Story by
2026 Winter Olympics: Opening Ceremony details, time, flag bearers
- Story by
- 2026 Winter Olympics: Opening Ceremony details, time, flag bearers
2026 Winter Olympics: Opening Ceremony details, time, flag bearers appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .
The 2026 Winter Olympics are here. The premier winter sporting event in the world will be hosted in Milano and Cortina, Italy, but it will not be official until the Olympics symbolically start with the Opening Ceremony. A parade featuring all the teams displays the global unity at the highest level of athletic competition, and it culminates in the lighting of the Olympic flame. So, just what does the Opening Ceremony have in store this year?
Advertisement
2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony details
Michael Madrid-Imagn Images
More than 90 countries will be partaking in the Opening Ceremony, which is slated for 2 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 6. Altogether, the event will last about three hours. The event precedes most competitions, although a few sports will start before the Opening Ceremony. The Opening Ceremony will take place at San Siro Stadium in Milan. It is a 100-year old venue that is one of the largest in all of Europe. There will also be satellite events in other Olympic territories: Cortina, Predazzo, and Livigno.
A fair chunk of the athletes from every nation will partake in the ceremony. Team USA has 232 athletes competing in the Winter Olympics in total. In addition to the parade of nations and the lighting of the Olympic flame, the Opening Ceremony displays international musical performances. It is an event filled with tradition and culture, and a inclusive theme is planned for the event.
Advertisement
Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, and Andrea Bocelli are three musicians who will perform at the event. Carey is a five-time Grammy Award-winner, Pausini is a Golden Globe winner, and Bocelli is a famed Italian tenor.
For Team USA, bobsledder Frank Del Duca and speed skating gold medalist Erin Jackson will serve as a the flag bearers. Del Duca is a former U.S. Army sergeant, and Jackson became the first black woman of any nationality to win a gold medal in an individual sport in the 2022 Olympics.
Greece will be the first team to enter the parade of nations, as they are the originators of the Olympics. Italy enters last as the host nation. Alpine skier AJ Ginnis is Greece's flag bearer, and Federico Pellegrino (cross-country skiing), Amos Mosaner (curling), Arianna Fontana (short-track speed skating), and Federica Brignone (alpine skiing) have the honors for Italy.
The Opening Ceremony will be broadcast on NBC, with Peacock and NBCOlympics.com providing streaming options. Prior to the Opening Ceremony, the curling competition will kick off the action on Wednesday, Feb. 4. The Winter Olympics will run all the way through Feb. 22. The Winter Paralympics will begin March 6 and run until March 15.
Related: Panthers' Sam Bennett getting Olympic nod to replace Anthony Cirelli
Related: Lindsey Vonn vows to compete in Milan Olympics despite torn ACL
