Mariah Carey made a splash at the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics on Friday, performing entirely in Italian for the first time in her career at Milan's historic San Siro Stadium, according to Variety. The ceremony, which took place on February 6, 2026, also featured performances by Andrea Bocelli and was expected to draw a global audience of 2.2 billion viewers.
The opening ceremony was a widespread event, held across the two host cities and several Alpine venues, as reported by Variety. The event included over 1,000 performers celebrating Italian history, culture, and fashion. Security was tight, with thousands of Italian police officers, aided by surveillance drones and robots, patrolling the area, according to Variety.
Carey's performance, singing Domenico Modugno's "Nel Blu, dipinto di Blu" (Volare), was a symbolic gesture, according to Variety. The San Siro stadium, with a capacity of 75,000, served as the main venue for the two-and-a-half-hour live Olympic opener, Variety reported.
Beyond the opening ceremony, the Games are set to feature exciting competitions. American cross-country skier Jessie Diggins, aiming for her fourth and final Olympics, is motivated to shine, according to Time. "That's why I'm here, training my brains out," Diggins told Time. She is also seeking to win the first individual Olympic gold medal for the United States in her sport.
In luge, women will compete in the doubles event for the first time at the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, marking a step toward gender parity, according to Time. U.S. luge athletes Chevonne Forgan and Sophia Kirkby will compete in the women's doubles event, Time reported.
Figure skating fans are also anticipating the performance of Ilia Malinin, the "quad god," who is the heavy favorite to win the gold medal for the United States, according to Vox. Malinin, 21, is on track to make Olympic history, Vox reported.
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