MILAN — World-renowned crossover tenor Andrea Bocelli will headline the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Feb. 6, organizers announced Sunday. Bocelli joins previously confirmed pop icon Mariah Carey, setting the stage for a globally focused musical celebration to launch the Games. The opening ceremony will take place at Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium, transforming the historic soccer venue into the centerpiece of a three-hour spectacle. The event will feature the Parade of Athletes alongside large-scale performances and is expected to be the most widely watched moment of the Olympics.
A Ceremony Spread Across Italy
Reflecting the Milan Cortina Games’ status as the most geographically dispersed Winter Olympics in history, organizers confirmed that the ceremony will extend beyond Milan. Live segments will also be staged in Cortina d’Ampezzo in the Dolomite Mountains, Livigno in the Italian Alps, and Predazzo in the autonomous province of Trento. These satellite moments will allow athletes competing in far-flung venues to participate in the opening celebrations, with all locations seamlessly connected for the global television broadcast.
Tribute to Italian Style and Culture
The ceremony will also honor the late fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who died in September at age 91. Armani’s influence on Italian fashion and sport is deeply intertwined with Milan, where he designed Olympic uniforms for the Italian team for decades and established cultural landmarks such as the Armani theater and Silos museum. Organizers said the tribute will celebrate Armani’s enduring legacy as a pioneer of Italian ready-to-wear fashion and a global ambassador of Made in Italy style.
Bocelli’s Global Olympic Moment
Bocelli’s performance comes during a brief pause in his international tour. According to his official schedule, he will travel to the United States the following day to perform at the Schottenstein Center in Columbus, Ohio, before continuing with additional tour dates.
The classically trained singer has previously performed at major historic events, including the coronation of Charles III and the 75th anniversary of the Italian Constitution in Rome. His extensive discography bridges classical and pop traditions, with collaborations spanning multiple languages and musical genres.
Organizers described Bocelli’s appearance as “one of the most iconic moments of the event,” saying it will unite “the spectacle with the essence of Olympic values” while adding a contemporary, global tone to the ceremony’s narrative.
Star-Studded Production
The opening ceremony is being produced by Marco Balich, a veteran creative director behind more than a dozen Olympic ceremonies worldwide. In addition to Bocelli and Carey, Italian actors Sabrina Impacciatore and Matilde De Angelis will also participate, further highlighting Italy’s contemporary cultural scene.
Approximately 60,000 spectators are expected inside San Siro, with millions more watching globally. The Games will conclude with a closing ceremony on Feb. 22 at Verona’s ancient Roman Arena, headlined by ballet star Roberto Bolle.
