Italian fashion and art lead Milan Cortina opening ceremony

Italian fashion, art and classical music were central to the Milan Cortina Olympic opening ceremony; Andrea Bocelli sang Puccini's Nessun dorma as the flame moved through San Siro and a second cauldron was lit in Cortina.

The Milan Cortina Olympic opening ceremony put Italian fashion, art and classical music at the centre of its welcome show. The nearly four-hour production included runway models in green, white and red Giorgio Armani suits, dance sequences referencing opera and the Renaissance, and performances by Italian artists. Andrea Bocelli sang Giacomo Puccini's Nessun dorma as the Olympic flame was carried through Milan's San Siro stadium toward the cauldron at the Arco della Pace, and a second cauldron was lit almost simultaneously in Cortina. Organizers said more than 1,300 cast members took part and an estimated 60,000 spectators watched inside San Siro. Key details: - Fashion, art and classical music were central themes of the opening ceremony. - Andrea Bocelli performed Giacomo Puccini's Nessun dorma as the flame passed through San Siro; a second cauldron was lit in Cortina. - Elements of the ceremony were staged in multiple host cities, with smaller athlete parades in Cortina, Livigno and Predazzo broadcast into the stadium. - Organizers reported about 1,300 cast members and an estimated 60,000 attendees inside San Siro. - The show included appearances by Laura Pausini, Sabrina Impacciatore and a brief appearance by Mariah Carey, with cameos from figures such as Valentino Rossi and President Sergio Mattarella. - Audience reactions were mixed, including applause for Ukrainian athletes and boos when U.S. Vice-President JD Vance appeared on the Jumbotron; the Israeli delegation was also briefly booed. Summary: The ceremony emphasised Italian cultural identity while marking a logistical change by staging parts of the opening across multiple cities. Undetermined at this time.