When do the 2026 Winter Olympic Games begin? What you need to know

When do the 2026 Winter Olympic Games begin? And how can you tune in?

The XXV Olympic Winter Games, known as Milano Cortina, are officially Friday, Feb. 6, through Sunday, Feb. 22, with opening ceremony on Feb. 6. (There will be some preliminary Olympic competition held before the opening ceremony, beginning with curling on Feb. 4, the online schedule said.)

But it means the Feb. 6-8 weekend will offer a serious sports menu: The National Football League Super Bowl is Sunday, Feb. 8, and Olympic competition will be underway.

Where are the 2026 Winter Olympic Games being held?

Northern Italy’s cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo will host this edition, the 25th winter games.

Where is the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympic Games being held?

The opening ceremony will be at Milan’s San Siro stadium — famed home of two of Italy’s greatest soccer teams, AC Milan and Inter Milan.

The ceremony includes a show in the stadium plus satellite events in Olympic territories, USA TODAY reported. There will be the lighting of the Olympic flame and the parade of nations with athletes from around the world.

Performers slated for the ceremony include Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Andrea Bocelli, and Sabrina Impacciatore of HBO’s “White Lotus.”

General view of the Olympics logo in preparation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.

Will any New York athletes compete in the 2026 Winter Olympic Games?

There will be at least 11 athletes with New York ties competing, from curling and speedskating to women’s ice hockey and luge, USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team reported.

Danny Casper in action at the Ardsley Curling Club Dec. 26, 2025. Casper who grew up around the Ardsley Curling Club, just made the U.S. Curling Team.

Those representing the Lower Hudson Valley are:

Clayton DeClemente, of Poughkeepsie, will compete in speedskating.

Where to watch the 2026 Winter Olympic Games?

Pea c ock will stream live all Olympic events. NBC will offer live daytime and primetime coverage.

The roughly three-hour Feb. 6 opening ceremony starts at 2 p.m. ET., with live coverage on NBC and Peacock and on NBCOlympics.com. A primetime encore broadcast of the ceremony will air at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.

Here are ways to watch the games:

NBCUniversal (NBC, Peacock, USA Network, CNBC).
Cable: NBC, USA Network, and CNBC.
Opening/Closing Ceremony: Live coverage will air Feb. 6, 2026, at 2 p.m. EDT, with a primetime encore at 8 p.m. ET/PT.

Will there be new events at the 2026 Winter Olympic Games?

Yes. Among them are dual moguls (freestyle skiing), a mixed-gender skeleton team event — competitors ride a small sled called a skeleton along a frozen track while lying head first, face down — ski mountaineering, and women’s large hill ski jumping.

When do the 2026 Winter Paralympics begin?

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Paralympics are March 6 through March 15 and feature para alpine skiing, para biathlon, para cross-country skiing, para ice hockey, para snowboard, and wheelchair curling.

Contributing: USA TODAY and USA TODAY Network’s New York Connect Team

This article originally appeared on Rockland/Westchester Journal News: When do the 2026 Winter Olympic Games begin? What you need to know

Source link