MILAN — In a cinematic fusion of urban grit and Alpine grandeur, the XXV Olympic Winter Games roared to life on Friday night with an opening ceremony that rewrote the Olympic playbook.
Under the theme of “Armonia” (Harmony), Italy unveiled a first-of-its-kind “distributed” ceremony that effectively turned Northern Italy into a single, synchronized stage. While the heartbeat of the event pulsed through Milan’s historic San Siro Stadium, simultaneous celebrations erupted in the mountain hub of Cortina d’Ampezzo, as well as in the Olympic villages of Livigno and Predazzo.
The result was a technical marvel that bridged the 250-mile gap between the fashion capital and the Dolomites, signaling a new era of decentralized, sustainable Games.
A Stage of Two Worlds
The spectacle began in Milan with a tribute to Italian ingenuity, featuring a mechanical cauldron at the Arco della Pace inspired by the geometric knots of Leonardo da Vinci. As the sun set, the San Siro was transformed into a kaleidoscopic landscape of light and fashion—a nod to the city’s status as a global style icon—complete with a runway-inspired tribute to the late Giorgio Armani.
But the night’s most poignant moments came from the mountain sites. In a break from a century of tradition, athletes did not gather in a single stadium. Instead, they paraded in their respective clusters:
- Milan: The ice sports delegations marched through the roar of 80,000 fans at San Siro.
- Cortina: Alpine skiers and sliders walked through the snow-dusted Piazza Angelo Dibona.
- Livigno & Predazzo: Freestyle and Nordic athletes celebrated in the heart of their mountain valleys.
Vocal Fire and Cinematic Stars
The evening’s soundtrack was a masterclass in Italian musical exports. Andrea Bocelli delivered a spine-tingling rendition of Nessun Dorma, his voice echoing through the San Siro as the Olympic flag was raised by a group of Italian legends, including footballers Franco Baresi and Beppe Bergomi.
International star power arrived in the form of Mariah Carey, who performed a soaring cover of the Italian classic Nel Blu, dipinto di Blu (Volare), followed by a theatrical sequence led by actors Charlize Theron and Sabrina Impacciatore. The “Dove of Peace” segment featured rapper Ghali, who delivered a multi-lingual message of memorandum in four languages, underscoring the Games’ call for a global Olympic Truce.
The Double Flame
The ceremony reached its crescendo with the lighting of the Olympic cauldrons. In a historic first, two separate flames were ignited simultaneously:
- In Milan: Italian Olympic icons Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni ignited the cauldron at the Arco della Pace.
- In Cortina: Alpine superstar Sofia Goggia lit the mountain cauldron in the Piazza Dibona.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella officially declared the Games open, marking the third time Italy has hosted the Winter Olympics (1956, 2006, 2026).
Diplomatic Undercurrents
Despite the celebratory atmosphere, the evening was not without political friction. The U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, was met with a mix of cheers and audible boos from sections of the international crowd—a reflection of the complex global tensions trailing the second Trump administration into the Olympic arena.
Meanwhile, the Ukrainian contingent, led by flagbearer Vladyslav Heraskevych, received the loudest ovation of the night, a standing ovation that rolled through the San Siro in a sea of yellow and blue.
The Games Begin
As the fireworks faded over the Duomo and the peaks of the Tofane, the focus shifted from the stage to the snow. With the formal “Harmony” established, the 2026 Winter Games are officially underway, promising 16 days of competition that will span from the skating rinks of Milan to the treacherous downhill slopes of Bormio.
Italy has promised a Games of “beauty and balance.” On opening night, they delivered exactly that.