The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics officially kicked off in Milan on Friday with a vibrant opening ceremony at the San Siro stadium, marking a refreshing change from recent Olympic events. The ceremony, which celebrated Italian culture through music, art, and performances by renowned artists, offered a stark contrast to previous Games hampered by weather and COVID-related restrictions, according to multiple news sources.
The opening ceremony featured performances by Matilda De Angelis, Mariah Carey, and Andrea Bocelli, alongside ballet dancers and other performers, according to NPR News. The event was designed to create a vibrant and engaging atmosphere, celebrating Italian culture, according to a Time article. This contrasted with the challenges of previous Olympic ceremonies, including the frigid temperatures of PyeongChang in 2018, the fanless affair in Tokyo in 2021 due to COVID restrictions, and the rain-soaked ceremony planned for Paris, according to Time.
The Games themselves are expected to be a showcase of athletic achievement, with figure skater Ilia Malinin, 21, of the United States, considered the heavy favorite to win the gold medal, according to Vox. Malinin is on track to make Olympic history in Milan, according to the source.
While the opening ceremony provided a positive start, the upcoming Super Bowl halftime show featuring Bad Bunny, the first Latin solo artist to headline the event, is also generating significant buzz. His performance, coming after the Grammy Awards where several celebrities criticized former President Donald Trump's immigration policies, raises questions about potential political statements, according to Time. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, however, emphasized the artistic merit of Bad Bunny's selection, stating, "Bad Bunny is, and I think that was demonstrated last night, one of the great artists in the world, and that's one of the reasons we chose him," according to Time.
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