2026 Winter Olympics

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held from 6 February to 22 February in Italy. The Winter Games will be co-hosted by the two northern Italian cities Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Let’s find out a bit more about the upcoming Winter Olympics and learn some fun facts about this global multi-sports event. Here are some basic Olympic Games Facts everybody should know:

10 Olympics Facts 

1. The Olympics are one of the most prestigious international sporting events for athletes from around the world.
2. There are Summer Olympic Games and Winter Olympic Games, both are held every four years. Summer and Winter Olympics are spaced two years apart.
3. The Olympics are held in different countries each time. Paralympic Games for athletes with impairment are also held every four years in the same country that hosts the Olympics.
4. The original and ancient Olympic Games were held in Olympia/ Greece more than 2,800 years ago, starting in 776 BC.
5. The first modern Olympic Games were held in Athens in 1896.
6. Pierre de Coubertin from France is the founder of the International Olympic Committee and is known as 'Father of the Olympics'.
7. Since 1904, the athletes who finish first, second and third in any event in the Olympics win gold, silver or bronze medals. 
8. The Olympic symbol is shown on the Olympic flag. The five rings, in blue, yellow, black, green and red, shown on white background represent five continents that are united by the Games.
9. The Olympic flame is always lit at the Temple of Hera in Olympia in Greece.
10. The Olympic motto is Citius - Altius - Fortius which is Latin and means 'Faster - Higher - Stronger'.
    

Winter Olympics 2026

Now that we know the basics, let’s explore what’s going on with the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

The 2026 Winter Olympic Games are held from 6 February 2026 to 22 February in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, two towns in northern Italy. The Milano Cortina Paralympic Games for athletes with impairment will be held from 6 to 15 March 2026. 

In general, the ice events such as ice hockey, speed skating as well as the opening ceremony will be held in and around Milan, while the main snow events including skiing, snowboarding, bobsleigh and other snow sports will be held in Cortina d'Ampezzo and other towns across northern Italy. 

The 2026 Winter Olympics will be the fourth Olympic Games held in Italy. However, the Milano Cortina Olympics will be the first Winter Olympics shared by two main cities. The sporting events will take place not only in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo but also across northern Italy.

2026 also marks a special anniversary for Cortina d'Ampezzo, as this is the second time the town hosts the Winter Olympics. The first time was 70 years earlier, when the first Winter Olympics in Italy were held in Cortina D'Ampezzo in 1956.

Only a few countries had TV coverage at that time and TVs were not common appliances in most homes, so people often watched in public places like cafes or community halls. 

Cortina Olympics Now and Then

Several sports venues from these first Olympics in Italy  are still in use such as the Ice Stadium (Stadio Olimpico del Ghiaccio) in Cortina. Many other venues also already exist, so the 2026 Winter Games aim to be more environmentally friendly than ever.

In the 2026 Italian Winter Games, about 3,000 participants are expected to compete in 116 sporting events. The 2026 Milano Cortina Olympics will cover 16 Olympic sports disciplines, one more than in Beijing in 2022. These Games will also feature more female athletes than ever before, almost half of all participants (47%) will be women.

Ski-mountaineering will be included for the first time with three sports events. The ski-mountaineering competitions will take place in Bormio. This extreme sport was first added in the Winter Youth Olympics in 2020. In this sports event, the athletes will carry not only skis, but also ice axe, ropes, crampons and avalanche safety equipment. The races test not only strength and endurance but also technical skills.

Olympic Flame | Torch Relay

The Olympic flame is always lit in Ancient Olympia in Greece, the birthplace of the Olympic Games. 

The Olympic flame for these winter games was lit in Ancient Olympia on 26 November 2025. After the flame arrived in Italy, the torch relay across Italy began on 6 December 2025 from Rome. The torch relay leads through all 110 provinces of Italy until it reaches San Siro Stadium in Milan where the opening ceremony will take place on 6 February. 

The torch relay is meant to showcase the country's history, natural heritage as well as cultural attractions and the creativity and sports of the country. About 10,000 torchbearers have been selected to carry the torch through Italy during the Milano-Cortina 2026 torch relay.

See the route of the torch relay here. 

Winter Olympics 2026

The opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Games will take place at San Siro Olympic Stadium in Milan on 6 February 2026. The ceremony will feature international stars such as Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli amongst other artists.

During the opening ceremony, the two Olympic cauldrons will be lit. Cauldrons are special places where the Olympic flame burns during the Games. This year, there will be two cauldrons: one in Milan at the Arco della Pace and the other one in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Piazza Dibona. Both cauldrons will be lit and extinguished at the same time.

The design of the cauldrons is inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s art and ideas. There will be special light and flame shows each evening during the Games.

The Winter Olympics again take place amidst the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war and thus any participants from Russia and Belarus will only be allowed to take part under a neutral flag without their country's flag, colours or anthem.

Find the competition schedule here. 

2026 Winter Olympics | Motto

The motto of the 2026 Olympics is: "IT's your vibe".

IT stands for the host country Italy. The phrase is about energy, passion and people, in fact everyone who is involved in the Games. It celebrates the feelings and emotions of the event and shows how everyone can be part of it. The Games are about "vibe", everyone's story and experiences. The main vision is that humans connect in various ways and that the Italian spirit shines through the games.

Olympics 2026 | Mascots

The two official mascots of the Milano Cortina Olympic Winter Games are Tina and Milo. Tina is the mascot of the Olympic Games and Milo is the mascot of the Paralympics.

Tina stands for Cortina d'Ampezzo and Milo for Milano/ Milan.

Both mascots are stoats, which are small lively weasels that are home to Italian mountain landscapes. As mascots, Milo is an animal who was born without one paw, but learned to walk using his tail! He shows that being different can be a strength!

Fun Fact: The mascots were designed by schoolchildren in Italy! More than 1,600 ideas were submitted, and Tina and Milo were chosen in a public vote! 

This time the mascots make their appearances with their friends called "Flo", six flower characters, little snowdrops who travel with Milo and Tina on their adventure to the Games! 

Milano Cortina 2026 Olympics Logo

The logo of the Milano Cortina Olympics is called "Futura".  For the first time, the public was able to vote for this important symbol of the Games.

The logo features the numbers 2 and 6 for the year 2026, both drawn together in one simple and modern line. It is a flowing design that symbolises unity and the spirit of the Games. The logo is usually displayed together with the Olympic rings and pictograms that have been designed for the 16 Olympic and 6 Paralympic sports.

According to the Italian Olympic Committee this logo "expresses a new concept of Italian beauty" and "is inspired by our energy, our enthusiasm, our inclusiveness and our talent. It will be instantly recognisable, and will be an invitation for visitors from all over the world to immerse themselves in the new Italian spirit."

Olympics in Italy 2026

Cortina, one of the host cities, will host the Olympics for the second time - after the 1956. 

Italy already hosted the Olympics three times before:

• 1956: First Italian Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo - Winter Olympics
• 1960: Rome Summer Olympics
• 2006: Torino/ Turin Winter Olympics

In 2026, the Olympics will come back to Italy for the forth time.

Take our Olympic Games Quiz

More about the Olympic Games

Olympics 2026 | Resources

• The International Olympic Committee. "Olympic Games." Olympic.org. Last accessed 28 January 2025
• The International Olympic Committee. "Ski mountaineering." Olympic.org. Last accessed 28 January 2025
• The International Olympic Committee. "Olympic House." Olympic.org. Last accessed 28 January 2025
• The International Paralympic Committee. "Paralympics." Paralympic.org. Last accessed 28 January 2025

Images on the Cortina Milano Olympics 2026 page: header image: KyrillS/ shutterstock.com; Cortina d'Ampezzo Image: MikeDotta/ shutterstock.com; torch: KirillS/ shutterstock.com; Mascots: SJBright/ shutterstock.com; Logo: kovop/ shutterstock.com

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