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# The 2026 Winter Olympics have officially begun

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Former ESPN anchor reacts to Olympic fashionwear ahead of opening ceremony
03:19 • Source: CNN
Former ESPN anchor reacts to Olympic fashionwear ahead of opening ceremony
03:19
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## What we covered

• Let the games begin: Italian President Sergio Mattarella declared the 2026 Winter Olympics open. Two cauldrons — one in Milan and one in Cortina — have been lit, marking a first in the Winter Games’ history.

• Italian heritage on display: The opening ceremony paid tribute to Italy’s rich history art and culture. Mariah Carey performed “Volare,” the Italian song from 1985, while Andrea Bocelli sang “Nessun Dorma” from Italian composer Giacomo Puccini’s “Turandot.”

• Parade of Athletes: Competing teams walked through the Olympics sites . The crowd erupted in cheers for Team USA . Ukraine received emotional cheering , while Israel received boos .

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Our live coverage of the Winter Olympics has moved here.

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## The Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics officially begin

From CNN's Frank Nunns O'Connell
Torchbearers Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba light the Olympic cauldron during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Piazza Dibona on Friday in Milan.
Lars Baron/Getty Images

And with that, the 2026 Winter Olympics have officially begun!

A three-and-a-half-hour celebration involving singing, dancing and all sorts of Winter Games references was wrapped with the lighting of the flames in Cortina d’Ampezzo and Milan followed by a flurry of beautiful fireworks, truly capping off a grand stand opening night.

We met all the athletes set to compete in this year’s Games as well as an array of talented Italian singers, dancers and even two stouts, who are our mascots for Milan Cortina.

There is no better way to open the Winter Olympics. Let the Games begin!

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## Twin cauldrons lit as Olympic flame ends 63-day journey

From CNN's Mia Fishman
A firework display is seen at the Arco della Pace after the lighting of the Olympic cauldron on Friday in Milan.
Jamie Squire/Getty Images

The two cauldrons of Milan-Cortina 2026 have been lit!

In a historic fashion, the ceremonial flame was ignited and will be extinguished in two different cities at the exact same time. Located in Milan at the Arco della Pace and in Cortina d’Ampezzo in Piazza Dibona, the cauldrons serve as the symbolic hub in each co-host city and are inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s famous geometric interlace.

However, this isn’t the first Olympic flame to settle in Cortina. An Olympic cauldron was lit 70 years ago in the Italian village to kick off the 1956 Winter Games.

The lighting of the cauldrons marks the end of the Olympic flame’s epic 63-day journey across Italy, spanning over 12,000 kilometers through 60 cities and 110 provinces.

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## Olympic torch enters San Siro to a spine-tingling performance from Andrea Bocelli

From CNN's Mia Fishman
Torchbearers carry the Olympic torch.
Yara Nardi/Reuters
Actress and UN Peace Ambassador Charlize Theron speaks during the opening ceremony.
Mike Segar/Reuters
Italian tenor singer Andrea Bocelli performs at the San Siro stadium.
Alexander Nemenov/AFP/Getty Images
Ghali performs Promemoria (Memorandum) by Gianni Rodari.
Matthias Hangst/Getty Images

The Olympic torch entered San Siro to the sound of Italian opera great Andrea Bocelli and the Orchestra Filarmonica Italiana.

A goosebump-inducing performance flowed tonight’s opening ceremony into the Dove of Peace act followed by the entrance of the Olympic flag.

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## Italian legends carry Olympic flag in Cortina

From CNN's Mia Fishman
Members of Italian Army's Alpini corps (L) raise the Olympic flag handed to them by Italian former cross-country skier Franco Nones (2nd R) and Italian speed skater Martina Valcepina (R) in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Odd Andersen/AFP/Getty Images

Franco Nones and Martina Valcepina were the athlete representatives entrusted with carrying the Olympic flag on Friday night in Cortina.

Nones, the first Italian cross-country skiing Olympic champion, won gold in the 30 km race at the 1968 Grenoble Winter Games and 16 national titles of the course of his career.

Valcepina is a current member of the Italian national short track speed skating team and a three-time Olympic medalist.

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## President Mattarella announces the Games officially open

From CNN's Frank Nunns O'Connell
Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy, gives a speech during the opening ceremony.
Sarah Stier/Getty Images

After addresses from both IOC president Kirsty Coventry and president of the Olympic organizing committee Giovanni Malago – touching on the excitement for the games and what to expect across Milan Cortina – up steps Italian President Sergio Mattarella.

With the spotlight on him, he announces the Games officially open, which is met by a raucous cheer from the Milan crowd.

A general view of the Olympic rings from behind Laura Mattarella, First Lady of Italy, Sergio Mattarella, President of Italy, and Kirsty Coventry, President of the IOC.
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
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## What are stoats?

From CNN's Frank Nunns O'Connell
Tina and Milo, Olympics and Paralympics mascots, dance before the Olympic opening ceremony on Friday.
Ben Curtis/AP

The official mascots of 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are two “cheerful stoats” named Tina and Milo, according to organizers.

Few will actually know what a stoat is, but don’t fear, we have you covered – because we didn’t know ourselves until a couple hours ago.

The weasel-like creatures are small animals found in the northern hesmisphere, known for their distinctive black-tipped tails and slender builds.

But don’t be fooled by the slim cuteness, these animals operate by themselves and are known for being territorial. They are even predators to some unfortunate rodents out in the wild.

We can assure you, though, that Tina and Milo are both fun and friendly.

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## Applause for Ukraine as emotions run high

From CNN's Mia Fishman
Flag bearer Yelyzaveta Sydorko of Ukraine leads her contingent in the parade of athletes.
Alessandro Garofalo/Reuters

Milan’s San Siro Stadium erupted in emotional cheers as Ukraine entered the Parade of Athletes, proudly waving their flag at tonight’s opening ceremony.

Flag bearer Vladyslav Heraskevych has been vocal about the ongoing violence in his country since the beginning, displaying a “No War in Ukraine” banner on the international stage four years ago during the last Winter Games.

Russian troops invaded Ukraine just four days after the Beijing 2022 closing ceremony.

CNN spoke to flag bearer Heraskevych earlier. See what he said:

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CNN interviews Ukraine's flag bearer for Winter Olympics

CNN's Amanda Davies talks to Ukraine’s flag bearer for the Winter Olympics, Vladyslav Heraskevych, about why he doesn’t want the world to forget about the war during the Games.

01:14 • Source: CNN
CNN interviews Ukraine's flag bearer for Winter Olympics
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## The hosts have joined the show!

From CNN's Frank Nunns O'Connell
Flagbearers Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino of Team Italy walk in the parade at San Siro Stadium.
Maja Hitij/Getty Images

And finally, the moment we’ve waited almost all night for as Italy’s teams across Milan and Cortina take the spotlight.

Led by flag bearers Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino in Milan as well as Amos Mosaner and Federica Brignone in Cortina, the Italians stroll out to an amped-up version of “Largo al factotum.’

As you would’ve guessed that was by far the biggest cheer of the night, and maybe the loudest to grace Italy in a long time.

There will be high pressure and the a lot noise around the host nation, but you wouldn’t know it right now with the energy of the Italian athletes.

Italy's flag bearers Amos Mosaner and Federica Brignone parade with members of the delegation during the opening ceremony in Cortina d'Ampezzo on Friday.
Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images
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## Meet Team USA's flag bearers at the Winter Olympics

From CNN's Mia Fishman
Team United States enters the stadium during the opening ceremony.
Petr David Josek/AP

Frank Del Duca and Erin Jackson are carrying the American flag at tonight’s opening ceremony for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.

Del Duca, 34, is the first bobsledder to carry the flag at an opening ceremony in 70 years. A sergeant in the Army, Del Duca will compete in the two-man and four-man bobsled beginning on February 16.

Jackson, 33, made history in Beijing 2022 as the first Black woman to win an individual gold medal at a Winter Olympics. She will be the eighth speedskater to carry the United States’ colors on opening night.

“ It’s a big honor,” Jackson said. “I’m super grateful. The moment I found out, I was actually at practice with my team, which was really cool. Our coach sat us down on the edge of the ice and announced it. It was just a really cool moment.”

Jackson will compete in the women’s 1000m and 500m speed skating events on Sunday and February 15, respectively.

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## Team USA has arrived!

From CNN's Aditi Sangal
Athletes of Team United States walk in the parade during the opening ceremony.
David Ramos/Getty Images

Team USA is now parading at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy.

Team USA speed skater Erin Jackson shares the flag-bearing duties with bobsledder Frank del Duca after being selected through a vote by her fellow athletes.

US Vice President JD Vance and his wife Usha Vance are at the stadium, cheering and applauding for their nation’s athletes. The NBC broadcast also showed the flag bearers’ families cheering at home.

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## The United Arab Emirates makes Olympic debut

From CNN's Mia Fishman
Flagbearer Piera Hudson of Team United Arab Emirates enters the stadium during the opening ceremony at Piazza Dibona on Friday in Cortina d'Ampezzo.
Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Europe/Getty Images

The United Arab Emirates (UAE) made its historic Olympic Winter Games debut tonight during the 2026 Milan-Cortina opening ceremony.

The flag and country are being represented by Alexander Astridge, 19, and Piera Hudson, 29, a pair of alpine skiers.

The UAE, known for its particularly dry and desert-like climate, had only fielded athletes at the Winter Youth Olympic Games before this year’s Games.

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## Israel's athletes booed during opening ceremony in San Siro

From CNN's Ben Church in Milan
Athletes of Israel during the opening ceremony.
Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters

Politics is never far from sport and that was demonstrated by the Israeli athletes being roundly booed by those inside the San Siro when they walked onto stage.

The loudest jeers of the night by quite some way.

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## In pictures: The opening ceremony in Milan

From CNN's Photo Desk

The Winter Olympics are back, and the party is underway in Italy with a star-studded opening ceremony that includes American singer Mariah Carey and Italian actors Pierfrancesco Favino and Matilda De Angelis.

The main ceremony is being held at the famed San Siro stadium in Milan, but there are satellite events in other cities as well because this is the most spread-out Olympic Games in history.

See the best photos from the opening ceremony here .

The Olympic rings come together as a fireworks display is seen during the opening ceremony at San Siro Stadium on Friday.
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
Cupid (Claudio Coviello) & Psyche (Antonella Albano) perform a tribute to Italian beauty during the opening ceremony.
Sarah Stier/Getty Images
Vittoria Ceretti, flagbearer for Milan, carries the Italian flag.
Elsa/Getty Images
Mariah Carey performs during the opening ceremony.
Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
Dancers perform during the opening ceremony.
Zhao Zhao/AFP/Getty Images
Singer Laura Pausini performs the Italian national anthem.
Fabrizio Bensch/Reuters
Performers during the ceremony.
Yves Herman/Reuters
Performers in the air below Olympic rings.
Geoff Burke/Imagn Images/Reuters
Performers during the opening ceremony.
Katie Stratman/Imagn Images/Reuters
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## Team GB flag bearers knitted in Olympic heritage

From CNN's Frank Nunns O'Connell
Flag bearer Lilah Fear of Britain leads her contingent in the parade of athletes during the opening ceremony.
Claudia Greco/Reuters

As Team Great Britain’s 53 athletes are given the spotlight, so is some Olympic heritage!

The flag bearers are donning scarfs knitted by Olympic diver Tom Daley, quite the connection.

Team GB will be hoping to channel some of Daley’s success in these Games, something he had a lot of across his Olympic career.

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## Benin sends first athlete to Winter Olympics

From CNN's Nina Giraldo

Nathan Tchibozo, 21, is the first athlete to represent the West African country in the winter Olympics.

The alpine skier, originally born in France, is one of 15 athletes from eight countries in Africa that will compete in this year’s Olympic games.

> > View this post on Instagram

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## CNN's live location getting plenty of action on the night of opening ceremony

From CNN's Aleks Klosok and Amanda Davies in Milan

You can tell it’s Winter Olympics opening ceremony day with the requests from the network coming in thick and fast to Amanda Davies at our live position in Milan.

CNN's Amanda Davies reports from Milan during the opening ceremony Friday.
Aleks Klosok/CNN

From the excitement around the Opening Ceremony grand spectacle to Lindsey Vonn’s success﻿ful downhill training run in Cortina, it’s been non-stop since this morning.

And the night is still young as we prepare to burn the midnight oil!

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## Snoop Dogg is in the Winter Games mood

From CNN's Frank Nunns O'Connell and Mia Fishman
US rapper Snoop Dogg blows a kiss as he arrives for the opening ceremony in Cortina d'Ampezzo, on Friday.
Franck Fife/AFP/Getty Images

Snoop Dogg has had a busy few days in Milan ahead of the 25th Winter Olympic Games, beginning with curling, the Olympic torch relay, figure skating training and now, the opening ceremony.

Snoop, who was appointed as Team USA’s first-ever Honorary Captain in December, walked the ceremony stage alongside the Jamaican bobsled team.

Resembling the iconic team Jamaican team that competed at the 1988 edition of the Games and inspired the 1993 movie “Cool Runnings,” the 2026 group will be looking to follow in the footsteps of immense cultural influence.

One of the highlights of the athletes parade and certainly a story to keep an eye on as the Games unfold over the coming weeks.

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## Ballet opening honors Italy's rich history in dance

From CNN's Nina Giraldo
A general view as dancers from the Accademia del Teatro alla Scala perform during the opening ceremony.
Matthew Stockman/Getty Images

Dancers from La Scala, the historic Italian theatre that opened almost 250 years ago , opened the Olympic ceremony wearing white costumes.

Ballet began in the 15th and 16th centuries in the Italian renaissance courts. La Scala’s ballet company has thrived as one of the world’s most prestigious dance companies since the theatre was founded centuries ago.

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## The Parade of Athletes is underway

From CNN's Mia Fishman
The Argentina contingent in the athletes parade during the opening ceremony.
Dylan Martinez/Reuters

The 2026 Milan-Cortina Parade of Athletes is underway.

Unique when compared to previous opening ceremonies, athletes are parading in the sites closest to where they will compete.

Greece kicked things off and Italy, the host country, will conclude the multi-city precession.

The United States Olympic squad, led by flagbearers Frank Del Duca and Erin Jackson, will debut following Venezuela.

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