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The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 are almost ready to give a hearty “ciao” to the world. The Opening Ceremony is taking place on February 6, beginning at 2 p.m. ET. The big news is that the 2026 ceremony will be the first Opening Ceremony in the Olympics’ history to have two separate Olympic cauldrons — one in Milan at Arco della Pace, and one in Cortina d’Ampezzo. With the theme “harmony,” the ceremony will take place in multiple towns across Italy, which will in turn host various sports once the Games begin. Plus, there will be performances from Italian (and some not so Italian) celebrities.
Below, find the full lineup of performers.
Mariah Carey
The first performer that the Olympics confirmed was American pop star Mariah Carey. Carey has not ever performed at the Olympics before, but her song “100%” was used as one of the theme songs for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver. “Mariah Carey fully represents the emotional atmosphere that accompanies the run-up to the Games,” the Olympic committee said to explain its decision. “Music is a universal language that attracts different stories and sensibilities, and intertwines with the opening ceremony’s theme of harmony.”
Andrea Bocelli
The iconic Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform at the Olympics for the second time. His first time was in 2006, which was the last time Italy hosted the Olympics for the Torino Winter Games, and he sang at the Closing Ceremony.
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Laura Pausini
Laura Pausini is a beloved singer-songwriter who has been an Italian icon since her 1993 debut single “La solitudine.” She was the first Italian woman to win a Grammy Award and was nominated for an Oscar for her song “Io sì (Seen),” from the Italian film The Life Ahead in 2021.
Sabrina Impacciatore
Actress Sabrina Impacciatore, whom Americans know from The White Lotus and The Paper, will appear. A non-singer, she will instead be one of the “protagonists” of the Opening Ceremony.
Lang Lang
Lang Lang, the Chinese classical pianist, will also be performing, and he’s not new to this. He was featured during the 2008 Beijing Olympics Opening Ceremony. Then, ahead of the 2012 London Olympics, he carried the Olympic torch through Havering. Fourteen years later, he’s coming home to the Games.
Cecilia Bartoli
The great Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli will perform. She’s a celebrated opera singer who has won a total of five Grammy Awards and the prestigious Polar Music Prize.
Ghali
While most of the musical performers come from classical Italian forms, Tunisian Italian rapper Ghali will also perform. Since 2017, he’s had four top-five albums in Italy and five No. 1 hits. The multilingual performer raps in French, Arabic, and Milanese slang.
