With the Olympic Winter Games already starting on the 6th of February, here are all the most interesting events to follow.
During the 17 days of the 2026 Winter Games, hosted by two Italian towns, Milano and Cortina, we will witness the Olympic return of NHL legends, performances from rising stars and a debut of a new Olympic discipline
Whether you are looking for exciting competitions, iconic players or cultural events that combine ancient history with modern media – the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games will give you all that and more.
Figure skating
The name on everybody’s lips for the 2026 Winter Olympics is Ilia Malinin, a 21 year-old figure skater competing for the United States. Malinin, who promised to ”break physics” at the Milano Cortina Olympics, will perform for the first time on the 7th of February at 19:45 during the Men’s Single Skating event.
During this Olympic season we can expect to see more national teams in disciplines that have previously been monopolized by the Russian team, such as figure skating. This is because the Olympic Committee has not authorized Russia to send representatives for any group competitions.
Ice hockey
Another must-watch event on the ice rink is ice hockey. This year, NHL players will be competing in the Olympics for the first time since Sochi in 2014. The USA men’s team will first compete against Latvia in the preliminary round on the 12th of February at 21:10. However, hockey players are not the only ones coming all the way to Italy from the United States: ICE agents are also being sent over to ”protect” American sportsmen at the games.
Skiing
Italy will debut a new discipline at this year’s Olympics – ski mountaineering or ”SkiMo”, which combines uphill climbing with downhill skiing on harsh mountainous terrains. The discipline will be composed of three events: women’s sprint, men’s sprint, and mixed relay. SkiMo has historically been a popular sport in the Alpine regions, and will now be recognized as an official olympic sport. The first SkiMo competition will be broadcasted on the 19th of February at 09:50 with Women’s Sprint Heats.
Competitions at Milano Cortina will also include a new event in Alpine Skiing, a discipline in which skiers race down the slope of a mountain, called Team Combined. In the new format, skiers will compete in pairs, with one competitor racing in the Downhill Speed Run, and the other doing a Slalom, with the end result being a sum of the two run times of the team members. The Team Combined competition will premiere on the 9th of February at 10:30 with Men’s Team Combined Downhill.
Instead of building new artificial sports arenas, this year’s hosts will utilize thirteen preexisting venues and take advantage of the diverse environment that the region has to offer.
Culture
The cultural aspects of the Milano Cortina Olympics should not go unnoticed. The Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games will air on SVT2 on the 6th of February at 20.00 Italian time. Artists such as Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli or Sabrina Impacciatore will perform at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium. The Closing Ceremony will be hosted on the 22nd of February at a Roman Amphitheater built in the year 30 AD for gladiator battles that has been renamed the Verona Olympic Arena for the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Games.
