2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony — as it happened

DW News · Feb 6, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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Skip next section That's a wrap! Let the Games begin.February 6, 2026That's a wrap! Let the Games begin.Well, what a show that was. Much longer than planned, but great outfits, multiple locations and two Olympic flames. What more could you have asked for? (Other than a slightly shorter show). Once you've digested that, the events will come thick and fast from tomorrow. On Saturday, there are five medal events, including the men's downhill, the women's speed skating and the men's snowboard big air. On Sunday there are eight medal events, with the biathlon mixed relay, the men's luge and the team figure skating perhaps the ones to watch. But across the next 19 days there is so much to look out for and take in. Chloe Kim is going for snowboarding immortality, Lindsey Vonn is trying to win without an ACL, married skeleton duo of Belgium’s Kim Meylemans and Brazil’s Nicole Silveira are going for historic medals. There are stories everywhere! A huge range of ages will be on display too. Abby Winterberger is just 15 and will be out there for the USA, while Austrian Claudia Riegler is 52! What an effort. Then there's Norway's cross-country legend Johannes Høsflot Klaebo, NHL players being back for men's ice hockey, and ski mountaineering making its debut. After the 2022 edition in Beijing was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2026 edition has the crowds, the history and the glory that all make sport at the Olympic level so special. The closing ceremony is on February 22, but until then, thanks for joining us tonight and enjoy the Games! https://p.dw.com/p/587MaSkip next section Both Olympic flames are lit!February 6, 2026Both Olympic flames are lit!The Olympic flag has now been raised in both Milan and Cortina. That is followed by the Olympic anthem, which is played by Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang. Rousing, sort of. And then to Cortina, where athletes read the Olympic oath. We really are doing it all tonight. Ah! We are outside in Milan and here comes the flame. Wait, we are back in the stadium to discuss the planets. Italian astronaut Samantha Cristoforetti is there. Another performance. To be fair Samantha, this is starting to feel a bit lost in space here so we could use your help to land the show? Any help? No, but that matters not. The finale is in sight. The flame is being carried in both the streets of Milan and Cortina. They are nearly there - and so are you. What an effort by everyone involved. Italian skiing legends Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni hold the flame aloft and it is done! In Cortina, another skiing legend Sofia Goggia lits the flame and for the first time in Olympic history we have two Olympic flames! The Games are open, the ceremony is done and the fireworks have started in Milan. https://p.dw.com/p/58GbkSkip next section Nessun dorma and a call for peaceFebruary 6, 2026Nessun dorma and a call for peaceRight folks, we are nearly there! After a montage of where the flame has been over the last few weeks, we are back in the San Siro for Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun dorma. This is a classic, and, perhaps like other sports fans, I am taken back to Italia 90' when this track was part of the World Cup. Oh the memories, and the tears. What a beautiful song, and Bocelli, unsurprisingly, absolutlely delivers. Then, the flame appears and we are approaching the finale. With the Games officially open, all we need now is the flame to be lit and that will come when the flame gets to the park in Milan where it will be lit (and in Cortina too). Inside the stadium there is a dance that finishes with the dancers lined up as the dove of peace and then Charlize Theron is here! Wasn't expecting that. The actress delivers a message of peace, citing the great Nelson Mandela. "Let these Games be more than sport, let them be one of our common humanity, our respect for one another and a resounding call for peace everywhere," Theron says. Out comes the Olympic flag, carried by some heroes who have all inspired around the world, including Rebeca Andrade and Eliud Kipchoge. Surely not long now... https://p.dw.com/p/58GadSkip next section IOC boss Coventry: 'Let these Games being a celebration of what unites us'February 6, 2026IOC boss Coventry: 'Let these Games being a celebration of what unites us'Right, here comes the big boss, and the IOC's first female leader Kirsty Coventry, speaking at her first Olympics since becoming IOC President, welcomes the world to Italy and speaks first to the athletes. "I know how you feel. Enjoy it. Take it all in." "In the next few weeks, you will show us what it means to be human," Coventry continues. "You will show us that strength is not just about winning, but also about courage, empathy and heart." Coventry highlights the virtues of sport and how they can teach us how to act the same, respectful, empathetic, caring for each other. She references the African word ubuntu, which translates as I am because we are, as a way to remind us that we must do more to remember the concept of the collective not just the individual. "So let these Games being a celebration of what unites us, of everything that makes us human," Coventry added. There is also some love, or shout-out as Coventry puts it, for the volunteers. It is true to say that the Olympics wouldn't be possible without the efforts of so many people giving up their time to make it happen. She says thank you, and passes on to Mattarella, who officially opens the Games. https://p.dw.com/p/58GZbSkip next section Giovanni Malago: 'I've never been more proud to be Italian than I am tonight'February 6, 2026Giovanni Malago: 'I've never been more proud to be Italian than I am tonight'Giovanni Malago, head of the organizing committee of the 2026 Winter Olympics, and IOC boss Kirsty Coventry, take to the stage with the flags behind them. Malago goes first, and welcomes the world: "Tonight, Italy opens its arms to the world." He talked about Italy's Olympic history (this is their fourth), this being the most gender-balanced Games in history, and how he was determined not to give up getting these Games ready even when it was hard because he loves his country, sport and the Olympic movement. He also thanks the community for bringing it all together. "I would like to say thank you to the Italian people, to the thousands of volunteers who will make these Games so special, and to all those who will compete. I've been as proud to be Italian as I am tonight." He preached harmony, unity and respect, and how the Italian team will bring the whole country together regardless of the results. https://p.dw.com/p/58GYeSkip next section More dance and some comedy!February 6, 2026More dance and some comedy!Right, we are into the real heart of the show now. The opening speech can't be far away, but first, we have a big 1980s, steam punk dance set with plenty of hat-tips towards the different Winter Olympic sports. Then we are in a nightclub with a house track and everyone is wearing apres-ski outfits. It's all happening. Now for some comedy. A sign artist arrives to give a speech, but pretends to be having trouble with the microphone so is communicating to us all in sign language, which is really to explain the depth of Italian gestures. She finishes with the words: "Welcome to Italy!" And now it's time for the speeches... https://p.dw.com/p/58GWySkip next section Cheers for US team, boos for VanceFebruary 6, 2026Cheers for US team, boos for VanceAfter three Serbian skiers, we've got Trinidad and Tobago's bobsleigh team in Cortina, and then huge cheers in Milan for the Ukraine team. A lot of love for the athletes in Cortina too. And we are into the final nations. After Venezuela, comes the USA. The team is met with cheers, but the moment the big screen in the stadium turns to US Vice President JD Vance, the stadium boos. The US have the biggest team of all the competing nations, with over 230 athletes. It's also the biggest the US have ever sent. They mean business, clearly. France are the penultimate finishers tonight, which is customary for the country hosting the next Games. In 2030, the Winter Olympics will be in the French Alps. Tonight though, the teams are wearing some beige jackets with belts that I'm not sure pops as much as they think. But the biggest cheer is for the final nation, the hosts! Here come Italy. They are wearing Armani, but the grey with the Italian colors in the middle aren't quite working for me. Still, they are delighted and so as the fans watching on. That's it, we have made it through the full list of nations! https://p.dw.com/p/58GTQSkip next section Jamaica and a mother-son team!February 6, 2026Jamaica and a mother-son team!Right, into the depths of the alphabet now. After Jamaica's small team but big vibes, we've got Great Britain. They are wearing aggressively larged-sized scarves with the words "Great Britain" on them, in case you might forget who they are representing. Guinea-Bissau are here! And then Haiti and their sensational outfits are out, love it. Israel's team in Milan are walking out, and Oliver Moody reports that there are some boos in the stands in response to their arrival. That makes sense, given what fellow DW correspondent Elisabetta Galla reported earlier. Mexico only have three athletes in Milan, but they are having a good time and their enthusiasm is met with cheers. They have the first mother-son team in Winter Olympic history. Mexico's Sarah Schleper, 46 and in her seventh Olympics, will join her 17-year-old son, Lasse Gaxiola who is making his debut, in alpine skiing. Wow! https://p.dw.com/p/58GRmSkip next section All the outfits and Germany arrive!February 6, 2026All the outfits and Germany arrive!The nations continue, and there are over 90 so this will take time. Brazil steal the show, dancing in their Moncler outfits (see below) and making everyone smile. Canada have a huge team in Milan, which gets a big cheer in the stadium. We then move to the other members of the Canadian team in Livig