Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games Opening Ceremony enjoyed by many

So inspiring was the ceremony as a curtain raiser that some 87 per cent of respondents – or almost nine out of 10 of those surveyed across the 14 territories and eight out of 10 respondents in Italy – claimed that it had inspired them to follow the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. In addition, Milano Cortina 2026 athletes have already generated 1 billion engagements across their own social media handles.

In an Olympic first, the traditional Parade of Athletes was staged across four venues: Milan, Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno, allowing those athletes and delegations in the remote venues to feel truly part of the celebration. The joy emanating from those mountain clusters was tangible, even though they were not in the stadium, a fact very much picked up on by survey respondents with the parade constituting the second most mentioned topic among the responses. This has subsequently been confirmed by athletes who have commented extensively on their social media handles.

The Opening Ceremony of an edition of the Olympic Games is always a memorable moment and a chance for the host country to showcase its talent and culture. The Milano Cortina 2026 Opening Ceremony was no different. Some 89 per cent of respondents felt that it reflected the “Italian Spirit”. Hailing the start of two weeks of sport, it is an event that unites the world as audiences near and far tune in to watch. This was certainly true of Friday night’s extravaganza that took place in Milan’s iconic San Siro stadium in front of tens of thousands of spectators in the stands and millions more on screen. A show that featured performances headlined by global stars including American songstress Mariah Carey and Italy’s Tenor, Andrea Bocelli, alongside Laura Pausini singing the national anthem, it also included cultural performances and dances by local Italian troupes, with a nod to Italian icons including the late Gianni Versace.

The audience survey was carried out across 14 territories: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Germany, France, Indonesia, India, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Republic of Korea, South Africa, the United Kingdom and the United States of America. All figures as of 7 February 2026.