The Olympic Anthem and When It's Played at the Opening Ceremony

The 2026 Winter Olympics open on February 6 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, and the official Olympic Anthem will be part of the Opening Ceremony. It is distinct from host-country anthems and from modern fanfares, such as the bespoke piece John Williams created for the 1986 Olympics.

The anthem was composed by Spýros Samáaras with lyrics by Greek poet Kostís Palamás ahead of the 1896 Games in Athens. Its inaugural performance took place at the Panathenaic Stadium on April 6, 1896, played by nine philharmonic orchestras and sung by 250 singers, conducted by Samáaras, before 80,000 spectators.

The piece fell out of rotation for roughly 60 years but impressed IOC members at a 1958 planning session and was officially voted back into use, returning as the official Olympic Anthem at the Opening Ceremony of the 1960 Winter Games. Today it is played during the raising of the Olympic flag and again at the end of the Games during the Closing Ceremony.