The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics takes place in Italy – live broadcast

On the evening of Friday, February 6, the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics takes place in Italy. Direct broadcast suspilne is hosting the event.

The opening ceremony started at 21:00 Kyiv time. The event will last more than two hours.

The main celebrations are held at the San Siro football stadium in Milan. Parades of athletes also take place in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Predazzo and Livigno.

According to the agency Reutersthe opening ceremony combined elements of the two Italian co-host cities, seeking to reflect both urban and mountain life.

American pop diva Mariah Carey has already performed at the event. Among the spectators at the stadium in Milan is the Vice President of the United States J.D. Vance and the Secretary of State of the United States Marco Rubio.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella was introduced to the audience with a video showing the 84-year-old politician traveling around the city on one of Milan's historic trams.

The opening also honored the memory of the late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who chose Milan as his home and died last September.

The ceremony demonstrates the diversity of Italian life, from fashionable Milan to small mountain towns in the Alps, where open-air events are held.

Ukraine's national team has the largest representation at the Games since 2010, with 46 sportsmen and women licensed. The largest representation of Ukraine is in biathlon and luge – 10 athletes each, and nine more athletes will compete in freestyle.

In total, about 2,900 athletes (47% women) from more than 90 countries will compete for 116 sets of medals at the 2026 Olympics.

• On February 1, 2026, Pope Leo XIV called on world leaders to use the Winter Olympics to promoting peace in the world.
• On February 4, the Italian Foreign Minister said that cyberattacks were repelledrussian-led attacks on Italian embassies and Olympic venues.