The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics begins this week, and this year’s opening ceremony promises to be one for the ages. The three-hour event will include performances by Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli, 3,000 athletes taking part in the Parade of Nations, and not one but Two The Olympic cauldron is being lit. (One at Milan’s Arco Della Pace, as Milan will serve as the main hub for this year’s Games, and the other in the Alpine town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, where events like skiing will take place.) All the festivities are taking place this Friday, February 6, and will air on NBC — you can tune in live today at 2 p.m. ET, or wait for the primetime broadcast at 8 p.m.
If you want to attend the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics Opening Ceremony, we’ve got you covered. Here’s all the information you need to watch, including the channel, broadcast schedule and who will be there.
How to watch the opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics
date: Friday, February 6
Time: Airs from 2-5pm ET, with primetime reruns from 8-11pm ET
Place: San Siro Stadium, Milan
TV Channel: nbc
Streaming: Peacock, DirecTV, NBC.com, and more
Where can I stream the opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription that includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during specified games and events) and the ability to download select titles for offline viewing.
How to watch the 2026 inauguration ceremony on TV:
There will be two broadcasts of the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony this Friday. You can tune in live from 2PM to 5PM ET on Friday, or watch a repeat broadcast from 8PM to 11PM ET that night. Both broadcasts will air on NBC, which is available on DirecTV, Hulu + Live TV, and more.
With a live TV streaming service subscription or cable package, you can watch all of NBC and Peacock’s Olympics coverage on NBC.com and NBCOlympics.com or through the NBC app by simply logging in with your provider.
DirecTV’s entertainment tier gives you access to a ton of channels where you can watch college and pro sports, the Winter Olympics, and more. Channels include ESPN, TNT, ACC Network, Big Ten Network, CBS Sports Network, and depending on where you live, local affiliates of ABC, CBS, Fox, and NBC.
Whichever package you choose, you’ll get unlimited cloud DVR storage and access to ESPN+’s new streaming tier, ESPN Unlimited.
DirecTV’s entertainment tier package is $89.99/month. But you can try it all for free for 5 days right now. If you’re interested in trying a live-TV streaming service for football season but aren’t ready to commit, we recommend starting with DirecTV.
How to watch the opening ceremony in Milan without cable:
You can watch the inauguration ceremony live or on-demand on Peacock. If you already subscribe to a live TV streaming service or cable package, you should be able to watch all of Peacock’s Olympics coverage on NBC.com, NBCOlympics.com and the NBC app.
For $11/month, an ad-supported Peacock subscription lets you live stream sports and events broadcast on NBC, including the 2026 Winter Olympics, Super Bowl LX, and more. Plus, you’ll get access to thousands of hours of shows and movies, including beloved sitcoms parks and Recreation And Office, Every Bravo show and more.
For $17 monthly you can upgrade to an ad-free subscription that includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during specified games and events) and the ability to download select titles for offline viewing.
Who is hosting the Winter Olympics opening ceremony?
Sportscaster Terry Gannon will host coverage of the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Games. Former Olympic snowboarder Shaun White will also appear at the opening ceremony, and NBC Olympics primetime host Mike Tirico will also participate remotely from San Francisco, where he will be preparing to cover the Olympics and call Super Bowl LX.
Who is performing at the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony?
Mariah Carey will preside over the opening ceremony and the event will also include a performance by celebrated Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli. Actress Sabrina Impacciatore (paper, white lotus) and pianist Lang Lang will also perform. And spectators will also get a chance to see nearly 3,000 Olympic athletes take part in the Parade of Nations.
Where is the 2026 Olympics opening ceremony being held?
The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony will be held at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, home of football clubs AC Milan and Inter Milan. The opening ceremony would actually be one of the last events held at the San Siro Stadium, with it being demolished some time after the end of the Games.
More ways to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
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