The Games will be held in Italy.
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The 2026 Winter Olympics, officially known as the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, are scheduled to take place across northern Italy in February 2026, with the main competition window running from February 6 to February 22, 2026 and select events beginning as early as February 4, 2026.
These Games mark the XXV Olympic Winter Games, hosted jointly by Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, hosted in the impressive scenery of the Dolomites. Over 116 medal events will be held across 16 winter sports over an 18-day schedule, culminating in a grand Closing Ceremony on February 22 in Verona’s ancient Roman Arena.
Despite the ceremonial start on February 6 with the Opening Ceremony in San Siro Stadium, Milan, competition will begin even in advance of the official opening with fans able to enjoy nearly three full weeks of high-stakes competition beginning on February 4.
Key dates for Milano Cortina 2026
When is the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics?
The Opening Ceremony is scheduled for February 6, 2026, and will be held at Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium, usually home to the city’s soccer teams, AC Milan and Internazionale.
As is tradition, athletes will parade in their national colors before the Olympic flame is officially ignited, representing the start of the most anticipated multi-sport event of the winter sport season.
In a departure from past practice, some competitions, notably curling and ice hockey, will begin preliminary rounds on February 4 and 5, in advance of the official opening ceremony, due to the tight schedule.
The competition proper will then begin on February 7. Alpine skiing, one of the marquee winter disciplines, will be among the first to give out medals, such as in the men’s downhill final, a brutal test of speed and precision down steep alpine terrain. Shortly thereafter, the women’s downhill final and super-G events will follow.
Beyond alpine skiing, the Nordic competitions quickly shift from qualifiers to finals. In cross-country skiing, endurance specialists aim for glory in events such as the women’s 10 km classic and men’s 15 km freestyle, both of which deliver thrilling head-to-head action that culminates in medal ceremonies at the finish line against the snowy backdrop of Valtellina.
When will medals be won at 2026 Winter Olympics?
Early on, medal ceremonies will begin to appear in alpine and endurance events like the Cross-Country Skiing (Skiathlon) finals with the women’s Skiathlon medal event scheduled for February 7, followed by the men’s medal race on February 8.
Alpine Skiing Downhill finals will follow in two of the most anticipated alpine skiing medals, taking place on February 8 and February 9 respectively. Freestyle Moguls finals will also begin on February 8, where skiers navigate bumps and aerials in a judged medal event.
As the schedule advances, skating medals take over with the Figure Skating Pairs & Ice Dance finals set for February 10–11, blending artistry and athletic precision on ice. Speed Skating 500m and Team Pursuit will also give medals in speed skating sprint distances (including the men’s 500m and women’s 500m) on February 10, with team pursuit finals to follow later in the Games. The Short-Track Speed Skating 1500m final, often a highlight for its intensity and adrenaline-inducing turns, will take place on February 12.
Midway through the Games, the medal program shifts toward a blend of endurance, precision and high-speed spectacle. Biathlon Relay finals are scheduled for February 13–14, where teams combine cross-country stamina with the pressure of precision shooting in races that can turn on a single missed target.
Around the same window, the Skeleton medal finals on February 14–15 bring drama to the slopes, with athletes hurtling headfirst down the track at extreme speeds in one of the most visually intense events of the Winter Olympics. Snowboard Cross and Freestyle Skiing Halfpipe finals also take place during this stretch, showcasing head-to-head racing.
As the schedule moves into the final third of the Games, the focus turns toward technical mastery and aerial excellence. Alpine Skiing’s Slalom finals, set for February 16–17, emphasize agility and split-second precision as racers navigate tightly set courses where fractions of a second separate the podium.
The Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium will host Cross-Country Skiing and Ski Jumping.
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Shortly after, the spotlight will turn to the Large Hill Ski Jumping final on February 18, for some of the most impressive photos of the Games, while Short-Track Speed Skating finals on the same day will generate real excitement for viewers who prefer a strategic battle of fine margins.
As is often the case, team sports will then wrap up the games with Curling set to finish on February 19 and 20, for women and men respectively, after two and a half weeks of competition. Across the same two days, Figure Skating Singles finals will take place, before one of the most competitive sports come to close in Ice Hockey, which wraps up on the final day of competition, February 22.
When is the Closing Ceremony of Milano Cortina 2026?
All of this competition leads up to the Closing Ceremony on February 22, 2026, some 18 days after it begins with the preliminary rounds of curling.
This time hosted against the dramatic architecture of Verona’s Roman Arena, this ceremony will celebrate the achievements of athletes from around the world, setting an unusual precedent of differing from the location of the opening ceremony.
The ceremony will also mark the process of passing the Olympic flame toward the next Winter Games, which will be hosted in the French Alps in 2030. It will also signal the final chapter before the start of final preparations for the Summer Olympic Games to be held in Los Angeles in 2028.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/samleveridge/2026/01/29/when-is-the-2026-winter-olympics-opening-ceremony-finals-and-closing-ceremony-dates/
