Milan Cortina Olympics opening ceremony will be at San Siro Friday night

The Milan Cortina Olympics opening ceremony is Friday at Milan's San Siro stadium, starting at 8 p.m. local time; it will be broadcast live on NBC and streamed on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms.

The Milan Cortina Olympics opening ceremony takes place Friday night in Milan's San Siro stadium. Organizers say the show will run nearly three hours and is expected to be the most widely viewed moment of the Games. The program is themed "Harmony" and references a revived Olympic Truce. Parts of the ceremony will also be staged and transmitted from Cortina, Livigno and Predazzo. Key details: - Start time: 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. Eastern, 1900 GMT). - Broadcast: Live on NBC and streamed on Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms, with an enhanced U.S. encore in primetime at 8 p.m. ET. - Performers and participants include Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Cecilia Bartoli, Laura Pausini, pianist Lang Lang, and actors Sabrina Impacciatore and Matilda De Angelis. - Attendance: About 60,000 people are expected at San Siro, including a U.S. delegation led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance. - Cauldrons: There will be two Olympic cauldrons, to be lit simultaneously—one at Milan's Arco della Pace and one at Piazza Dibona in Cortina—an arrangement inspired by Leonardo da Vinci's geometric studies. - Production notes: Some 1,200 volunteers have rehearsed since November, and the ceremony will include a tribute to the late fashion designer Giorgio Armani. Marco Balich, the creative director, has produced 16 Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies. Summary: The ceremony is positioned as the opening highlight of the Games and emphasizes the theme of "Harmony," with large live and broadcast audiences anticipated. The live event Friday night will reveal the identities of the final torchbearers and include the simultaneous lighting of two cauldrons.