At the 2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony, Weirdness Was in Short Supply - but Not Attempts at 'Harmony'

"The theme? "Harmony." But as the opening ceremonies (yes, plural) of the 2026 Olympics in Milan-Cortina unspooled across multiple locations on Friday, the theme of "harmony" felt more necessary - and harder to capture - than ever. Overall, it proved to be a more sedate and traditional opening than Paris' divisive 2024 offering. Less out-there, sure, but a little too much been-there."

"The ceremony kicked off at 8 p.m. local time (11 a.m. PT and 2 p.m. ET for my fellow Americans, a very nice way to spend a winter Friday). The majority of the festivities were held at Milan's 76,000-capacity San Siro stadium, but with this Olympics officially taking place in both Milan and Cortina, smaller events ran in tandem at Cortina d'Ampezzo (about 250 miles northeast of Milan) and in hubs like Livigno and Bormio in the Valtellina valley; Tesero and Predazzo in the Fiemme Valley; and the Antholz-Anterselva valley on the Austrian border."

"Because of the two host cities, there were two cauldrons lit by the iconic Olympic torch: one in Arco della Pace (Arch of Peace) in Milan and one at Cortina d'Ampezzo's main square. Athletes walked as part of the traditional parade that ends the ceremony proper - easily and forever my favorite part of any opening ceremony - in whichever location they chose. Some of the best editing of the entire endeavor was on display here, seamlessly cutting between each location to show off their various contingents in - oh gosh, is it true? can it be? - harmony."

The opening ceremonies for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics used the theme "Harmony" and unfolded across multiple locations, including Milan's San Siro stadium and Cortina d'Ampezzo. The main stadium holds 76,000 people, while simultaneous events ran in Livigno, Bormio, Tesero, Predazzo, and the Antholz-Anterselva valley. Two Olympic cauldrons were lit, one at Milan's Arco della Pace and one in Cortina's main square. Athletes participated in the traditional parade in the locations they chose, with broadcast editing cutting between sites to present unified contingents. The overall tone felt sedate and traditional compared with Paris 2024, and in-stadium energy and attendance appeared muted.

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