2026 Winter Olympics begin on February 6 with opening ceremony in Milan

The Games open with the San Siro ceremony in Milan on February 6, with some curling and snowboarding events having begun on February 4. BBC and TNT Sport/Discovery+ are among the outlets carrying coverage in the UK.

The 25th Winter Olympics are being held across Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in northern Italy, with events staged at four venue clusters across the region. The opening ceremony, titled 'Armonia' (Harmony), is set for Friday, February 6 at San Siro Stadium in Milan, while some curling and snowboarding events began on Wednesday, February 4. The Games run through the closing ceremony on Sunday, February 22 in Verona. Organisers say athletes will be based in six Olympic Villages and the programme includes 116 events across 16 disciplines. Key details: - Opening ceremony: San Siro Stadium in Milan on Friday, February 6; some curling and snowboarding events began on Wednesday, February 4. - Closing ceremony: Verona Arena on Sunday, February 22. - Host arrangement: Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo are hosting across a region; the two cities are about 250 miles apart by road and athletes will be housed in six Olympic Villages. - Sports and venues: Milan will host ice sports such as hockey and skating; Cortina will host sliding sports (luge, bobsleigh, skeleton), curling, biathlon and women's alpine skiing; other skiing and snowboarding events are split across Valtellina and Val di Fiemme. - Programme notes: The schedule comprises 116 events across 16 disciplines, with ski mountaineering making its debut and new women's events added to move toward greater gender parity. - Broadcasting (UK): BBC plans coverage of major events on BBC One and BBC Two from 9am to 10pm, with an Olympics Extra stream on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport from 8am to 11pm; TNT Sport and Discovery+ are carrying the full Games for subscribers. Summary: The opening ceremony on February 6 formally begins the 19 days of competition, although a small number of events started on February 4. Broadcasters have published schedules for daily coverage, and the competition will proceed through the closing ceremony on February 22 in Verona.