Milan Cortina Winter Olympics open with four-site, two-cauldron ceremony

The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opened with an unprecedented four-site ceremony centered at Milan’s San Siro and linked to Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno, and two cauldrons inspired by Leonardo da Vinci were unveiled.

The opening ceremony for the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics began in a novel, multi-site format that included Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo. Organizers placed the main hub at San Siro stadium in Milan and staged satellite segments in the mountain venues so athletes based there could take part more easily. The production leaned on Italian cultural references, music and design, and featured two cauldrons that pay homage to Leonardo da Vinci. The Games return to Italy 20 years after the country last hosted the Winter Olympics. Key details: - The ceremony was staged across four locations: Milan (San Siro), Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno and Predazzo. - Two Olympic cauldrons were unveiled with sun-like structures inspired by Leonardo da Vinci and designed to open and close, holding the flame in a glass-and-metal container. - The main performance hub was Milan’s San Siro stadium, where dancers, large set pieces and visual tributes to Italian art, food and fashion were shown. - In Cortina, Mariah Carey performed the Italian classic "Nel blu, dipinto di blu" (commonly known as "Volare") as part of a medley. - About 18,000 volunteers across the Games wear uniforms designed by Salomon to be readily identifiable. - U.S. Vice President JD Vance attended the ceremony in Milan. Summary: The multi-site opening allowed athletes competing in mountain sports to participate in the Parade of Athletes without lengthy travel and showcased Italian cultural themes and design in multiple venues. Competition runs Feb. 4-22, with early gold-medal events beginning Feb. 7, and the Paralympics are scheduled for March 6-15.