The 2026 Winter Olympic Games will commence with an opening ceremony in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, on February 4, 2026. The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the Milano Cortina 2026 organizing committee have released the official competition schedule and initial broadcast information for the global sporting event. This provides athletes, fans, and international broadcasters with a definitive timeline for the first Winter Games to be hosted in Italy in two decades.
Official Schedule and Key Dates
The sporting competitions of the XXV Olympic Winter Games will begin on February 4, 2026, one day before the traditional opening ceremony. The first medals will be awarded on February 5. The full schedule spans over two weeks of events across multiple disciplines, concluding with the closing ceremony on February 22, 2026. Events will be staged in two primary clusters: Milan and the Lombardy region, and Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Veneto region, with some events also held in existing venues in other parts of northern Italy.
This schedule allows for the logistical coordination of athletes, officials, and spectators across the geographically dispersed venues. The early publication of the calendar is a standard procedure that enables national Olympic committees to plan their qualification processes and training regimens accordingly.
Global Broadcast and Viewing Information
As with previous Olympic Games, global media rights are held by various broadcast partners in different territories. In the United States, NBCUniversal holds the exclusive rights and will provide coverage across its platforms, including the NBC broadcast network, Peacock streaming service, and cable channels. In many European countries, Discovery’s Eurosport and its streaming services are the primary rightsholders.
Viewers worldwide are advised to check with their national Olympic committee or local sports broadcasters for specific channel assignments and streaming options as the event approaches. The IOC typically operates the Olympic Channel website and applications as supplementary sources for highlights, news, and live event coverage in regions without an exclusive broadcaster.
Venue Preparation and Operational Timeline
The Milano Cortina 2026 Foundation is currently overseeing the preparation of competition and non-competition venues. A significant portion of the infrastructure leverages existing facilities used for World Cup events and other international competitions, a strategy aimed at controlling costs and promoting sustainability. Key projects include upgrades to the historic Olympic ice stadium in Cortina and the construction of the new Olympic Village in Milan.
Official test events for various sports are scheduled to begin in 2025. These events are critical for evaluating venue operations, technology systems, and organizational workflows under competitive conditions. The organizing committee will use feedback from these tests to make final adjustments before the arrival of Olympic athletes and delegations in early 2026.
Forward Look and Next Steps
The next major milestone for the Milano Cortina 2026 organizers is the continuation of venue readiness checks and the ramp-up of domestic marketing and volunteer recruitment campaigns. The one-year countdown celebration in February 2025 is expected to feature more detailed announcements regarding ticket sales phases, cultural festival programming, and the final design of the Olympic torch relay route through Italy. The IOC’s coordination commission will conduct regular review visits to monitor progress against established operational deadlines.
Source: International Olympic Committee, Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee
