When Do the 2026 Winter Olympics Start?

The 2026 Winter Olympics will run from February 6 to February 22, 2026 in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. This marks the first Winter Games officially hosted by two cities.

The opening ceremony takes place on February 6, kicking off 17 days of competition across 116 medal events — the most in Winter Olympics history.

Key Dates and Schedule

Event Date
Opening Ceremony February 6, 2026
Competition Start February 6, 2026
Closing Ceremony February 22, 2026
Total Duration 17 days

Host Cities and Venues

The 2026 Games will be the most geographically widespread Winter Olympics ever, with events spread across multiple regions:

  • Milan — Italy’s second-largest city, hosting indoor events
  • Cortina d’Ampezzo — Alpine skiing and sliding sports
  • Livigno — Freestyle skiing and snowboarding
  • Bormio — Alpine skiing (speed events)
  • Anterselva — Biathlon
  • Baselga di Piné — Speed skating

Cortina d’Ampezzo becomes only the fourth location to host the Winter Olympics twice, following St. Moritz (1928, 1948), Innsbruck (1964, 1976), and Lake Placid (1932, 1980). The city previously hosted in 1956.

What’s New in 2026

Record 116 Medal Events

The 2026 Games feature three more events than the 2022 Beijing Olympics, including:

  • Ski mountaineering — A brand new Olympic sport with three events
  • Women’s luge doubles — First time in Olympic history
  • Women’s ski jumping large hill — Individual event added
  • Mixed skeleton relay — New team event

Most Gender-Equal Winter Olympics

Women will compete in a record 53.4% of all medal events. Twelve of the 16 disciplines will have fully gender-balanced athlete numbers. Approximately 1,300 female athletes will participate.

The Games are also the first overseen by IOC President Kirsty Coventry, the first woman elected to the organization’s top position.

NHL Players Return After 12 Years

NHL-contracted players return to Olympic ice hockey after missing the 2018 and 2022 Games. Their absence in 2018 was due to league scheduling disputes, while COVID-19 prevented participation in 2022.

All but one of the 12 hockey teams will have NHL representation. The USA enters with renewed hopes for their first Olympic men’s hockey gold since the legendary 1980 “Miracle on Ice.”

Athletes to Watch

Record Chasers

  • Johannes Høsflot Klæbo (Norway, Cross-Country Skiing) — Five-time Olympic champion who won all six titles at last season’s World Championships
  • Tobias Wendl & Tobias Arlt (Germany, Luge) — Aiming for their seventh and eighth Olympic golds, which would tie the all-time record

Host Nation Hopes

Italy has set a target of 19 medals. Key contenders include:

  • Arianna Fontana (Short Track) — Italy’s most decorated Winter Olympian, seeking medals at a sixth consecutive Games
  • Davide Ghiotto (Speed Skating)
  • Amos Mosaner & Stefania Constantini (Curling)

Great Britain’s Medal Hopes

Team GB is targeting 4-8 medals, potentially their most successful Winter Olympics ever. Top prospects include:

  • Mia Brookes (Snowboard)
  • Kirsty Muir (Freestyle Skiing)

By the Numbers

Statistic Number
Athletes ~2,800
Medal Events 116
Women’s Events 50
Mixed Events 12
Sports 7
Disciplines 16
Host Cities 2

Russia Banned from Competition

Russian athletes are banned from the 2026 Winter Olympics due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine. This significantly impacts ice hockey, where Russia has historically been a dominant force.

Sources

Last updated: 2026-02-01 15:00 UTC