Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games

Science reports that about 2,900 Olympic athletes have converged on northern Italy for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Games, which are the most geographically dispersed Games in Olympic history. Events are spread across more than 22,000 square kilometers and eight cities or towns.

The decentralized design was intended to control costs and increase sustainability by relying on existing and temporary venues; more than 90 percent of venues are existing or temporary, including facilities refurbished from the 1956 Cortina d’Ampezzo Games. The Operational Land Imager on Landsat 8 and 9 captured images of key venues in Milan and Verona on December 8 and 9, 2025, respectively.

San Siro will host the February 6 opening ceremonies with performances by Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, Lang Lang, and Laura Pausini. Milan will host mostly indoor ice events, and the February 22 closing ceremonies will take place in Verona Arena, an ancient Roman amphitheater that seats about 22,000.

Italy, Milan, Verona, Cortina d'Ampezzo