Italian president declares 2026 Winter Olympics open, as politics intrudes

MILAN/CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, Italy - Italian President Sergio Mattarella officially opened the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Feb 6, during a colourful ceremony that celebrated his country’s history, arts and fashion but where political tensions surfaced.

Mattarella, 84, spoke at the main event in Milan’s San Siro stadium as part of an unprecedented show that also linked to celebrations in co-host Cortina d’Ampezzo, more than 400km away in the Dolomites.

US Vice-President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio were among the crowd in the iconic soccer stadium and political controversies were evident in some of the crowd reactions. Vance drew jeers in the stadium when an image of him waving the US flag appeared on a big screen.

The announcement of the Israeli team prompted some booing in Milan over the loud soundtrack. But there were cheers in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Games co-host that was part of a unique joint opening ceremony.

Israel has a team of 10 in Italy.

The group of five athletes from Ukraine in Milan drew huge cheers.

Call for unity

International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry said the Games should bring people together.

“Let these Games be a celebration of what unites us – of everything that makes us human.”

“This is the magic of the Olympic Games: inspiring us all to be the best that we can be – together,” she added.

US pop diva Mariah Carey had got the party started in a unique opening ceremony combining elements from the co-hosts, seeking to reflect both city and mountain life.

Carey performed the 1950s Italian song “Nel blu, dipinto di blu” (In The blue, Painted In Blue) with its famous “Volare” (To fly) refrain to cheers in the stadium.

Ceremony spread across venues

Mattarella was earlier introduced to the fans via a recorded video clip in which the 84-year-old was seen travelling through the city on one of Milan’s historic trams.

The opening stages also included a tribute to the late Italian fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who made Milan his base and died in September 2025.

Cortina played a supporting role in the celebrations in a spectacle entitled “Armonia” (Harmony) designed for a huge global audience on television and online.

Athletes also paraded in the mountain venues of Livigno and Predazzo, in a Games spread over 22,000 sq km.

The ceremony celebrated the diversity of Italian life, from fashionable Milan to the smaller mountain towns in the Alps that host the outdoor events at the Games, which run until Feb 22.

There was some initial confusion over access in Cortina.

Loredana Vido, from Padova, owner of a second home in Cortina, was blocked at the start of Corso Italia, the town’s main street, and said: “We were not told that everything would be closed off. We were told it was free entry.”

But some in Cortina were pleased to get a slice of the action without having to trek to Milan and back.

“Do I wish I was at the full one? Kind of. Am I happy I don’t have to spend 10 hours on a bus that day? Yes,” said Austin Florian, part of the US skeleton team.

In the outdoor event in Livigno, at the foot of the snowboard and freeski runs, a thin crowd of locals and tourists gathered to watch the main ceremony in Milan on screens, as athletes in the small Alpine town walked in the snow, in sync with delegations at the San Siro.

Two cauldrons to burn

For the first time, two Olympic cauldrons, one of the symbols of the Games, will be lit simultaneously and burn throughout - one at Milan’s Arco della Pace (Peace Arch) and the other in Cortina’s Piazza Dibona.

Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni, two of Italy’s most successful Alpine skiers, have been tipped to have the honour of lighting the Olympic cauldrons, but the names of those involved and the format have not been disclosed.

A series of protests took place on Feb 6, with more planned over the weekend, in the Italian financial capital to oppose the presence of analysts from a department that falls under US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

More local issues such as the closure of schools and streets in the city have also irked some Milanese.

Milan enjoyed a sunny afternoon and the mood outside the stadium was festive as crowds built up.

David Arwood, 59, from Washington, DC, was attending his fifth opening ceremony and did not expect political controversies to spoil the party.

“The Olympics always reflect what’s going on in the world,” said Arwood, who was wearing novelty glasses featuring the five Olympic rings.

“But I think once the Games start, people tend to forget most of that stuff. It’s controversial beforehand, but once the ceremony starts, once the athletes come in I think everybody has a good camaraderie,” he added. REUTERS