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ITALY – MILANO-CORTINA 2026: A GREAT SUCCESS — OVER 1,300 PERFORMERS AND 500 MUSICIANS FOR THE OPENING CEREMONY CREATED BY MARCO BALICH, ENCHANTING 67,000 SPECTATORS AT SAN SIRO AND 9.2 MILLION TV VIEWERS
A widespread Italy, twin cauldrons and an unprecedented organizational machine for an event that showcased national heritage and was described by international media as “memorable, chic, captivating and divine” — “a three-hour love letter to Italy and a call for hope in a troubled world.”
Under the starry Milan sky and among the snowy peaks of the Dolomites, on Friday 6 February Italy opened the XXV Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games with a ceremony destined to enter history.
Titled “Harmony,” the opening show rewrote Olympic protocol, taking place simultaneously across multiple locations and symbolically linking San Siro Stadium in Milan with Piazza Angelo Dibona in Cortina d’Ampezzo, as well as Livigno and Predazzo.
A massive event watched by over 9.2 million viewers on Rai Uno (46.2% share) and enthusiastically welcomed by international media. The Guardian called it “memorable, chic, captivating and divine,” describing it as “a three-hour love letter to Italy and a call for hope in a troubled world.” The BBC praised a “vibrant ceremony across four venues,” while The New York Times highlighted how the show reflected the geographical breadth of the Games. CNN summarized it as “Italian heritage on display.”
A clear success for Giovanni Malagò, President of the Milano-Cortina 2026 Foundation, CEO Andrea Varnier and ceremonies director Maria Laura Iascone — and above all for creative director Marco Balich of Balich Wonder Studio. “We are proud and happy. We gave the world an explosive show,” he said at the end of the event, highlighting the innovative athlete parade across four locations. When asked about directing future ceremonies, Balich — now at his 16th Olympic or Paralympic ceremony — joked: “Maybe that’s enough.”
The show
The ceremony began at 7:15 pm with a pre-show at the Meazza Stadium, hosted by Marco Maccarini and comedian Brenda Lodigiani. At 8:00 pm, a nearly sold-out stadium became a vast technological stage. 67,000 spectators — the highest attendance ever for a Winter Olympics — and visitors from around the world framed a night of colors, flags and sporting unity.
Balich’s narrative followed the theme of harmony between humanity, nature and technology. While futuristic light geometries illuminated the San Siro field, giant screens broadcast live images from Cortina, Livigno and Predazzo, symbolically embracing the entire country as one stage.
Italian President Sergio Mattarella appeared in a widely praised video: filmed as a mysterious passenger on a Milan tram, he eventually revealed himself and greeted the driver — MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi — at the San Siro terminus.
The ceremony opened with a ballet performance by La Scala principal dancers Claudio Coviello and Antonella Albano performing Amore e Psiche, accompanied by La Scala’s corps de ballet, with Canova’s sculptures brought to life through choreography.
Actress Matilda De Angelis then “conducted” the show with a baton, surrounded by performers wearing masks of composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini. The stadium field transformed into a living canvas with surreal imagery: Roman busts, moka coffee makers and vibrant costumes — symbols of Italian creativity. A tribute to Raffaella Carrà featured a golden-clad dancer with her iconic hairstyle.
Music marked the emotional highlights: Mariah Carey surprised audiences by singing Nel blu dipinto di blu in Italian. A tricolor fashion parade featuring Giorgio Armani culminated in the presentation of the Italian flag by model Vittoria Ceretti, followed by Laura Pausini singing the national anthem.
Milan meets Cortina
In choreography by Adriano Bolognino, two groups — City and Mountain — performed with 180 dancers and aerialists, representing the dialogue between nature and modernity. Two luminous rings rose into the air and merged into the Olympic emblem, symbolizing global unity.
The athletes’ parade — central to the opening ceremony — was also distributed across Milan, Livigno, Predazzo and Cortina, with delegations marching near their competition venues. As tradition dictates, Greece opened the parade and Italy closed it, with 92 delegations announced in three languages.
Actress Sabrina Impacciatore narrated 100 years of Winter Olympics in musical form, while Andrea Bocelli performed Nessun dorma. Pierfrancesco Favino recited Leopardi’s L’Infinito, and singer Ghali read Gianni Rodari’s poem Promemoria in Italian, French and English as dancers formed a dove symbolizing peace. UN peace ambassador Charlize Theron also delivered a message of hope inspired by Nelson Mandela.
The Olympic flame
The Olympic flag entered accompanied by pianist Lang Lang and soprano Cecilia Bartoli with the La Scala children’s choir. The most solemn moment followed: the arrival of the flame and the lighting of the “Twin Suns.”
In Milan, at the Arco della Pace, Enrico Fabris passed the torch to ski legends Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni, who lit the city cauldron. Simultaneously in Cortina, Sofia Goggia lit the second cauldron after receiving the flame from Gustavo Thoeni.
The twin cauldrons, inspired by Italian design and Leonardo da Vinci’s geometric studies, were dynamic structures featuring 4.5 tons of metal, 1,440 connectors and 1,000 meters of LED lighting. They were created in partnership with Fincantieri and designed by Marco Balich with Lida Castelli and Paolo Fantin.
The production machine
The ceremony involved a top-level creative team led by Marco Balich with Simone Ferrari, Damiano Michieletto, Lida Castelli, Lulu Helbaek, Paolo Fantin, Andrea Farri and Massimo Cantini Parrini.
More than 1,300 cast members from 27 countries participated, supported by over 950 crew members. The music involved more than 500 musicians and over 700 rehearsal hours across multiple cities. Costume production alone included 182 original designs, 1,400 costumes, 1,500 pairs of shoes and 7,500 meters of fabric, with 110 makeup artists and 70 hairstylists.
San Siro was transformed into a modular performance platform with LED surfaces, immersive audio and dynamic scenography, all integrated with strict safety requirements. Logistics were managed through advanced supply-chain systems, favoring prefabrication, local suppliers and sustainable resource use.
A centralized control system coordinated audio, video, lighting, automation and special effects with millimetric precision. The ceremony was designed as a global broadcast production, balancing television storytelling with the live stadium experience.
Sustainability was a key focus, with energy-saving solutions, material reuse and post-event infrastructure legacy planning — making the ceremony itself a laboratory for more responsible event models.
When the final scene ended and both cauldrons ignited simultaneously, Milan-Cortina 2026 presented a choral event where emotion and precision coexisted: not only a spectacular show, but the result of invisible work, expertise and coordination — officially opening sixteen days of Olympic sport, dreams and challenges.