Olympics Opening Ceremony 2026 Time and When to Watch Replay

The 2026 Olympics may already be underway but the official opening ceremony takes place Friday, live from Milano.

Top athletes from 93 different countries and territories participating in this year's games will be on hand to ring in the official start of the extravaganza.

When can viewers tune into the Opening Ceremony and what might they expect from it?

Find out in this preview.

Viewing Information

Date: Friday, February 6

Time: 2:00 p.m. EST

Location: San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy

TV: NBC

Streaming: Peacock

Replay: 8:00 p.m. EST on NBC

What to Expect?

While the primary event will be held in Milan, the 2026 Olympics marks the first time ever that there will be multiple ceremonies. The Parade of Nations will also occur simultaneously in Cortina d'Ampezzo, as well as the mountain towns of Livigno and Predazzo.

The idea is to ensure that all athletes competing in this year's games can participate in the eagerly anticipated spectacular.

Marco Balich, creative lead of this year's ceremony and the visionary behind 16 ceremonies across seven Olympic Games, told Elisabetta Povoledo of the New York Times of the event, "A noble and great objective, but from the point of view of the creative direction it's been a nightmare," before smiling.

Balich noted that the ceremony will consist of three parts: one that celebrates Italy, one that celebrates the athletes, and one that celebrates peace.

"We're doing a big pull on peace," he told the Times. "Symbols are important, and the Olympic flame and the Olympic rings represent a symbol that isn't contaminated by factions of war or religion."

United States speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsled pilot Fran Del Duca will serve as the flag bearers. Jackson captured gold in the 500-meter speed skating event in Beijing while Del Duca also competed in the 2022 games.

They were voted into that role by their teammates.