The countdown to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games has officially begun with the Olympic flame-lighting ceremony scheduled for Wednesday, November 26, 2025, in Ancient Olympia, Greece.
The ceremony will take place at 11:00 CET, marking the start of the Olympic Torch Relay that will traverse through Italy ahead of the Opening Ceremony on February 6, 2026, in Milan.
Following the flame-lighting ceremony, the Olympic flame will be carried through Greece before arriving in Athens for the Handover Ceremony with a delegation from the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee at the Panathenaic Stadium on Thursday, December 4, 2025. After the Handover Ceremony, the flame will travel to Rome, marking the beginning of its journey across Italy.
The Olympic Torch Relay, entitled “The Greatest Journey” by the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, will see 10,001 torchbearers carry the flame over a period of 63 days, traveling 12,000 kilometers throughout Italy. The relay will visit all 20 regions, 110 provinces, and 300 municipalities, connecting communities and celebrating the Italian spirit in the build-up to the Games.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games are scheduled to take place from February 6 to 22, 2026, with the Opening Ceremony at San Siro in Milan. The games will feature 116 medal events in 16 disciplines, and will be hosted across six northern Italian areas: Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Anterselva, Val di Fiemme, Valtellina, and Verona.