Information for the media – online roundtable with Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony Creative Lead Marco Balich: Opening Ceremony overview
You are invited to join an exclusive online media roundtable on Tuesday 20 January at 3 p.m. (15:00) CET with Marco Balich, the Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony Creative Lead, to discuss the Opening Ceremony, its key theme of Armonia (harmony), and what attendees and viewers can expect from this highly-anticipated occasion.
Balich’s background as a Creative Director and Executive Producer of global events spans a record 16 Olympic Ceremonies, alongside numerous large-scale productions worldwide. His Olympic journey began with the flag handover ceremony at the Salt Lake City 2002 Olympic Winter Games and continued through the Turin 2006, Sochi 2014 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games, and the Milano Cortina 2026 flag handover at Beijing 2022, among many others. His contribution to the Olympic Movement was recognised with an Emmy Award in 2006 and the Compasso d’Oro in 2017.
Registration is mandatory by Monday 19 January, 5 p.m. (17:00) CET, via the following link.
The roundtable will last one hour and will consist of a short presentation by Marco, outlining key details of the Opening Ceremony, followed by questions from the media.
Some of the topics Marco will be discussing include:
- How the Opening Ceremony will reflect the multi-centred model of Milano Cortina 2026
- How athletes will be able to participate in an unprecedented shared experience between Milan, Cortina, Valtellina and Val di Fiemme
- Armonia, the theme of the Opening Ceremony, and how it will be a journey through art and innovation, nature and city, tradition and future
- Highlights that attendees and viewers can expect, such as performances from Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini.
Because of limited availability, we encourage you to confirm your attendance as soon as possible.
After registering, you will receive a confirmation email with information on how to join the roundtable.
Should you have any questions, feel free to get in touch. We look forward to welcoming you to this exclusive discussion.
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