2026 Winter Olympics: Where to watch Milan Cortina Games Opening Ceremony, tv

Friday's ceremony marks the start of the 25th Winter Games

By Shanna McCarriston

Feb 5, 2026 at 11:23 pm ET • 1 min read

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The first Winter Olympics took place in 1924 in Chamonix, France, and since then, the games have evolved significantly. New sports and events have been added in the last 102 years and the entire production of the event has become more of a spectacle.

Fans come from all over the world travel to be part of such a historic tradition and one of the most sought after ticket each Olympics is for the Opening Ceremony. The 2026 Olympics are the 25th, or XXV, Winter Games and are taking place in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

Although the Olympics are actually already underway, the Milan Cortina Games officially begin on Friday with the Opening Ceremony. The event is a chance for the athletes to be introduced all in one room, a time for the culture of the host city to be represented, for Olympic traditions to continue and to celebrate what's to come.

The ceremony will begin at 2 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on NBC and streamed on Peacock. For those unable to catch the action in the middle of a workday, there will be a replay on NBC and Peacock at 8 p.m. ET.

Fans will be treated to entertainment from big names across music and television. Five-time Grammy Award-winner Mariah Carey, Golden Globe winner Laura Pausini, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, award-winning actor and producer Pierfrancesco Favino and Emmy-nominated Sabrina Impacciatore will all be featured during the event.

The fun won't stop at the site of the Opening Ceremony, there will be simultaneous ceremonies and athlete parades in Predazzo, Livigno and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

For the first time, there will be two Olympic cauldrons, with one located in Milano at the Arco della Pace and the other in Cortina d'Ampezzo in Piazza Dibona. The two cauldrons are described on the Olympics official website as "a powerful symbol of harmony between the two Host Cities and the territories of the distributed Games."

Starting Saturday, the Cauldron at the Arco della Pace will be featured in a public 3-5 minute show daily. The ritual will continue until the Olympic flame is extinguished on Feb. 22. When the Paralympics begin in March, the cauldrons will be lit again until the Closing Ceremony.