What Time the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Begins

From the Parade of Nations to the lighting of two cauldrons and a performance by Mariah Carey, the Opening Ceremony of the XXV Winter Olympic Games will take place across multiple locations, with the main action at Milan's San Siro Stadium and satellite events throughout the city.

This is the fourth time Italy has hosted the Olympics, after the 1956 Winter Games in Cortina, the 1960 Summer Games in Rome and the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. Each of the 2026 locations — Milan and the mountaintop town of Cortina — will have its own cauldron, and the ceremony on February 6 is meant as a symbolic moment of unity among nations.

The Opening Ceremony begins at 2 p.m. ET (8 p.m. local time in Italy) on Friday, February 6, with live coverage on NBC and Peacock. A special presentation of the ceremony will air again at 8 p.m. ET that evening on the same platforms. NBC will send an on-the-ground team to provide commentary, led by Terry Gannon and joined by Olympic snowboarder Shaun White.

Italy, Milan and Cortina