they should have used Rigoletto a bit more; there was a really big gap between the beginning and the end without it. I think I gave the opening a 6.5, and I'll give the closing the same score. Can I co-sign that as well? expresses my thoughts exactly. Or in summary, 20 minutes of greatness, however many hours after that of mediocrity 1 Quote
sebastien1214 Posted February 22 Author Report Posted February 22 2 minutes ago, Sir Rols said: Can I co-sign that as well? expresses my thoughts exactly. Or in summary, 20 minutes of greatness, however many hours after that of mediocrity At least it was a bit better than the Paris closing ceremony. But still, there's a long way to go to have a good closing ceremony. I find it even more regrettable because with the concept they developed in the first 20 minutes, they really had a goldmine on their hands, and they squandered it all. Quote
SkiFreak Posted February 23 Report Posted February 23 Was multitasking a bunch of things earlier, and was a helluva long day getting up early for the last events and the hockey game, so didn't get a chance to get in on the live chat. I liked the closing. I actually think it was better than Torino's 20 years ago. The handover was simple but enjoyed the music. One lost opportunity: Macron should've come out with his Davos sunglasses on to accept the flag.😎😆 One overall downside, just like the opening ceremony, the CBC broadcast had a ton of commercials. Gonna be spending the next couple weeks watching replays on CBC Gem before they get replaced with Paralympics coverage. I still haven't done a rewatch of the opening ceremony, and there's a bunch of events I haven't had a chance to watch yet. Did the organizers release any official music albums of the ceremonies like Vancouver? Would really like to get the closing ceremony music. And the athlete that came home with the most hardware... Lindsey Vonn! She posted an x-ray of her leg on Facebook. It looks like a hardware bin at Home Depot.😵 Overall, a very nice games. It was nice to have them back in Europe. Really looking forward to the French Alps in 2030. Quote
Bear Posted February 26 Report Posted February 26 So like, did we ever figure out why Giovanni Malago spontaneously started speaking Spanish in his opening ceremony speech? https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/videos/opening-ceremony-ceremonies-milano-cortina-2026 2:43:00 Quote
baron-pierreIV Posted February 26 Report Posted February 26 1 hour ago, Bear said: So like, did we ever figure out why Giovanni Malago spontaneously started speaking Spanish in his opening ceremony speech? https://www.olympics.com/en/milano-cortina-2026/videos/opening-ceremony-ceremonies-milano-cortina-2026 2:43:00 Obviously, it was to include Spain & the Latin American markets - a show of camaraderie esp. with a few South American countries making their WOG debuts. After all, one third of Argentinians today are descendants of Italian immigrants to Argentina. Quote
StefanMUC Posted February 26 Report Posted February 26 34 minutes ago, baron-pierreIV said: Obviously, it was to include Spain & the Latin American markets - a show of camaraderie esp. with a few South American countries making their WOG debuts. The three debuts were Benin, Guinea-Bissau and the UAE. Quote
baron-pierreIV Posted February 26 Report Posted February 26 (edited) 14 hours ago, StefanMUC said: The three debuts were Benin, Guinea-Bissau and the UAE. Oh details . . . Well, just to tell the Latin American countries that they weren't forgotten in an Italian Games--after all, it has been 34 years since Spanish was last heard and used in the Official Protocol moments of the OC and this time, in a WOG context. So, Malago probably set a new first for the Winter OGs. And that was also a move, hopefully, that might boost higher broadcast fees from Latin American networks for 2030, etc., Edited February 26 by baron-pierreIV Quote
baron-pierreIV Posted March 6 Report Posted March 6 (edited) OK, more kvetching. There really was no ONE BIG Jaw-dropping moment of the M-C Ceremonies. All pretty safe, standard, almost predictable numbers. ENOUGH already with the forming of the Olympic rings. It is too laborious,, repetitive and predictable. It's trying too hard to create magic when it's been seen before. The modern elements (the DJs, the younger singers who can't sing) were the worst for me. And the whole ILLOGICALITY of how they had the athletes march in the different ceremonies -- some locally beside their cluster; but then at the end, all shipped together to a city which had NOTHING to do with the Games at all. Even the friggin cauldrons were "cute" but not breath-taking. Why am I not so eager to have even a T-shirt? (Their crappy logo.) BTW, last year, I sold my entire collection of Olympic T-shirts for about $80! A lot more than I expected. Edited March 6 by baron-pierreIV x Quote
Bear Posted March 6 Report Posted March 6 The Paralympic Parade tonight shows that we still have a lot to go in bringing parity between Olympic athletes and Paralympic athletes. It is deeply shameful that everyone, from the broadcasters to the OCOGs, still treat the Paralympic Games as a sub-event, or an afterthought, instead of the elite sporting competition that it is. Paris 2024 (and London 2012, from what I've heard) being the true exceptions. Parade aside, it was a decent ceremony with a few cool parts and a few questionable parts. Unlike the Olympic Closing, where I was instantly captivated by the Verona Arena's setting, I maintain my belief that this ceremony should have been in another location, either in Milano, Cortina, or Tesero. 1 Quote
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