The Local Organizing Committee for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics confirmed that global music artist Mariah Carey will serve as the first announced international performer for the Opening Ceremony. The event is scheduled for February 6, 2026, at Milan's San Siro Olympic Stadium, which has a stated capacity of 75,000 spectators. The announcement, made on Monday, December 15, 2025, positions Carey, known for her extensive vocal range and popular music catalog, as a central figure in the ceremony's cultural presentation.
The inaugural ceremony production is being managed by Balich Wonder Studio, with Marco Balich serving as Creative Lead. Balich has prior experience directing shows for the Turin 2006 and Rio 2016 Olympic productions. The central artistic concept guiding the inauguration is the theme 'Armonia,' which translates to 'Harmony' in Italian. Organizers indicated that Carey's participation aligns with this theme, suggesting her music functions as a universal language that promotes unity and connects diverse sensibilities.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Games will utilize a multi-centered structure, spanning Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo across northern Italy. Smaller opening celebrations are planned to occur simultaneously across three distinct mountain clusters: Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The production seeks to integrate Italian identity, innovation, and emotion, creating a visual journey that blends art, nature, urban settings, and tradition with forward-looking elements. The stage design at San Siro is specifically engineered to visually connect these various territories involved in the Games.
Beyond the opening event, Italian actress Matilda De Angelis has been named as one of the ceremony's narrative voices. Furthermore, ballet principal Roberto Bolle is slated to headline the Closing Ceremony on February 22, 2026, at Verona's ancient Roman Arena, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Bolle previously performed at the 2006 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony in Turin. The overall Games are scheduled to run through February 22, 2026, and will feature 116 medal events across 16 disciplines, an increase from the Beijing 2022 Games.
The organizing committee, under the leadership of President Giovanni Malagò, has also emphasized sustainability, noting that 13 of the 14 competition venues are either existing structures or temporary builds. The selection of Carey, who previously supported Team USA with her 2010 single "100%," is viewed by the committee as a strategic move to generate global viewership and inspire international participation through shared cultural experience.
