Italy Takes Stage!

The Milano Cortina opening ceremony blended opera, fashion, art, and pop culture into a vibrant celebration of Italy’s identity—and it did not disappoint! The night was a sweeping homage to Italian culture, honoring everything from classical art and poetry to modern fashion, music, and pop icons. It was a dazzling reminder of Italy’s influence on global culture and creativity.

Read more in Alison Herman’s Variety article for a deeper look at the moments that made the ceremony unforgettable!

The Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Was a Playful Celebration of Italian Culture: TV Review

By Alison Herman | Variety | Feb 6, 2026 3:51pm PT

The winter Olympic games are often seen as more of an appendix to their larger summertime counterparts than a tentpole in themselves. But in 2026, the parallels between Milan — which co-hosts the 25th winter Olympics with Cortina d’Ampezzo, a ski town near the Austrian border — and 2024 host city Paris are impossible to ignore. They also paid dividends in an opening ceremony that, much like the Seine-set one a year and a half ago, drew on the traditions of a European cultural capital to deliver a playful, detail-dense tone setter for the weeks to come. (The ceremony was covered live on NBC and its affiliated streaming service Peacock, preceded by an acknowledgement of “Today” anchor Savannah Guthrie’s absence amid the ongoing search for her missing mother.) Even if Milan’s ceremony didn’t match the Paris one in scale, it made for an equally enthusiastic welcome to the world’s largest sporting event.

From a dance number that paid homage to the works of sculptor Antonio Canova to a performance of the iconic Puccini aria “Nessun dorma” by singer Andrea Bocelli, the ceremony’s producers opted to emphasize Italian identity throughout. (Apart from a random-seeming cameo by Charlize Theron to encourage peace among nations, that is. At least Mariah Carey sang a bit of Italian when she covered “Volare”!) The creative portion of the ceremony, bracketing the parade of athletes led by guides in full-length parka gowns, spanned high art and low: a procession of models in suits by the namesake house of the late designer Giorgio Armani in the hues of the tricolor Italian flag and a gloriously goofy, Eurovision-esque dance number led by Sabrina Impacciatore of “The White Lotus” and “The Paper.” The Italian ethos spans both refined tailoring and shiny metallic ski suits paired with face glitter, and the ceremony reflected both extremes…