As the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics begin, all eyes are on teams from around the globe proudly donning their countries' uniforms for the opening ceremony, including Team USA in outfits designed by Ralph Lauren.

Milan's San Siro Stadium played the role of primary host. But, in the spirit of these unusually widespread Games, simultaneous celebrations were also held in the clusters of Livigno, Predazzo and Cortina d'Ampezzo, which — for the first time ever — lit a second Olympic cauldron.

The 2026 Winter Olympics officially started with a spectacular display in Italy.

The 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympics officially started Friday afternoon with the opening ceremony.

What it was like to be in San Siro Stadium to kick off the Winter Games

It wasn't a surprise, but it was still quite something to hear.

There will be two broadcasts of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony this Friday. You can tune in live from 2PM - 5PM ET on Friday afternoon, or catch the encore broadcast from 8PM - 11PM ET that night. Both broadcasts will air on NBC, which is available with DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, and more.

MILAN (AP) — American athletes received an enthusiastic welcome at the opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics, but the mood shifted when cameras briefly turned to Vice President JD Vance.

By Aimee Ortiz Victor Mather and Alex Marshall To borrow Mariah Carey’s holiday catchphrase — it’s tiiime! The powerhouse vocalist is performing in Italian at the Milan opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium for the Winter Olympics in Italy.