A week of events – 2 years to the Games

Initiatives across Italy to celebrate two years to the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.

Milano Cortina 2026 continues its countdown: there are two years left until the start of the XXV Olympic Winter Games. From the Duomo of Milan to the mountains of Cortina d'Ampezzo, passing through the highlands of Valtellina, Val Di Fiemme and Anterselva: for the first time in history, an area of 22 thousand square kilometres will be used for a memorable edition of the Games, making use of the experience, passion and tradition of our country in winter sports.

Two years from the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, scheduled for Friday 6 February 2026 at the Meazza stadium in Milan, a week of events and initiatives throughout Italy kicks off to celebrate the charm and emotions of the ‘Road to the Games’.
 

The symbols of the Games return to Milan

On 6 February at 12 noon in Piazza della Scala in Milan, in front of the Palazzo della Ragioneria of the Municipality of Milan, in the presence of the Mayor Giuseppe Sala, the President of the Region of Lombardy Attilio Fontana, the President of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 Giovanni Malagò, the CEO Andrea Varnier and other authorities, the Spectaculars were inaugurated: scenographic installations depicting the Olympic Rings and the Paralympic Agitos. The greatest symbols of sport will celebrate winter sports and the values of Milano Cortina 2026.

Milan, together with the other Olympic territories, is also the scene of the communication campaign "2 years to dream" which includes billboards and outdoor broadcasting on screens in the city, as well as social and digital coverage: a story in the name of enthusiasm, warmth and energy that characterise the contemporary Italian spirit. An opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of the journey towards the 2026 Games.

A special exhibition in Trento

On the 6th of February the immersive exhibition "Records" was inaugurated in the evocative setting of "Le Gallerie di Piedicastello" in Trento. The exhibition – which is part of the Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad and the three-year project Anelli di congiunzione (The Rings that Bind) – aims to transform Le Gallerie exhibition space into a large cultural hub to reflect on the importance and significance of the Olympics and Paralympics, and on the relationship between the Games and the region. The exhibition, curated by the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation on behalf of the Autonomous Province of Trento, was created in collaboration with the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 and with the support of the Olympic Museum in Lausanne. The exhibit consists of 14 sections along the 300 metres of the Galleria Nera which allow visitors to immerse themselves in every aspect of the Games: from the intuition of proposing a great sports festival at the beginning of the 20th century to the figure of Pierre De Coubertin, from the intertwining of the Games and politics to the ideals of Olympism translated into concrete actions, from the history of the Olympics and its commentaries and radio commentaries to the part more purely related to the practice of sport.

The director of the Historical Museum Foundation Giuseppe Ferrandi reveals the ultimate goal of the initiative: "If The Rings that Bind - admitted Ferrandi - take us all the way to the 2026 Games, ‘Records’ is the first of three exhibitions and focuses on measurements, bodies, times and speed. The Galleria Nera contains materials and stimuli to fully understand the values of the history of the Olympic and Paralympic Games and make the spirit of Olympism your own. This is not a traditional exhibition: here you can experience emotions, broaden your horizons and appreciate data from Olympic and Paralympic history in a new way with data storytelling".

The ‘Records’ exhibition will remain open throughout 2024 from Tuesday to Sunday, (10:00 - 18:00). The Galleries are an accessible space and is completely free of charge. Go to the Trentino Historical Museum Foundation website for more information.

Winter Games Week is here

From 5 to 9 February, Milano Cortina 2026 enters Italian schools with the aim of inspiring the new generations and making them part of the path towards the 2026 Winter Games. The "Winter Games Week" initiative - the result of the collaboration between the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 and the Ministry of Education and Merit - Directorate General for Students, Inclusion and School Guidance - allows young people to participate in a series of educational and sporting activities inspired by Olympic and Paralympic values. An opportunity to promote the educational principles of sport as a means of individual and collective growth and expression. Part of the broader GEN26 Education Program of Milano Cortina 2026, the Winter Games Week involves more than 220,000 students from over 700 establishments, throughout Italy.

Return to the Sanremo Festival

This year there will be the usual appointment in Sanremo where Milano Cortina 2026, for the third time since winning the Games, will be a guest at the Italian Song Festival with a new and exciting Olympic and Paralympic moment.