The 2026 Winter Olympics begins with the Opening Ceremony on February 6. To kick things off, several beloved celebrities will perform, delivering all the glitz and glamour one would hope for from an internationally fashionable and historically important city like Milan.
In fact, celebrations and special moments will happen throughout the Italian city and at the hilltop ski resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, which will also host many of the competitions this year. At the center of it all is San Siro Stadium. Host country Italy is bringing out its best and brightest stars for the event, so be sure to tune in to see what everyone will inevitably be talking about.
Both NBC and Peacock will have full, on-the-ground coverage of the ceremony, led by sports broadcaster Terry Gannon and veteran Olympic journalist Mary Carillo, with commentary from Olympic snowboarding champion Shaun White.
“I’m so excited to be part of the Opening Ceremony for the Milan Cortina Olympics,” White said in a statement. “The Olympics have been such a huge part of my life, and to return in this new role — celebrating the athletes, the energy, and the incredible backdrop of Italy — is truly an honor. I know what that moment means when the world is watching, and I can’t wait to help bring that magic to everyone at home.”
Beyond all of the Olympic traditions, you can also expect to see a number of performers at the Opening Ceremony. Read on to find out who’s set to take the stage.
Andrea Bocelli
Internationally renowned tenor singer Andrea Bocelli is one of the most famous Italian artists alive today, and a perfect fit for the epic pageantry of the Opening Ceremony. He previously performed at the Closing Ceremony last time Italy hosted the Games, in Turin in 2006.
“I believe that singing at an Olympic Opening Ceremony is a great honour and a deeply moving experience, especially for someone like me who has always loved sport,” Bocelli said in an interview with Olympics.com, adding that he felt “indescribable emotion” when he last performed in 2006.
“I don’t think what matters most is the emotion I can leave behind, but rather the emotion that the Olympic Games and sport itself can create,” Bocelli continued. “Sport in itself embodies extremely important values, values that I believe should take root in the hearts of everyone, young and old alike.”
Mariah Carey
The American diva was the first performer announced as part of the Opening Ceremony line-up, and the local Olympic committee explained why she was chosen in a statement, saying, “Mariah Carey fully represents the emotional atmosphere that accompanies the run-up to the Games. Music is a universal language that attracts different stories and sensibilities, and intertwines with the opening ceremony’s theme of harmony.”
Pierfrancesco Favino
One of the most famous leading men of modern Italian cinema, Favino is also recognizable stateside for his roles in blockbusters like World War Z and Angels & Demons. He also recently starred alongside Angelina Jolie in the film Maria.
On Instagram, Favino said in a teaser trailer for the Opening Ceremony, “We will tell a story of armonia [harmony] and enchant the world with an extraordinary event that will go down in history.”
According to Olympics.com, Favino’s contribution will be a “powerful, emotionally charged interpretation” of an existing script, accompanied by a “deeply immersive” original composition written and performed by violinist Giovanni Zanon.
Sabrina Impacciatore
After working steadily as an actress in Italy, Sabrina Impacciatore broke through to an international audience in 2022 with a role as a hotel manager in The White Lotus. She now stars as Esmerelda, the unserious interim editor-in-chief of a local news outlet on Peacock’s The Paper, a character she told TODAY she is intentionally playing as “a bit crazy.”
Laura Pausini
With a career spanning over 30 years and having sold millions of albums, Pausini is one of the most successful Italian pop stars alive. She primarily sings in Italian and Spanish, and has won multiple Latin Grammy Awards. Her song “lo sì,” written by Diane Warren, was used in the 2020 film The Life Ahead starring Italian icon Sophia Loren, and won Best Original Song at the Golden Globes.
Lang Lang
Chinese pianist Lang Lang is considered one of the most famous and talented musicians of the instrument alive, and has collaborated with pop artists and played for monarchs and heads of state. His albums have sold millions of copies, and he’s even played in a previous Olympics Opening Ceremony, the 2008 Games in Beijing. An international icon and philanthropist, Lang was named Messenger of Peace by the Secretary General of the United Nations in 2013 and has served as a UNICEF Global Goodwill Ambassador since 2006.
Cecilia Bartoli
During the Opening Ceremony, Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli will perform with Lang Lang. Born into a musical family, she has been an opera singer since her teenage years, and is now also the artistic director of the Salzburg Whitsun Festival and the director of the Opéra de Monte-Carlo in Monaco, per The New York Times. Bartoli is the recipient of 17 Grammy nominations and five wins.
The ceremony organizers teased on Instagram, “Cecilia Bartoli embodies the very essence of the great Italian operatic heritage…her intense and instantly recognizable voice will mark one of the evening’s most evocative moments, where music becomes memory, identity, and a shared vision.”
Ghali
Chart-topping rapper Ghali has also been added to the opening ceremony line-up. He is a truly multicultural artist, with both Italian and Tunisian heritage, and he raps in Italian, French and Arabic, per Olympics.com. With millions of online followers and hits like “Pizza Kebab,” “Habibi,” “Jennifer” and “Ninna Nanna,” he’s one of the most exciting and modern stars set to perform.
How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
NBC and Peacock will both broadcast full coverage of the Opening Ceremony on February 6 beginning at 2 p.m. ET, with primetime coverage kicking off at 8 p.m. ET.
Source: nbc.com
