Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games: Dates, schedule, venues and stars to watch including Mikaela Shiffrin, Eileen Gu, Chloe Kim

Milano Cortina 2026 will bring together the ice of Milan and the snow of the Dolomites and the Italian Alps. From San Siro hosting the opening ceremony to the ancient Arena di Verona closing the show, this is a Games blending past and future like no other. So when are the Winter Olympics? What are the different clusters? What is the schedule? And who are the big stars set to compete?

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In February, the world's winter sports spotlight will turn to northern Italy, where the XXV Olympic Winter Games - Milano Cortina 2026 - will take centre stage, live on TNT Sports and discovery+.

Italy will host the Winter Olympics for a third time - after Cortina in 1956 and Turin in 2006 - but Milano Cortina 2026 is uniquely ambitious: it is the first edition to truly operate as a multi-territory event, with clusters in Milan, Cortina and beyond.

Milan will host the majority of ice sports - figure skating, ice hockey, short track and speed skating - while the Dolomites and Italian Alps will carry the snow events, including alpine skiing, cross-country and the debut of ski mountaineering.

Olympic Games Milano Cortina 2026

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Over 3,500 athletes will take part in 116 medal events across 16 disciplines, competing for the 195 medals on offer.

And in a nod to gender parity, women's large hill ski jumping and doubles luge join the programme for the first time.

The Olympic torch begins its relay in late 2025, traversing some 12,000 kilometres across Italian provinces before arriving at San Siro for the opening ceremony.

So when are the Games? What are the different clusters? And who are the stars set to grab the headlines in Italy?

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When are the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games?

The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games take place from Friday, February 6 to Sunday, February 22.

However, the Games technically begin on Wednesday, February 4 with the curling mixed doubles round-robin, while there are also women's ice hockey preliminaries and men's snowboard big air qualification before the opening ceremony.

When is the opening ceremony at Milano Cortina 2026?

The opening ceremony for Milano Cortina 2026 will take place on Friday, February 6 at San Siro.

The closing ceremony will take place on Sunday, February 22 at Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheatre dating back some 2,000 years.

What are the different clusters at Milano Cortina 2026?

In a break from tradition, Milano Cortina is spread across clusters - geographical groupings of venues.

Each cluster will host certain sports, often grouped by similarity (ice sports together, snow sports in mountain zones, etc.).

It takes five hours to drive between the two headline clusters - Milan and Cortina.

Milan

Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium: Opening ceremony
Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena: Ice hockey (men)
Milano Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena: Ice hockey (women)
Milano Speed Skating Stadium: Speed skating
Milano Ice Skating Arena (Assago): Figure skating, short track speed skating

Cortina

Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium: Curling
Cortina Sliding Centre: Bobsleigh, luge, skeleton
Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre: Alpine skiing (women)
Anterselva Biathlon Arena (Antholz): Biathlon

Valtellina

Livigno Snow Park: Freestyle skiing (slopestyle, big air), snowboard (slopestyle, big air)
Livigno Aerials & Moguls Park: Freestyle skiing
Livigno Ski Mountaineering Venue (Mottolino / Carosello 3000): (Ski mountaineering)
Stelvio Ski Centre (Bormio): Alpine skiing (men), ski mountaineering

Val di Fiemme

Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium: Nordic combined, ski jumping,
Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium: Cross-country skiing, Nordic combined

Verona

Verona Olympic Arena: Closing ceremony

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Who will be the biggest stars at Milano Cortina 2026?

Eileen Gu (China, freestyle skiing): Gu is already a tour de force. In her Olympic debut at Beijing 2022, she won gold in big air and halfpipe, plus silver in slopestyle - making history in the process. She has since become one of the biggest stars in winter sports.

Mikaela Shiffrin (United States, Alpine skiing): The most decorated alpine skier in history. She has returned to the top of the sport after leaving a difficult Beijing Olympics empty-handed. She has two Olympic gold medals and will be a big favourite to add to them.

Lindsey Vonn (United States, Alpine skiing): Already a legend, Vonn is set to return to the Olympics for the first time since coming out of retirement. Now 41, she is targeting a second Olympic title, having first topped the podium in the downhill at Vancouver 2010.

Chloe Kim (United States, snowboarding): Kim is the biggest draw in the halfpipe. She's gunning for a third consecutive Olympic title - no snowboarder, in any discipline, has ever done that.

Ilia Malinin (United States, figure skating): The first man to land the mythical quad axel is now shooting for a first Olympic crown. After winning the last two world titles, he will be a big favourite in the singles.

Sofia Goggia (Italy, Alpine skiing): Goggia will carry home hopes on the slopes in the downhill and super-G. She won the downhill title at Pyeongchang 2018, then silver four years later in Beijing. Can she win again when it matters most?

Suzanne Schulting (Netherlands, short track speed skating): Schulting already proved she’s a force in 2022, collecting four medals in Beijing. She’s fast, cunning in strategy, and often performs when it counts. In 2026, expect her to push for gold in multiple distances and anchor relay teams.

NHL stars (ice hockey): One of the biggest subplots of Milano Cortina is the return of NHL players to the Olympics for the first time since Sochi 2014. That means we could be set for another spicy showdown between Canada and the United States.

Milano Cortina 2026 schedule

Wednesday, February 4

Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin

Thursday, February 5

Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin
Ice hockey: Women's prelims
Snowboard: Men's big air qualification

Friday, February 6

Ceremony: Opening ceremony
Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin
Figure skating: Team event (ice dance rhythm, pairs short program, women's short program)
Ice hockey: Women's prelims

Saturday, February 7

Alpine skiing: Men's downhill
Cross-Country skiing: Women's 10km + 10km skiathlon
Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin
Figure skating: Team event (men's short program, ice dance free)
Freestyle skiing: Women's slopestyle qualification
Ice hockey: Women's prelims
Luge: Men's singles run 1 & 2
Ski jumping: Women's individual normal hill
Snowboard: Men's big air final
Speed skating: Women's 3000m

Sunday, February 8

Alpine skiing: Women's downhill
Biathlon: Mixed relay 4x6km
Cross-country skiing: Men's 10km + 10km skiathlon
Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin
Figure skating: Team event (pairs free skating, women's free skating, men's free skating)
Ice hockey: Women's prelims
Luge: Men's singles run 3 & 4
Snowboard: Men's and women's parallel giant slalom qualification and final
Snowboard: Women's big air qualification
Speed skating: Men's 5000 m

Monday, February 9

Alpine skiing: Men's team combined (downhill & slalom)
Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin and semi-final
Figure skating: Ice dance (rhythm dance)
Freestyle skiing: Women's slopestyle final
Ice hockey: Women's prelims
Luge: Women's singles run 1 & 2
Ski jumping: Men's individual normal hill
Snowboard: Women's big air final
Speed skating: Women's 1500 m

Tuesday, February 10

Alpine skiing: Women's team combined (downhill & slalom)
Biathlon: Men's 20km individual
Cross-country skiing: Men's and women's sprint classic (qualification and finals)
Curling: Mixed doubles bronze and gold medal matches
Figure skating: Men's short program
Freestyle skiing: Men's slopestyle final, men's and women's moguls qualification
Ice hockey: Women's prelims
Luge: Women's singles run 3 & 4
Short track: Women's 500m qualification, men's 1000m qualification, mixed relay qualification and finals
Ski jumping: Mixed team

Wednesday, February 11

Alpine skiing: Men's super-G
Biathlon: Women's 15km individual
Curling: Men's round-robin
Figure skating: Ice dance (free dance)
Freestyle skiing: Women's moguls qualification and final
Ice hockey: Men's prelims
Luge: Men's/women's doubles run 1 & 2
Men's individual gundersen normal hill (event 1), men's individual 10km (event 2)
Snowboard: Men's and women's halfpipe qualification
Speed skating: Men's 1000m

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Thursday, February 12

Alpine skiing: Women's super-G
Cross-country skiing: Women's 10km interval
Curling: Men's and women's round-robin
Freestyle skiing: Men's moguls qualification and final
Ice hockey: Men's prelims
Short track: Women's 500m, men's 1000m
Skeleton: Men's heat 1 & 2
Snowboard: Men's snowboard cross qualification and final
Snowboard: Women's halfpipe final
Speed skating: Women's 5000m

Friday, February 13

Biathlon: Men's 10km sprint
Cross-country skiing: Men's 10km interval start free
Curling: Men's and women's round-robin
Figure skating: Men's free skating
Ice hockey: Men's prelims, women's quarter-finals
Skeleton: Women's heat 1 & 2, men's heat 3 & 4
Snowboard: Men's halfpipe final
Snowboard: Women's snowboard cross qualification and final
Speed skating: Men's 10000 m

Saturday, February 14

Alpine skiing: Men's giant slalom
Biathlon: Women's 7.5km sprint
Cross-country skiing: Women's 4x7.5km relay
Curling: Men's and women's round-robin
Freestyle skiing: Women's big air qualification, women's dual moguls final
Ice hockey: Men's prelims, women's quarter-finals
Skeleton: Women's heat 3 & 4
Ski jumping: Men's large hill individual
Short track: Women's 1000m qualification, Women's 3000m relay semi-final, men's 1500m qualification and final
Speed skating: Men's 500m final, Women's team pursuit qualification

Sunday, February 15

Alpine skiing: Women's slalom
Biathlon: Men's 12.5km pursuit, women's 10km pursuit
Bobsleigh: Women's monobob heat 1 & 2
Cross-country skiing: Men's 4x7.5km relay
Curling: Men's and women's round-robin
Figure skating: Pairs short program
Freestyle skiing: Men's big air qualification, men's dual moguls final
Ice hockey: Men's prelims
Skeleton: Mixed team
Ski jumping: Women's large hill individual
Snowboard: Mixed team snowboard cross qualification and final
Speed skating: Men's team pursuit qualification, women's 500m final

Monday, February 16

Alpine skiing: Men's slalom
Bobsleigh: Men's two-man heat 1 & 2, women's monobob heat 3 & 4
Curling: Men's and women's round-robin
Figure skating: Pairs free skating
Freestyle skiing: Women's big air final
Ice hockey: Women's semi-finals
Short track: Men's 500m qualification, women's 1000m qualification and final, men's 5000m relay semi-finals
Ski jumping: Men's super team
Snowboard: Men's and women's slopestyle qualification

Tuesday, February 17

Bobsleigh: Men's two-man heat 3 & 4
Biathlon: Men's 4x7.5km relay
Curling: Men's and women's round-robin
Figure skating: Women's short program
Freestyle skiing: Men's and women's aerials qualification, men's big air final
Ice hockey: Men's qualification play-offs
Nordic combined: Men's individual gundersen large hill (event 1), men's individual 10km (event 2)
Snowboard: Women's slopestyle final
Speed skating: Men's and women's team pursuit finals

Wednesday, February 18

Alpine skiing: Women's giant slalom (run 1 & 2)
Biathlon: Women's 4x6km relay
Cross-country skiing: Men's/women's team sprint free
Curling: Men's and women's round-robin
Freestyle skiing: Women's aerials finals
Ice hockey: Men's quarter-finals
Short track: Men's 500m final, women's 3000m final
Snowboard: Men's slopestyle final

Thursday, February 19

Curling: Men's and women's round-robin, men's semi-finals
Figure skating: Women's free skating
Freestyle skiing: Men's aerials finals, men's and women's halfpipe qualification
Ice hockey: Women's bronze and gold medal matches
Nordic combined: Men's team sprint large hill (event 1), men's team sprint 2x7.5km (event 2)
Ski mountaineering: Men's and women's sprint heats and finals
Speed skating: Women's 1000m

Friday, February 20

Biathlon: Men's 15km mass start
Bobsleigh: Two-woman heat 1 & 2
Curling: Men's bronze medal, women's semi-finals
Freestyle skiing: Men's halfpipe final, women's ski cross qualification and final
Ice hockey: Men's semi-finals
Short track: Women's 1500m final, men's 5000m relay final
Speed skating: Men's 1500m

Saturday, February 21

Biathlon: Women's 12.5km mass start
Bobsleigh: Four-man heat 1 & 2
Bobsleigh: Two-woman heat 3 & 4
Cross-country skiing: Men's 50km mass start classic
Curling: Men's gold medal match, women's bronze medal match
Figure skating: Exhibition gala
Freestyle skiing: Men's ski cross qualification and final, mixed team aerials finals, women's halfpipe final
Ice hockey: Men's bronze medal match
Ski mountaineering: Mixed relay final
Speed skating: Men's and women's mass start

Sunday, February 22

Ceremony: Closing ceremony
Bobsleigh: Four-man heat 3 & 4
Cross-country skiing: Women's 50km mass start classic
Curling: Women's gold medal match
Ice hockey: Men's gold medal match

- - -

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