Athletes Parade at Four Sites as Winter Olympics Open in Italy

The Winter Games of Milan–Cortina d’Ampezzo opened with ceremonies at four sites, as athletes paraded in Milan, Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno. Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lit the Olympic cauldron in Milan, while Sofia Goggia lit the flame in Cortina. Greece led the Parade of Nations and Italy closed it; each name‑card carrier wore an expansive silver puffer coat and dark eyeglasses, and the large American team marched immediately after Venezuela, the country whose leader the Trump administration seized in a recent military operation.

Music and pageantry mixed with classical and pop: Mariah Carey sang “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu” in Italian, Andrea Bocelli performed “Nessun Dorma,” and Cecilia Bartoli joined Lang Lang for the Olympic anthem. Giant‑head figures of Verdi, Puccini and Rossini appeared, opera arias accompanied the parade and hundreds of dancers filled the stage.

Italy, Milan, Cortina, Predazzo, Livigno