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ITALY – DARDUST SIGNS THE OFFICIAL SOUNDTRACK OF THE MILANO CORTINA 2026 WINTER OLYMPIC GAMES. LAURA PAUSINI, SABRINA IMPACCIATORE AND PIERFRANCESCO FAVINO TAKE THE STAGE AT THE OPENING CEREMONY IN HIGHLY EMOTIONAL ARTISTIC MOMENTSITALY –
With less than a month to go before the opening on February 6, the event is taking shape through music, art, and sport. A great collective narrative that blends Italian identity with an international outlook.
Dardust is the composer of Fantasia Italiana, the official soundtrack of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. One of the most awarded and influential pianists and producers of his generation, Dario Faini has created a piece that embodies the Italian spirit in a contemporary key, merging tradition and innovation in a sonic rhapsody inspired by the territories that will host the Games, from Milan to Cortina d’Ampezzo.
After bringing his music to international stages such as the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star Game, and collaborating with artists of the caliber of Stromae, Lana Del Rey, and Dua Lipa, Dardust remains true to his style on this occasion as well: unconventional atmospheres, a refined balance between piano and electronics, and tributes to the great Italian musical tradition—from Morricone to Moroder, from the energy of Salento’s pizzica to Alpine choral traditions, evoking echoes of Rossini and Verdi.
“Working on the Anthem was an enormous responsibility,” Dardust said. “I wanted to respect its power while updating the sound with a contemporary light. The goal was to leave a lasting emotion, a note capable of bringing back to mind a departure, a victory, an applause.”
The announcement of the soundtrack is part of the lead-up to Milano Cortina 2026, an international-scale project that brings together sport, culture, and creativity. The Opening Ceremony, scheduled for February 6, 2026, at San Siro Stadium in Milan and produced by Balich Wonder Studio, is shaping up to be a show destined to enter Olympic history.
Among the most anticipated moments is the participation of Laura Pausini, the special guest of the opening night. The only Italian artist to have won a Grammy Award, five Latin Grammys, a Golden Globe, and to have received an Academy Award nomination, Pausini embodies the concept of Harmony, a central element of the Ceremony. Her performance will be a highly iconic moment of strong emotional impact, an authentic expression of Italian identity and of the dialogue between tradition and contemporaneity.
Joining her on the Olympic stage will also be Sabrina Impacciatore and Pierfrancesco Favino. The actress will bring an intense and charismatic stage presence, while Favino will perform a text of strong evocative value dedicated to the harmony of the territories and the dialogue between city and mountains, accompanied by original music by violinist Giovanni Zanon.
The President of the Lombardy Region, Attilio Fontana, emphasized the historical importance of the event: “We strongly wanted the Olympics in Lombardy. It will be the first truly distributed Olympics, respectful of the territories and with venues designed to be reused. Now everything is ready.” Fontana also highlighted the symbolic value of the Olympic Flame relay, which will cross numerous Italian locations before arriving in Milan on February 5.
Meanwhile, anticipation among the public continues to grow. According to the Ipsos Doxa Observatory, awareness of the Games has reached 73% of Italians, while the intention to follow the competitions rises to 72% for the Olympics and 63% for the Paralympics. There is also strong interest in the Olympic Flame relay, a symbolic event capable of engaging and promoting the territories it passes through.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games will take place from February 6 to 22, 2026, followed by the Paralympic Games from March 6 to 15. Competitions will span an area of over 22,000 square kilometers, with venues in Milan, Verona, Cortina d’Ampezzo, as well as Bormio, Livigno, Predazzo, Tesero, and Anterselva.
With Dardust’s music, the voices and faces most representative of Italian talent, and a ceremony conceived as a great collective narrative, Milano Cortina 2026 is preparing to show the world the country’s cultural identity, celebrating sport as a universal language capable of bringing people together.