2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony details revealed

The 2026 Milano Cortina Games will kick off with a grand opening ceremony on February 6th.

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan Cortina, Italy is scheduled for Friday, February 6th at 2pm ET. The ceremony, which marks the official start of the Games, will be broadcast nationally on NBC and streamed on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. The Winter Olympics will run from February 6-22, with the first events starting a couple days earlier on February 4 with the start of curling competition.

Why it matters

The opening ceremony is a highly anticipated event that kicks off the Winter Olympics, showcasing the host country and welcoming the world's top winter athletes. Viewers will get to see the parade of nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron, signifying the start of the competition.

The details

The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony is scheduled to last around 3 hours and will be broadcast live on NBC, with an enhanced encore presentation airing in primetime. Viewers will be able to stream the event on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com. The first Olympic events will actually begin a couple days earlier on February 4 with the start of curling competition, before the official opening ceremony on February 6.

  • The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, February 6 at 2pm ET.
  • The Winter Olympics will run from February 6-22, 2026.
  • The first Olympic events will begin on February 4 with the start of curling competition.

The players

Quinn Dehlinger

A 23-year-old freestyle skier from Greater Cincinnati who has qualified for the U.S. Freestyle Ski National Team and will be competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics.

Nick Goepper

A 31-year-old freeskier from Lawrenceburg, Indiana who will be competing in his fourth Winter Olympics in 2026 after previously winning two silver medals and a bronze in slopestyle before transitioning to the halfpipe discipline.

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What they’re saying

“I knew there was a possibility I could become an Olympian, but I was blindsided by the official announcement.”

— Quinn Dehlinger, U.S. Freestyle Ski National Team member (The Enquirer)

“Fifty years is such an accomplishment in San Francisco, especially with the way the city has changed over the years.”

— Gordon Edgar, grocery employee (Instagram)

What’s next

The Winter Olympics will continue through February 22, 2026, with the Winter Paralympic Games following from March 6-15 in the same host cities of Milan and Cortina.

The takeaway

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy will kick off with a grand opening ceremony that will be broadcast nationally, giving viewers a chance to see the world's top winter athletes march in the parade of nations and witness the lighting of the Olympic cauldron to officially start the Games.