VERONA, Italy — The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics concluded Sunday with a spectacular closing ceremony held within the ancient Verona Arena, marking the end of the most geographically dispersed Winter Games in Olympic history. The ceremony celebrated Italy’s rich cultural heritage through a fusion of classical and contemporary performances.
The 2.5-hour event featured internationally acclaimed ballet dancer Roberto Bolle alongside popular Italian singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte, showcasing Italy’s diverse musical traditions. Approximately 1,500 Olympians—representing just over half of all competitors—paraded into the first-century amphitheater that once hosted gladiator contests and exotic animal hunts.
Athletes entered en masse behind dual flag bearers from each of the 92 participating nations, including Italy’s gold medalists biathlete Lisa Vittozzi and speedskater Davide Ghiotto, and Team USA’s hockey champion Hilary Knight and ice dancing gold medalist Evan Bates.
The ceremony paid special tribute to Italian lyric opera, recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural treasure, while simultaneously honoring contemporary Italian classics. The Verona Arena provided an ideal backdrop, being the regular summer host to both opera festivals and the prestigious ‘Roberto Bolle and Friends’ dance gala.
Some 12,000 spectators attended the more intimate closing event, contrasting sharply with the 60,000-strong opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium that featured Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli.
The Olympic flag was formally transferred to France, host of the 2030 Winter Games in the French Alps, during key ceremonial proceedings overseen by IOC President Kirsty Coventry—a two-time Olympic swimming champion presiding over her first Games as committee head—alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni.
The Games spanned an unprecedented 22,000 square kilometers (8,500 square miles) across northern Italy, with venues stretching from Milan’s ice sports to border regions near Austria and Switzerland. This distributed model, designed to utilize existing facilities and avoid new construction costs, will influence future Olympics including the 2030 Games that will span the French Alps and Mediterranean coast.
The ceremony concluded with the simultaneous extinguishing of the dual Olympic cauldrons in Milan and Cortina via video link, featuring a light show替代 prohibited fireworks to protect local wildlife. The Games featured 116 medal events across eight sports and 16 disciplines, including the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering.
The Verona Arena will next host the Milan Cortina Paralympics opening ceremony on March 6, with competitions running through March 15.