Italy is preparing to host the Olympic flame for the fourth time, but the XXV Winter Games will be special. For the first time in history, the tournament will be officially hosted by two host cities — Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The main part of the competition is scheduled for 6-22 February 2026, although the first curling events will be held on 4 February, two days before the official opening, according to Sport Bet.
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Games will take place on 6 February at the San Siro Stadium. For the football arena, this will be the final event before its demolition. The organisers also plan to hold a series of additional mini-celebrations at key locations of the Olympic competitions.
The flag bearers for Ukraine at the main locations of the Olympics have been determined. At the San Siro arena in Milan, the national flag will be raised by short track speed skater Yelyzaveta Sydorko, and in Cortina d’Ampezzo, this honourable mission will be entrusted to skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych. At other Olympic venues, our athletes will represent the country with ‘Ukraine’ signs: in Livigno, it will be carried by snowboarder Anna-Marie Dancha, and in Predazzo, by ski jumper Yevhen Marusiak.
The 2026 Olympics and competition venues
The Olympic infrastructure is divided into several key clusters, each of which has a branched structure and consists of separate locations.
Milan
Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena — hockey
Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena — hockey
Milano Speed Skating Stadium — speed skating
Milano Ice Skating Arena — figure skating and short track
Cortina d’Ampezzo
Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre — alpine skiing
Anterselva Biathlon Arena — biathlon
Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium — curling
Cortina Sliding Centre — bobsleigh, luge, skeleton
Val Tellina
Stelvio Ski Centre — alpine skiing, ski mountaineering
Livigno Snow Park — snowboarding
Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park — freestyle skiing
Val di Fiemme
Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium — ski jumping
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium — cross-country skiing, Nordic combined
The opening and closing ceremonies will be held in different cities. Incidentally, this is the first time this has happened since the 1984 Games, which were held in Sarajevo. The opening ceremony of the Winter Games will take place in Milan, and the closing ceremony will be held in Verona. The closing ceremony will be held in an ancient amphitheatre built almost two thousand years ago.
The programme of this year’s Olympics is expanding: ski mountaineering will appear for the first time, and a total of 116 sets of medals will be awarded. The awards themselves have a unique design consisting of two halves, symbolising the support of loved ones and the duo of cities, Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The cost of the ‘gold’ is estimated at approximately $800.
2026 Olympics – where to watch
The 2026 Games in Ukraine will be broadcast by Suspilne. Watch the Olympic Games on the Suspilne Sport channel and regional channels, or on the official Suspilne website.
We would like to remind you that the Ukrainian biathlon team took part in the World Cup stage in Hochfilzen.
