Olympic Opening Ceremonies 2026 Expected Performers, Flag Bearers and Athletes
The 2026 Winter Olympics will officially kick off with Friday's opening ceremony. Held in the host cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, the festivities will feature multiple performers and will celebrate the countries and athletes set to compete in the games.
This year's will be a unique affair, with not one, but two Olympic Cauldrons being lit to open the competition. Naturally, the ceremony and performances will have a decidedly Italian flavor.
Here's a preview of this year's opening ceremony, and some of the top American athletes and flag bearers to track throughout the event.
2026 Olympics Opening Ceremony
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Date: Friday, February 6
Time: 2 p.m. ET (8 p.m. CET)
Location: San Siro Stadium in Milan
TV: NBC
Live Stream: Peacock, NBCOlympics.com, NBC.com, NBC app, NBC Sports app
Olympics Broadcast & Streaming Schedule: NBCOlympics.com
Erin Jackson and Frank Del Duca Chosen as Team USA Flag Bearers
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The parade of nations is an Olympic tradition that will again unfold on Friday at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Team USA has chosen speed skater Erin Jackson and bobsled Olympian Frank Del Duca to represent Team USA as flag bearers.
According to the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC), the duo was chosen by other members of Team USA.
"We are honored to announce Erin Jackson and Frank Del Duca as the flag bearers for Team USA at the Opening Ceremony," USOPC CEO Sarah Hirshland said, per USOPC.org. "Being chosen by their fellow athletes is a powerful reflection of the respect they've earned through their leadership, commitment, and the way they represent Team USA every day."
Jackson, who is set to compete in her third Winter Olympics, took gold in the women's 500-meter event at the 2022 Beijing Games. She'll look to defend her 500-meter gold and will also compete in the 1000-meter race.
Del Duca, a U.S. Army sergeant and part of the U.S. Army's World Class Athlete Program, made his Olympic debut in 2022, where he finished fourth in the two- and four-man events.
Other U.S. Athletes to Know
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Lindsey Vonn, Alpine Skiing
For U.S. fans, Lindsey Vonn's comeback attempt is one of the top storylines heading into the opening weekend. The 41-year-old skiing legend is hoping to win her fourth Olympic medal after being retired for roughly five years.
Vonn returned to competition in late 2024, and last December, she claimed her 83rd World Cup victory. Last month, however, she suffered a ruptured ACL during a crash at Crans-Montana, though she still plans to compete in Italy.
"My knee is not swollen, and with the help of a knee brace, I am confident that I can compete on Sunday," Vonn said, per Andrew Dampf of The Associated Press. "And as long as there's a chance, I will try."
Mikaela Shiffrin, Alpine Skiing
Vonn isn't the only legendary skier who will take the slopes for Team USA in the coming days. Mikaela Shiffrin, who recently won her ninth slalom season title, enters the Milano Cortina Games as one of the most decorated athletes in history.
Shiffin's impressive career includes 71 race wins in slalom and 108 overall, which are both all-time career records. After winning a gold medal in the slalom in 2014 and the giant slalom in 2018, she failed to finish either event in 2022.
While Shiffrin isn't looking to make a comeback like Vonn, she is seeking some Olympic redemption.
*Information for all Team USA athletes can be found at TeamUSA.com
Ilia Malinin, Figure Skating
While Vonn and Shiffrin have plenty of Olympic experience, 21-year-old figure skater Ilia Malinin is set to make his Olympic debut in Italy.
"Of course, there's going to be a lot of pressure," Malinin said, per Rohan Nadkarni of NBC News, "especially because it's my first Olympics, and it's going to be just something that I'll have to look into."
What Malinin may lack in Olympic experience, though, he more than makes up for with skill and innovation. The two-time world champion and three-time Grand Prix-winner is, to date, the only skater who has successfully landed a quadruple axle in competition.
Opening Ceremony Known Performers
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As was the case at the 2024 opening ceremony in Paris, Friday's festivities will include several globally known musical stars.
According to Olympics.com, the evening's list of performers includes Grammy-winning pop icon Mariah Carey, famed Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli, singer-songwriter Laura Pausini, actor/producer Pierfrancesco Favino, actress Sabrina Impacciatore, Chinese pianist Lang Lang, and Italian rapper Ghali.
Carey, an American pop star who has won six Grammys during her long and successful career, is probably the most well-known celebrity performer internationally. However, fans may or may not be treated to hits like "Fantasy" or "One Sweet Day" on Friday.
According to creative director Marco Balich has stated that "Mariah Carey will be singing in Italian" and that "the entire stadium will be singing along."
Bocelli, who has found success as both a pop artist and traditional opera singer, is expected to play a prominent role in the opening ceremony.
His performance "will constitute one of the most iconic moments of the event, uniting the spectacle with the essence of Olympic values," and will "contribute a contemporary and global tone to the narrative," event organizers said in a statement, per Colleen Barry of The Associated Press.
According to Barry, a crowd of 60,000 is expected to be on hand to witness Friday's star-studded lineup. Fans watching from home who miss the live airing can catch a rebroadcast on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
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