From February 6th to 22th, the XXV Olympic Winter Games will be hosted in Italy, followed by the Paralympic Winter Games from March 6th to 15th.
Officially named Milano Cortina 2026, the Winter Games will mark the first time two cities - Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo - serve as co-hosts. The Games are supported by the regions of Lombardia and Veneto, along with the autonomous provinces of Trento and Bolzano, making it the most geographically expansive Winter Olympics to date, covering nearly 10,000 square miles.
More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will compete for 116 sets of medals across 16 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic sports. Milano Cortina 2026 will also be the most gender-balanced Winter Olympics in history, with women making up 47 percent of all participants. A record 50 women’s events will be included on the programme.
New competitions will include the debut of ski mountaineering, or SkiMo, a high-adrenaline event where athletes race uphill using climbing skins, hike through steep sections and ski back.
Dual moguls will be added to the freestyle skiing program and a new team Alpine combined event will debut, pairing a downhill and slalom skier from the same nation.
Competition locations
Events will take place in five primary venue clusters, with competitions split between snow-covered mountains and modern indoor arenas.
The opening ceremony will be held at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, while the closing celebration is scheduled for Verona’s ancient Roman amphitheatre, the Arena di Verona.
The Olympic torch relay is expected to begin its journey through Italy in early 2026, the torch design has already been unveiled but the exact route has yet to be announced.
We know, however, that it will travel through dozens of cities, towns and alpine villages before arriving in Milan for the opening ceremony.
Milan will be the centre of ice-based competitions, hosting figure skating, ice hockey, speed skating and short-track events.
One of Italy’s most dynamic cities, Milan is commonly known as Italy’s fashion capital and business hub with a population of over 1.3 million and strong transport links, including three airports and a vast metro and rail network.
Visitors can take in highlights like the Duomo, Sforza Castle or the boutiques of Brera or take easy day trips by train to Monza, Bergamo, Como and Brescia - all under an hour away.
In the mountains, Livigno and Bormio in the Valtellina cluster will stage freestyle skiing, snowboarding and men’s alpine skiing.
Nestled in the Alps near the Swiss border, both towns are popular winter destinations known for their high-altitude slopes, dramatic scenery and lively après-ski scenes.
Bormio, in particular, is famed for the Stelvio piste, considered one of the most challenging downhill courses in the world, while Livigno is a duty-free resort with a reputation for snow reliability and cutting-edge terrain parks.
Cortina d’Ampezzo will take centre stage for women’s alpine skiing on the legendary Olympia delle Tofane slope, as well as for curling and the high-speed sliding sports, including bobsleigh and luge.
Often hailed as the “Queen of the Dolomites,” Cortina d’Ampezzo is an iconic destination nestled in the heart of the Veneto Dolomites, surrounded by towering peaks such as Antelao, Sorapiss, Tofane and Cristallo. One of the town’s most distinctive features is the Pomagagnon mountain wall, which serves separates Cortina from its neighbouring peaks.
Anterselva, nestled in the Alps near the Austrian border is surrounded by glaciers and Lake Antholz, will host the biathlon, while Val di Fiemme, set between the Latemar and Lagorai ranges, is a scenic Dolomite valley rich in history and alpine tradition will offer cross-country skiing and ski jumping in Tesero and Predazzo, respectively.
You can find travel information for all locations here.
Planning your trip
Tickets for the Winter Olympics are on sale now and can be purchased through the official Milano Cortina 2026 website here. Ticket sales are online-only. There are no licensed third-party sellers so people are advised to be extremely wary of any tickets offered for sale on platforms other than the official ticketing site.
Prices start at €30, with 22 percent of all tickets below €40 and more than half (57 percent) below €100. In order to purchase you will first need to create an account - fans can purchase up to 25 tickets per account.
With high demand expected across all venues, early planning is crucial - not only for securing event access but also for accommodation and local transport.
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