- The 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics officially began with the opening ceremony on Friday.
- The performances highlighted Italy's legacy of music, fashion, arts, and culture.
- Team USA's opening ceremony outfits, designed by Ralph Lauren, featured patriotic touches.
Athletes and spectators filled Milan's San Siro Stadium to kick off the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday.
Parts of the opening ceremony also took place across three other sites in Cortina, Predazzo, and Livigno, representing how Olympic events will be held across Italian regions.
The ceremony's performances featured nods to Italian history and culture, and other countries added patriotic details to their opening ceremony uniforms.
Here are some details you may have missed.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.
In the opening dance, two dancers dressed as angels evoked "Psyche Revived by Cupid's Kiss," a sculpture by Italian artist Antonio Canova.
Italian ballet dancers Antonella Albano and Claudio Coviello perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on February 6, 2026.
WANG Zhao/AFP via Getty Images
Dancers dressed as musical notes took over the stage in a tribute to Italian opera composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Gioachino Rossini.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Matilda De Angelis performs with three actors dressed as the great masters of Italian Opera, Giuseppe Verdei, Giacomo Puccini, and Gioachino Rossini during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
Maja Hitij/Getty Images
Colorful costumes represented numerous aspects of Italian arts, culture, cuisine, and architecture in a vibrant crescendo.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Actors dressed as a symbol of Italian fashion perform during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
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Mariah Carey sang a mashup of the Italian song "Volare" with her hit "Nothing Is Impossible."
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Mariah Carey performs during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
Elsa/Getty Images
Models walked into the stadium wearing Giorgio Armani suits in the colors of the Italian flag.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Models wearing creations designed by Giorgio Armani walk during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images
Aerialists performed between two rings representing the city of Milan and the mountains of Cortina d'Ampezzo.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Two aerial actors perform next to the rings representing the city and mountain during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Andreas Rentz/Getty Images)
Andreas Rentz/Getty Images
The two rings eventually fused with others to form the iconic five-ring symbol of the Olympics.
The Olympic rings surrounded by fireworks are displayed during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan, northern Italy, on February 6, 2026. (Photo by WANG Zhao / AFP via Getty Images)
WANG Zhao / AFP
During the Parade of Nations, flagbearers from each country carried signs designed to look like blocks of ice.
CORTINA D'AMPEZZO, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Athletes of Team Greece walk in the parade during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Piazza Dibona on February 06, 2026 in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.
Carmen Mandato/Getty Images
Team Brazil's outfits, designed by Moncler, included shorts made of the same material as their puffy coats.
MILAN, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Flagbearer Lucas Pinheiro Braathen of Team Brazil enters into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at San Siro Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Milan, Italy.
Alexander Hassenstein/Getty Images
Designer Stella Jean created bold uniforms for Haiti's Olympic team inspired by the art of Edouard Duval Carrié.
VAL DI FIEMME, ITALY - FEBRUARY 06: Flagbearer Stevenson Savart of Team Haiti enters with his teammate into the stadium during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics at Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium on February 06, 2026 in Val di Fiemme, Italy.
Maddie Meyer/Getty Images
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