The countdown to Milano Cortina 2026 has started: after Paris 2024 and ahead of Los Angeles 2028, the Olympic torch is set to reach Milano and Italy. From February 6 to February 22, 2026, the XXV Winter Olympic Games will take place in the Lombardy and Veneto regions, with the Opening Ceremony to be held at the San Siro Stadium in Milano. The Winter Paralympics will follow, from March 6 to March 15, 2026.
16 Olympic disciplines, 6 Paralympic sports, 18 venues, 3,500 athletes from 90 countries from around the world competing for 195 Olympic medals. The Milano Cortina Olympics and Paralympics are bound to be a memorable event celebrating the energy and legacy of Italian culture while crowning the new Olympians of winter sports.
This is the third time that Italy hosts the Winter Olympic Games, after Cortina d'Ampezzo 1956 and Turin 2006, but these will be the first Winter Olympics and Paralympics scattered over multiple territories. Milano and Cortina are supported by their respective regions, Lombardy and Veneto, while the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano/Bozen also collaborate in the organization of this edition of the Winter Games. From mountains to cities, there are 18 Olympic sites that host sporting competitions, distributed over an area of more than 22,000 square kilometers.
There is the debut of ski mountaineering (skimo) at these games, which will be added to the official disciplines of the Winter Olympics: alpine skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combination, free-style skiing, cross-country skiing, biathlon, ice hockey, curling, figure skating, speed skating, short track, bobsled, skeleton, sledding, snowboarding.
There are six disciplines officially recognized by the International Paralympic Committe (IPC) and at the Winter Paralympic Games: Paralympic biathlon, wheelchair curling, Para Ice Hockey, Paralympic alpine skiing, Paralympic cross-country skiing, Paralympic snowboarding.
In addition to the Winter Olympics joint host cities, Milano and Cortina d’Ampezzo, competitions also will be held in Valtellina (Bormio and Livigno), Val di Fiemme and Anterselva/Antholz. The mega event will culminate in a grand closing ceremony at the majestic Verona arena, which will also host the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
The Opening Ceremony and the stars on ice: the city of Milano will host some of the most significant moments of the 2026 Winter Olympics. On February 6th, the eyes of the world will be on the legendary San Siro venue when it inaugurates the games with a showcase of the Italian spirit and Olympic values. The historic stadium will itself be celebrating its incredible 100th birthday, making it an occasion not to be missed!
In the following days, the competition venues will take centre stage. Short Track and Figure Skating will electrify the city's arenas, along with Speed Skating, Ice Hockey and Para Ice Hockey.
The adrenaline-inducing descent down the Olympia delle Tofane and the breathtaking suspense of Curling. This will be the domain of Cortina d’Ampezzo, which will also be the site of the Paralympic Games’ closing ceremony. On this prestigious track, with its historical ties to the Olympic rings, Alpine Skiing will award 5 women’s titles and 30 Paralympic titles (men's and women's) in three categories: Sitting, Standing and Visually Impaired. The monumental Tofane mountain peaks will also set the backdrop for the Paralympic snowboarding competitions (Upper Limb and Lower Limb), Cross and Banked Slalom.
The Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium and the Cortina Sliding Centre, iconic venues which have embodied Cortina's historic sporting tradition since 1956, are once again preparing to host Curling and Wheelchair Curling contests as well as sliding sports: Bobsleigh, Skeleton and Luge.
Ski mountaineering makes its Olympic debut at Milano-Cortina 2026, etching Bormio into the sporting history books. A fitting location, considering this sport has been practised on the mountains of Valtellina for decades. The peaks of Cima Piazzi, Vallecetta - a holy grail for hikers - and Reit form the picturesque backdrop that will enchant spectators at the upcoming competitions.
A great way to rediscover the pearl of the Lombard Alps, already well established amongst international Alpine skiing competitors. The Stelvio Track, a site of World Championships and World Cup races, is one of the most technical in the world, and will host the men's Alpine Skiing competitions in 2026. In addition to the renowned Downhill and rip-roaring Super-G, the Stelvio will also host Slalom, Giant Slalom and combined team events.
A short distance from Bormio, Milano-Cortina 2026 will also be putting Italy’s “Little Tibet” on the map. Livigno, another gem of Valtellina and the Lombard Alps, makes its debut in the history of the Winter Olympics, offering 78 medals across 26 competitions. In two purpose-built temporary stadiums, Snowboarding and Freestyle competitions will captivate the crowds. Parallel Giant Slalom for Snowboarding, Ski and Snowboard Cross, Slopestyle, Half-pipe and Big Air will be held at the Livigno Snow Park, while the Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park will host Moguls, Dual Moguls, Aerials and Aerials Teams.
Biathlon, a gripping sport which combines hair-raising cross-country skiing and deadly-accurate rifle shooting, has a new temple in the Valle Anterselva. In the heart of the Ries-Aurina Natural Park, amongst the stunning mountains of South Tyrol, the Anterselva Biathlon Arena is an iconic location for spectators and athletes alike. After hosting numerous World Cup stages and six editions of the World Championships, it will finally achieve the ultimate honour of becoming an Olympic venue in February 2026.
Whenever Nordic skiing is mentioned, the Val di Fiemme inevitably comes to mind. It has hosted 3 World Championships, 2 Skiroll World Championships and over 400 World Cup events. It was only natural that the competitions for the next Winter Olympics 2026 should also be held here. The Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium will host the cross-country skiing competitions and the narrow ski sections of the Nordic Combined. In March, the focus will be on Para Cross-Country and Para Biathlon.
The Ski Jumping competitions will take place at the Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo, less than ten kilometres away.
The Arena of Verona will be the setting for the closing ceremony of the Winter Olympics, as well as the opening ceremony of the Paralympic Games.
“Fino all’alba” ("Until dawn") will be the official anthem of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics.
It is sung by Arisa and composed by the musical body "La Cittadina" of San Pietro Martire di Seveso, in the province of Monza and Brianza.
You can listen to the song to on the milanocortina2026.org website, on the Milano Cortina 2026 YouTube channel and on other social media channels.