Follow every moment of Winter Olympics opening ceremony with live updates

The 2026 Winter Olympics officially began Friday as the Olympic cauldron beneath Milan’s Arco della Pace was lit following a torch relay featuring some of Italy’s greatest athletes.

The iconic moment, which featured the lighting of two cauldrons in acknowledgment of the four locations hosting the opening ceremony, capped a night of storytelling through art and music that highlighted the host nation’s rich history.

Italian President Sergio Mattarella, who sat alongside Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance, shared a brief message to the more than 60,000 people inside San Siro Stadium officially declaring the Games open. 

The more than three-hour-long ceremony featured Italian greats like Andrea Bocelli singing Puccini’s “Nessun Dorma" and ​​Italian actress Sabrina Impacciatore, widely known for her role in “White Lotus,” performing a dance routine in tribute to 100 years of Winter Olympics. 

For the first time in two decades, the Winter Olympics are being staged in Italy as the Milan Cortina Games open Friday. The opening ceremony unfolds before a global audience, with more than 60,000 fans packing Milan’s San Siro Stadium for a first-hand look at the spectacle.

Delegations in the Parade of Nations march in alphabetical order, with the host nation saved for last.

When Italy finally took center stage, the team was greeted by raucous applause from the capacity crowd. The presentation of the flags followed, ahead of the culminating moment that would formally usher in the Games.

Loud cheers followed Norway’s athletes as they walked beneath the Olympic rings in two locations during Friday’s opening ceremony, applause that reflected the nation’s Olympic pedigree.

Norway has won more Winter Olympic medals than any other country, including 148 gold, 134 silver, and 123 bronze, for a total of 405 medals. The United States is second with 330 medals, including 114 gold. 

By comparison, Norway has just 80 athletes competing in this year’s Games compared to Team USA with 232 athletes. 

The opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games is underway, and the athletes are rolling are in.

More than 2,900 athletes from 92 countries will be competing for 348 medals across 16 Olympic sports.

The IOC suspended Russia and Belarus from competing in the Olympic Games, but those countries have 12 athletes who will be allowed to compete. Those athletes are classified as individual neutral athletes. There are also four athletes on the Refugee Olympic Team.

Below are the three countries who are sending the most athletes to Italy for the Olympics.

1). United States - 232 athletes

2). Canada - 211 athletes

3). Italy - 195 athletes

Friday’s Parade of Athletes is expected to last longer than in previous Winter Olympic Games, reflecting the sheer volume of competitors from nations across the globe. Organizers said the extended timeline also stems from a unique format, with events spread across multiple venues as the Games are taking place across Italy.

Not every country was able to field a full delegation. Instead, models in Milan carried oversized placards bearing the names of smaller nations. Some athletes were seen walking unaccompanied, highlighting both the scale of the ceremony and the logistical challenges of staging a global, multi-city Olympics.

For the first time in Olympic history, the parade is also taking place in four locations: San Siro Stadium in Milan, and in the mountain venues of Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno.

Six-time Grammy Award-winning artist Mariah Carey took center stage at the Milan Cortina Olympics opening ceremony on Friday to perform “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu,” or more commonly known as “Volare,” at San Siro soccer stadium. 

Carey serenaded the crowd with a mix of the Italian classic and her own song, “Nothing is impossible,” off her latest album. 

The 2026 opening ceremony paid tribute to the host nation’s culture and historical achievements, including music and art, literature and architecture. 

Thousands of athletes from more than 90 countries have arrived in Italy to compete for Olympic glory at the Milan-Cortina Games. The opening ceremony began with a showcase of Italy’s rich cultural and artistic heritage, featuring tributes to Leonardo da Vinci, Dante and fashion icon Giorgio Armani at Milan’s San Siro Stadium.

Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli headlined the event, joined by acclaimed mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli.

Italy’s arts and film scene was also prominently represented, with actors Pierfrancesco Favino, Sabrina Impacciatore and Matilde De Angelis taking part in the festivities, blending sport, history and culture on a global stage.

As the Winter Olympics officially get underway, Lindsey Vonn is hoping she can stave off the pain for a few more days and bring home a medal for the U.S.

Vonn, who ruptured her ACL in a devastating crash last week, impressed on the slopes during a training session ahead of the official events.

The 41-year-old champion skier, who holds a record of 12 World Cup wins in Cortina, including six in the downhill, looked aggressive in her first training session. She narrowly cleared one of the gates, but after crossing the finish line, she celebrated with Team USA teammate Breezy Johnson.

Her official training run was completed in 1:40.33. Through 15 competitors, Vonn finished her run in ninth place, less than a second off the lead skier.

Fox News’ Paulina Dedaj contributed to this post.

With the Winter Olympics officially getting under way today, there are some things sports fans should know about the Milan Cortina Games.

The Winter Games will be hosted in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo – an historic first for the Olympics being that it will be jointly hosted. It will be the first Games held under International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry and the third time it will be held in the country.

There will be 16 different sports on display during the games with 116 medal events.The first medal events will begin on Saturday.

The U.S. finished in third place in total medals in 2022 in Beijing. The Americans were also tied for third place in the number of gold medals with China. Norway and Germany are the two countries that have dominated in winter sports in the last few Winter Games.

Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were a part of the delegation that traveled to Milan for the Olympics.

Milan was the first stop on Vance’s trip combining diplomacy and sports as he’s leading President Donald Trump’s delegation to the Winter Olympics, later stopping on Armenia and Azerbaijan. Vance was spotted cheering for the red, white and blue when Alex Carpenter notched the first goal for the Americans.

"The whole country — Democrat, Republican, independent — we’re all rooting for you, and we’re cheering for you," Vance told athletes on Thursday.

Team USA women’s ice hockey didn’t disappoint as they put together a 5-1 win over the Czech Republic.

The United States is mostly known for dominating the competition at the Summer Olympics. Gymnastics, basketball and swimming are among the top sports Americans usually find themselves medaling in. The Winter Olympics has been a little tougher.

The Americans finished third in the medal table at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics and fourth in the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. The U.S. finished with the most medals in the 2010 Vancouver Games but only had nine gold medals to show.

The Team USA roster will look to change their fortunes in this year’s Games and, somehow, finish ahead of Norway, Germany and Canada.There are familiar faces and some newcomers that have high expectations this year. Those athletes include Alysa Liu (figure skating), Chloe Kim (snowboarding), Elana Meyers Taylor (bobsled), Erin Jackson (speedskating), Lindsey Vonn (skiing), Hilary Knight (hockey) Madison Chock and Evan Bates (figure skating), Maxim Naumov (figure skating) and Mikela Shiffrin (skiing).

NHL stars are also able to compete in the Olympics this year. It’s the first time the league will be represented since the 2014 Olympics.

The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony is set to begin in Milan. Athletes from each country participating in the Games this month will shuffle through San Siro in what is likely to be the final major event before it is torn down in the last few years.

The 99-year-old arena is home to Inter Milan and AC Milan of Serie A. The soccer clubs plan to knock it down and build a new stadium before Italy hosts the 2032 European Championship with Turkey.

There are 92 National Olympic Committees and Independent Olympic Athletes participating in the Games this year. Russian and Belarusian athletes are able to compete in the Games but under the status of an Individual Neutral Athlete as their countries continue their war in Ukraine.

Benin, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Singapore, South Africa, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay and Venezuela are participating in these Games but didn’t participate in the 2022 Olympics.