Milano Cortina 2026 ready as anticipation builds ahead of first events
The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games are ready for competition, with athletes already on-site and the first events set to begin tomorrow.
Key facts
- Competition begins tomorrow: Athletes are already living in the Olympic Villages, training at competition venues and preparing for the first events.
- Games-time delivery: All competition and non-competition venues and core Games-time systems are fully operational.
- Public engagement: The Olympic Torch Relay has generated nationwide excitement, with approximately 1.2 million tickets already sold.
Speaking today at the 145th International Olympic Committee (IOC) Session in Milan ahead of the Opening Ceremony on Friday, 6 February, Giovanni Malagò, President of Milano Cortina 2026, said: “Starting from the Opening Ceremony and the lighting of the two cauldrons, a first in Olympic history [to be lit simultaneously], we are preparing to embrace the world in the name of sport and its values, to celebrate the athletes and their achievements in world-class venues, and in a setting of natural beauty.”
Giovanni Malagò
Competition set to begin
With competition starting tomorrow, athlete arrivals and training have provided the first full operational test of the Games, with daily routines now established across all clusters.
Reflecting on early feedback, the IOC’s Milano Cortina 2026 Coordination Commission Chair, Kristin Kloster, said: “The athletes have been in the Villages for a few days now, and they have started their training. Their feedback to Chef de Missions, but also posted on their social media, goes exactly in the same direction. It is satisfaction all the way.”
Nationwide excitement driven by the Olympic Torch Relay
Alongside competition readiness, the Organising Committee highlighted the level of public engagement building across Italy in the final days before the Games. The Milano Cortina 2026 team pointed to the Olympic Torch Relay as a major driver of excitement, with large crowds gathering in cities, towns and villages nationwide, supported by strong engagement across social media platforms. The Relay was cited as a visible expression of growing anticipation for Milano Cortina 2026, both domestically and internationally.
That momentum is also reflected in ticket demand, with approximately 1.2 million tickets already sold, and only a limited number of tickets remaining for the Opening Ceremony.
From planning to delivery: complex venues and future legacy
The Organising Committee told IOC Members that the project has now entered a decisive delivery phase, with operational focus firmly on performance across all areas of the Games.
Highlighting the complexity of the journey to this point, Milano Cortina 2026 CEO Andrea Varnier said: “Regarding venues, among the most demanding challenges I would like to highlight in particular: the sliding centre in Cortina d’Ampezzo and the ice hockey arena Santagiulia Milan, both delivered to the Organising Committee quite literally at the final breath, at the very edge of every available deadline and with very difficult working conditions, as you all are well aware of. Nevertheless, both venues will be outstanding for the Games, and we really hope they will remain as a tangible legacies for the communities.”
He continued: “Along with the challenges, however, it is equally important to recall another major achievement – the completion without any disruption, and within the perfect planned timeline of another significant, daring venue – the Milano ice park at Rho Fiera, where we will stage speed skating and hockey with a very different solution compared to the candidature project – highly sustainable and with a potential long lasting legacy. A clear demonstration that even under pressure, complex projects can be delivered with stability and vision.”
One Team Approach
Responding to the report, IOC President Kirsty Coventry highlighted the collaborative approach behind the delivery. She said: “Let's keep up the great teamwork, the collaboration, one team, that’s been working so far – a winning formula. These Games are going to be incredible.”
As the final countdown gives way to competition, Milano Cortina 2026 moves from readiness to reality, with athletes, fans and host communities ready to write the next chapter in Italy’s Olympic history.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games will take place from 6 to 22 February 2026, followed by the Paralympic Winter Games from 6 to 15 March 2026.