About our 2026 Winter Olympics news
Latest news on 2026 Winter Olympics, with updates on venues in Milan-Cortina, event preparations, participating teams and Olympic sports schedule.
The XXV Olympic Winter Games, known as Milano Cortina 2026, will take place from 6 to 22 February 2026 across Northern Italy. This historic event marks the first Olympics to be officially co-hosted by multiple cities, with Milan primarily hosting ice events while Cortina d'Ampezzo, Valtellina and Fiemme valleys host snow sports. The Games will feature 116 medal events across 16 sports, with venues spread across four main clusters.
Recent developments include confirmation that NHL players will return to Olympic ice hockey for the first time since 2014, and the successful construction progress of the new sliding track in Cortina d'Ampezzo, with homologation expected by March 2025. The event will introduce ski mountaineering as a new Olympic sport and will achieve the highest percentage of women's participation in Winter Olympic history at 47%. Additionally, Lake Placid, New York, has been designated as the backup venue for sliding sports if needed.
The Games' cultural identity is embodied by its mascots, Tina and Milo, two stoats designed by Italian schoolchildren and unveiled at the 2024 Sanremo Music Festival. The official theme song "Fino all'alba" ("Until the dawn") and the "Futura" logo, chosen through the first-ever public vote for an Olympic emblem, reflect Italy's artistic heritage. The opening ceremony will take place at Milan's iconic San Siro stadium, while the closing ceremony will be held in the historic Verona Arena.
Italy's Olympic legacy runs deep, with Milano Cortina 2026 marking the country's fourth Olympic Games and second Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo since 1956. The decision to award the Games to Milan-Cortina came at the 134th IOC Session in June 2019, where they won against the Swedish bid of Stockholm-Åre, demonstrating Italy's continued significance in the Olympic movement.
Our NewsNow feed provides comprehensive coverage of Milano Cortina 2026 preparations, from venue construction updates to athlete qualification progress. Whether you're interested in the technical aspects of new facilities, the cultural programme, or the growing list of participating nations, our feed delivers timely updates from reliable sources across the Olympic movement, helping you stay informed about this significant sporting event.