Milano Cortina 2026: What to expect at the Winter Olympics

Introduction: Why the winter olympics matter in 2026

The 2026 winter olympics, officially the XXV Winter Olympic Games and commonly branded Milano Cortina 2026, will run from 6 to 22 February 2026. Hosting the Games across Lombardy and northeast Italy, including Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy will stage the winter olympics for the third time. The event is significant for sport, tourism and broadcasting worldwide, bringing elite competition across multiple disciplines and a packed international schedule that will draw viewers and visitors alike.

Main body: Dates, venues and schedule highlights

Where and when

MILANO CORTINA 2026 is scheduled across venues in Lombardy and the broader northeast Italian region. The Games open on 6 February and conclude on 22 February 2026, featuring traditional winter sports from alpine and freestyle skiing to skating and ice hockey.

Competition schedule examples

Organisers have published detailed daily schedules that show a dense programme of events and varied start times. Figure examples from the schedule include skating team event free skates slated for approximately 1:30–5:00 p.m. Ice hockey sessions appear across morning and afternoon windows: some men’s and women’s round-robin games start at 8:05 a.m., with many others at 1:05 p.m. Notable listed matchups across the round-robin phase include pairings such as Estonia–Norway, Sweden–Italy, Canada–Sweden, Great Britain–Switzerland and USA–Estonia; later stages list men’s semifinals and bronze-medal games in afternoon slots around 1:05 p.m.

Skiing and freestyle highlights

Skiing events show early-morning and afternoon scheduling. For example, women’s ski cross qualifying is scheduled around 4:00 a.m. with a final near 6:00 a.m., while mixed team aerials are shown around 4:45 a.m. Men’s and women’s halfpipe finals are listed in afternoon windows near 1:30 p.m. These timings reflect both mountain-venue conditions and a need to accommodate international broadcast windows.

Conclusion: Significance and outlook

Milan Cortina 2026 promises a concentrated fortnight of winter sport that will test athletes across arenas and mountains alike. For spectators and broadcasters the varied schedule—with morning mountain events and afternoon arena sessions—will provide continuous coverage and global interest. As Italy prepares to host the winter olympics for a third time, organisers and fans will be watching logistics, weather and athlete form closely in the lead-up to the Games, which are set to be a major sporting and cultural moment in February 2026.