🛷You Know That Only the Good Die Young⛸️
The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived! The 2026 Winter Olympics officially kicked off Friday with a spectacular opening ceremony in Milan, Italy, and will continue through February 22nd. If you've been hearing conflicting information online, let's set the record straight about everything you need to know!
Where and When
The XXV Winter Olympic Games are taking place across Lombardy and Northeast Italy, with Milan primarily hosting ice events while snow events happen in clusters around Cortina d'Ampezzo, Valtellina, and the Fiemme Valley. This is actually a historic Games—it's the first time two cities (Milan and Cortina) are officially co-hosting! The competition runs from February 6 to 22, 2026, although some events started as early as February 4.
How to Watch
For all our fellow ice skating enthusiasts in the U.S., NBC is the proud home for all coverage, with live competition presented across NBC during the day and enhanced primetime shows each night, while USA Network and CNBC will also air Olympic coverage. Want to stream? Peacock Premium subscribers can access the full NBC broadcast including opening and closing ceremonies, plus live streaming of every single sport, competition session, and medal ceremony (for $10.99 monthly or $109.99 yearly). The platform even features cool innovations like Multiview and Rinkside Live for figure skating fans!
The opening ceremony featured special performances from Mariah Carey, Italian artists Laura Pausini and Andrea Bocelli, and for the first time in Games history, two Olympic cauldrons were lit simultaneously in both Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo. How iconic is that?
Major Sponsors
Global Olympic partners include Airbnb, Alibaba, Allianz, Coca-Cola/Mengniu, Visa, Samsung, P&G, TCL, Deloitte, Corona Cero, and Omega, all part of the IOC's exclusive TOP programme. Coca-Cola and Chinese dairy company Mengniu are paying an estimated three billion dollars to the IOC for the Olympic Games from 2021 to 2032.
Want to give back? The Olympic Refuge Foundation and Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026's Impact 2026 programme are supporting social enterprises and nonprofits to ensure the Games benefit Italian communities long after the closing ceremony. Eli Lilly has pledged to donate $5,000 for each medal, world record, and Olympic or Paralympic record achieved by Team USA athletes, benefitting 26 U.S. health-focused nonprofits.
The Drama
And yes, there's always tea! Ski jumping is embroiled in Penisgate, where Norway's coaches were caught sewing extra material into athletes' crotches to increase aerodynamic lift, leading to major rule changes and equipment checks. Meanwhile, Spanish figure skater Tomàs-Llorenç Guarino Sabaté faced a last-minute music rights block on his beloved Minions-themed program, though he's since secured permission to use key elements after fan outcry.
