Winter Olympics highlights Feb. 6: Star-studded opening ceremony kicks off 2026 Games in Milan Cortina

02/06/26 18:00

The good, the bad and the weird from the opening ceremony

- Marsha Lederman

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Now that the opening ceremony has (finally) wrapped up, a short recap:

Good: Andrea Bocelli; enthusiastic audience cheers for Team Canada and Ukraine; that True Story of Tyler McGregor TV commercial (bring tissues).

Bad: CBC ad placement making the Canadian broadcast unwatchable; a wooden Mariah Carey; Germany’s strange Olympic uniform cloak things.

Undecided: Multicoloured dancing stovetop espresso makers.

Enjoy the Games!

02/06/26 17:44

CBC earns mixed reviews for ‘unwatchable’ number of ads

- J. Kelly Nestruck

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CBC’s broadcast of the opening ceremony is not getting entirely bad reviews.

Clips where CBC viewers could hear U.S. Vice-President JD Vance get booed and Adrienne Arsenault’s comment on it are spreading on social media – alongside comments by Americans curious about why the boos could not be heard on the NBC broadcast.

Having gone back to review the moment on my PVRed version of the NBC broadcast, it is true that the boos are less audible – but that could be for any number of reasons.

Meanwhile, CBC has continued to massacre dance and movement segments with ads – skipping the beginning of the final segment that led up to the lighting of the cauldrons, featuring a little girl and planets.

Carole MacNeil, a former CBC journalist, is among those who have complained about the cuts. She posted on X earlier: “Wow, CBC put ads over Italian anthem. There are so many ads, I feel like I’m missing the show. It’s unwatchable.”

02/06/26 17:30

Both Olympic cauldrons are now alight

- J. Kelly Nestruck

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Cool cauldrons. There are two that were just lit: the first in Piazza Dibona in Cortina d’Ampezzo, the second at Arco della Pace in Milan.

02/06/26 17:30

Canadian women’s hockey start uncertain after Swiss player tests positive for norovirus

- The Canadian Press

Canada’s women’s hockey start remains unsettled after Switzerland — Canada’s scheduled opponent Saturday — entered isolation following a positive norovirus test.

The Swiss Olympic Committee said the result came after Switzerland played the Czech Republic earlier Friday, and the team skipped the opening ceremony.

Canada’s opener against Finland, originally set for yesterday, was already postponed to Feb. 12 after a norovirus outbreak depleted the Finnish roster.

02/06/26 17:29

Opening ceremony wins Olympic gold in platitudes

- Zosia Bielski

The Olympics pablum is reaching its crescendo. After an interpretive dance troupe dressed in plastic onesies formed a dove of peace, CBC’s Devin Heroux announced, “The mountain you see here, a collection of humans. This is a rejection of war.” Hollywood star (and UN peace ambassador) Charlize Theron swooshed out, explaining that the Olympics are “a reminder of our common humanity.” These are the platitudes we’re all forced to endure when we choose to sit through an opening ceremony. Bring back the Puccini bobblehead.

02/06/26 17:21

Expect to see more sports betting ads on CBC’s Olympics broadcast

– Simon Houpt

CBC just aired an ad for BetRivers – promoting its “all-inclusive sportsbook experience” that includes “props, money lines, parlays and more” as well as “live in-game betting” and live sports streaming. Usually, when ads for sportsbooks air on the public broadcaster, it’s during Hockey Night in Canada broadcasts on Saturday nights, when Rogers’s Sportsnet operation is actually in control of the airwaves because of an arrangement that began in the fall of 2014.

But with widespread sports betting legalized by Ontario in April, 2022, viewers have regularly complained about the sportsbook ads (even as Ontarians hold more than one million active online betting accounts). During the 2023 NHL playoffs, when viewers complained about the ads, CBC explained it had no control over that content, and referred all queries to Sportsnet.

It can’t say the same for its Olympics broadcasts. In fact, there is a reversal of sorts: With TSN, Sportsnet and CBC airing many simulcasts over the next 16 days – including the opening ceremony and all of the Canadian women’s and men’s hockey games – the ads are sold by CBC and broadcast across all three networks.

02/06/26 17:16

Olympic torch the lightest ever at the Games

- Zosia Bielski

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Milan’s blue-hued torch has a name: “Essential.” It’s the brainchild of Carlo Ratti, a Turin inventor who teaches at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Made from recycled aluminum, it weighs less than 2.5 pounds – the lightest ever created for an Olympics ceremony. A bronze-coloured torch will light up the Paralympic Winter Games on Feb. 24.

02/06/26 17:11

Charlize Theron makes a surprise appearance

- Marsha Lederman

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Is it just me or was it a strange choice to have Charlize Theron quote Nelson Mandela on peace during this opening ceremony? I know she’s from South Africa, but…

That said, it’s moving to see these certified peace-mongers highlighted as they walk the stage (very slowly) with the Olympic flag.

02/06/26 17:10

Watch: Carney tells Canadian Olympians ‘Canada is with you’

- Globe Staff

Sporting a Team Canada Olympic hockey jersey, the Prime Minister wished this country’s Olympians good luck on social media during the opening ceremony.

“Thank you for inspiring us and for demonstrating to Canadians and to the world the very best of Canada,” Mark Carney said over a montage of iconic Canadian Winter Olympic moments.

02/06/26 17:07

Goosebumps after Bocelli’s Nessun Dorma

- Marsha Lederman

Andrea Bocelli belting out Nessun Dorma – wow. The goosebumps are real. The tears too. That was pitch-perfect.

02/06/26 17:05

Andrea Bocelli gives Celine Dion a run for her money

– Robyn Doolittle

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I didn’t think anything could ever top Celine in Paris, but Andrea Bocelli singing Nessun Dorma to introduce the Olympic flame in Milan just saved this pretty lacklustre show for me.

02/06/26 16:52

Andrea Bocelli never rests on his laurels

- Adrian Lee

Credit where it’s due to the 67-year-old Andrea Bocelli, who could easily rest on his laurels and live in his remarkable comfort zone and just print money: He’s not afraid to collaborate with artists who stretch him, and themselves, into other genres. They’re not all winners, but Il Mare Calmo Della Sera from his 2024 Duets album is definitely one; American country singer Chris Stapleton’s gravel-rubbed voice pairs beautifully with Bocelli’s iconically smooth and lissome tenor, and Stapleton manages to uncover the bluesy country kernel to the song we didn’t know was in there.

Fun fact about Karol G’s duet with Bocelli, Vivo Por Ella: Even though the reggaeton superstar sold out stadiums around the world and headlined Coachella, she initially declined to perform it at St. Peter’s Square in Vatican City, because she felt she “wasn’t ready.” Fortunately her mom talked her into doing it.

02/06/26 16:50

IOC president’s comments fall flat

- Adrian Lee

Despite the IOC president’s comments, I, for one, have never watched an Olympic event and felt like there was anything I could personally or physically take away from it.

02/06/26 16:47

White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore’s montage feels like a bad cliché

- Zosia Bielski

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Jarring to see actor Sabrina Impacciatore, the sexy/surly hotel manager from The White Lotus’s Sicily season, clad in an ABBA jumpsuit in a goofy musical medley. The borderline-offensive hand-gestures montage that followed felt like organizers had run out of material. Though it’s arguable that ship sailed 2½ hours ago when the stovetop espresso maker and Roman Colosseum came prancing out. How does a country this steeped in culture turn it all into a bad cliché?

02/06/26 16:45

Canadian Olympians feeling ‘responsibility’ of maple leaf, Heroux tells CBC viewers

- Simon Houpt

CBC’s Devin Heroux just spoke of the “responsibility” that Canadian athletes feel wearing the Maple Leaf at this particular moment. In an interview at CBC’s studios last week, he told The Globe, “the sense I’ve gotten as I’ve travelled around the country with our athletes in the lead-up to this, and met with fans, is that there is a patriotism and a nationalism that I’ve never felt.”

“We saw it bubble up” during last year’s NHL-hosted 4 Nations Face-Off, when “a sort of nothingburger event became war on ice. And I think you just take that and put that on steroids now. I think any Canada-U.S. battle is going to feel monumental, especially to this country.”

He also noted that Canadians have always seen the country as “being a winter sporting nation” but that “in some ways that’s been put into question with how well we’ve done at the Summer Olympics, and maybe that pendulum has swung a little bit as the demographics of the country has also changed. But I think at this pressure point, with this backdrop, these games are going to be of great significance to Canadians.”

02/06/26 16:35

Venezuela’s sole Olympian is also a Canadian

- Globe staff

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Nicolas Claveau-Laviolette, Venezuela’s only athlete (and flag-bearer, of course) at the 2026 Winter Games, has deep Canadian roots. Born in Anzoategui, Venezuela, he grew up in Lévis, Que., and joined the Venezuelan ski association in order to get to the Games as a skier, he told the CBC.

After the U.S. attack on Venezuela in early January, there were concerns Nicolas wouldn’t have a valid passport to compete, as his old one had expired and there were challenges acquiring a new one with embassies closed. But Venezuela’s Olympic committee helped him, he explained to Le Journal de Montréal, and he managed to get to Italy without a problem.

02/06/26 16:29

Even Milan can’t resist Team Italy’s joy

- Cathal Kelly

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In the Milan spot we’ve been in – which is packed to the gills – they have been studiously avoiding the opening ceremony. It’s on about a million TVs in here, but no one has reacted to any of it. Not even Mariah Carey. We were beginning to get a feeling about how the Olympics are going over in Milan. Then the Italian team came in. The joint erupted. Wild cheers from the beautiful people. Milan is the coolest part of Italy, but even they are susceptible to the heat of the Olympics.

02/06/26 16:28

Thunderous welcome for Italian delegation

- Robyn Doolittle

My eardrums are popping from the cheers for Team Italy. Host country having the time of its life.

02/06/26 16:25

Boos of Israel disappointing but not surprising

- Marsha Lederman

It was really beautiful to hear that enthusiastic reception for Ukraine as the team entered during the parade of athletes. On the other hand, I found it disappointing, if not surprising, that the Italian crowds booed Israel. I did not hear boos for other countries with questionable (I’m being kind here) human-rights records – Iran, China. Not that those teams should be booed either! These are young athletes who have worked hard to compete at these Games. Booing them seems unkind, to say the least. Every person who is marching through those rings has overcome all kinds of obstacles to get there. They should be welcomed, celebrated. Go ahead and boo JD Vance. Please! But not the athletes.

02/06/26 16:21

Huge applause for Team Ukraine

- J. Kelly Nestruck

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A bit of a U-turn in reception at San Siro Stadium between countries beginning with the letter U.

There was huge applause and cheers for Ukraine as the team from the war-torn country entered. “It started before they walked in,” Adrienne Arsenault noted on CBC.

Skeleton racer Vladyslav Heraskevych has been vocal about training in the midst of blackouts and air-raid sirens, saying it’s especially important for Ukrainian athletes to bear the flag now, as the world has turned its attention away from the Russian invasion.

“The DJ has pumped up the volume for a country in the agony of war,” Arsenault intones (drawing groans at the Bielski house).

Then, after Hungary and Uruguay and Venezuela, came Team USA. The Americans appeared to cheers that drowned out a smattering of boos, until Vice-President JD Vance was shown on the screen and the boos won out. “Those are a lot of boos for him,” Arsenault said.

02/06/26 16:14

Team USA gets huge cheer – then a deep round of boos

- Robyn Doolittle

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Well, that was interesting. As the United States of America was announced, there was a huge cheer from the crowd. But a few seconds later, as the applause subsided, a deep round of boos followed. I noticed a lot of American fans in the lines to get into the opening ceremony, so this place is packed with U.S. spectators.

02/06/26 16:04

Why (most) journalists can’t film the opening ceremony

Journalists who break recording rules at the Winter Olympics risk losing their accreditation. The Globe’s Robyn Doolittle explains why those rules are so strict.

02/06/26 16:02

How many countries are in the Winter Olympics?

– Globe staff

There are 93 countries competing at the 2026 Games, including Team Canada. In all, there are more than 2,900 Olympians from around the world in Milan Cortina.

02/06/26 15:59

How long is the Olympic opening ceremony?

– Globe Staff

The opening ceremony began on time at 2 p.m. ET and will end at 5 p.m. ET – if it stays on schedule.

02/06/26 15:54

Placard-bearers a strange choice

- Zosia Bielski

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We’ve hit the letter “N” at the athletes parade and the placard bearers still feel like a distraction, with their sci-fi cocoons, Golden Girls eyewear and ice-block accessories.

02/06/26 15:43

Team Haiti uniforms shine amid sea of Adidas

- Juliette Baxter

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Germany is making its way in with a quilted wrap/vest/poncho, too. Adidas is the team’s official sponsor. However, the brand is also creating gear for Team Great Britain, Team Poland, Team Turkey and Team Hungary. Let’s see who gets the best standout look.

As Britain walks in, they are wearing looks from casual-wear brand Ben Sherman and saving their technical Adidas kits for when they get to work.

Team Haiti’s uniforms are a love letter from Haitian-Italian fashion designer Stella Jean. And this is what I’m talking about when I say small teams deserve big design ideas, too. The gear is made in Italy with collaboration from former ski champion Pietro Vitalini, and impressively hand-painted (the only hand-painted uniforms at the Games) with a vision inspired by Haitian artist Edouard Duval-Carrié. It’s too bad there was an ad and CBC couldn’t tell this design story live. So, I’m telling it now.

This post previously stated incorrectly that Britain’s opening-ceremony outfits were created by Adidas. It has been corrected to state that they were provided by Ben Sherman.

02/06/26 15:43

Team Israel met with cheers and first boos of parade

– J. Kelly Nestruck

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Israel’s team enters to a blend of cheers and boos at San Siro Stadium. Commenting on CBC’s broadcast, Adrienne Arsenault says: ”First time we’ve heard people booing in the stadium.”

Iran’s four competitors did not get that kind of reaction upon their arrival, for example.

Russia and Belarus remain officially banned from the Olympics. It will be interesting to see how the Americans are greeted.

02/06/26 15:41

Opening ceremony feeling more and more fragmented

- Zosia Bielski

I think it’s clear that “harmony,” the motif at this opening ceremony, fell apart from the get-go and only got more disjointed in the past hour and a half. From Mariah Carey’s stiff Volare and piercing whistle notes, to the Ibiza soundtrack thumping behind the athletes parade, to the Puccini bobbleheads, ice-block theme and that canned opening montage of espresso, risotto, church bells and cowherders, the whole thing has felt wildly fragmented. Cutting to and from athletes parading at the various venues isn’t helping.

02/06/26 15:37

CBC live stream viewers missed moments broadcast by NBC

- Kelly Nestruck

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I turned NBC on my television earlier and CBC Gem on my laptop – and can confirm that, if you’ve been watching the latter, you’ve missed major sections of the opening ceremony.

While the American private broadcaster showed Italian actor Pierfrancesco Favino delivering a beautiful recitation of Giacomo Leopardi’s 19th-century poem L’infinito, for instance, the Canadian public broadcaster was all ads.

Now the ads seem to be more in sync. The Azerbaijan and Belgium teams’ entrances were relegated to a small screen within a screen on both networks.

Canadian taxpayers footed the bill for CBC/Radio-Canada to have the rights to the Olympics through 2032 – but they’re letting us down by behaving more like a commercial entity than commercial entities do.

02/06/26 15:33

Team Canada family trivia

– Globe staff

Of the 206 athletes representing Canada, there are four sets of siblings, including Hannah and Jared Schmidt for ski cross, Brodie and Riley Seger for alpine skiing, Rémi and Jasmine Drolet for cross-country skiing, and long-track speed skaters Laura and Daniel Hall.

The youngest athlete on the team is snowboarder Eli Bouchard, 18, while the oldest is curler Marc Kennedy, who turned 44 on Wednesday. And there are nine Canadian athletes whose parents (one or both!) have also competed in past Games.

02/06/26 15:24

The deplete Team Finland athletes join the parade

- Cathal Kelly

With all those norovirus issues, shouldn’t the Finns be in haz-mat suits?

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02/06/26 15:16

Athletes let excitement show through their game faces

- Cathal Kelly

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If you watch a lot of professional sports, you’ve seen a million intro videos. The typical pro look, even before the biggest game, is somewhere between deep concentration and complete boredom.

The athlete entrances at the Olympic opening ceremony are the cure for that. Everyone looks primed and delighted. Nobody’s pretending not to care.

That’s why everyone loves this part so much. It’s genuine. The excitement is contagious. The pros are never going to do this, but they could learn something from it.

02/06/26 15:16

U.S. Vice-President JD Vance in Milan to lead the American delegation

- Adrian Lee

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JD Vance is in the building, leading the U.S. delegation in Milan, so all local pontiffs should be on high alert: When he was visiting this part of Europe in April, 2025, he became one of the last people to speak to Pope Francis before he died the next day.

The Vice-President’s presence is controversial enough that IOC president Kirsty Coventry has asked ceremony attendees not to boo – but good luck telling Italians who they can and cannot jeer. Vance’s attendance has also already given us an Olympic protest all-timer: As is the ancient tradition of so many winter-sport-doers, British skier Gus Kenworthy wrote a message in urine in the snow, which he posted on social media – taking aim at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. I wonder if his doodle might also double as a drug-test sample.

02/06/26 15:14

Team Canada takes stage in controversial Lululemon apparel

- Juliette Baxter

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Brazil won Moncler. The buzzy brand hasn’t been at the Winter Olympics since 1968 in Grenoble. And Canada takes the stage in the controversial Lululemon kits.

I’m going to guess their big welcome from the crowd is for the team and their athleticism – and not the gear.

02/06/26 15:11

Canadian flag-bearer Kingsbury gets love in Livigno

– Eric Reguly

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Freestyle superstar Mikaël Kingsbury was the flag-bearer for the Canadian freestyle ski team in Livigno, the Alpine town just to the west of Bormio. He and the rest of the crew were beaming as they paraded in front of an adoring crowd. I interviewed Kingsbury a few days ago and he told me that Milan Cortina will be his last Olympics. He’s 33 and has nothing to prove: 100 World Cup victories, three Olympic medals. He told me that for his last Olympic appearance, “I just want to have fun.” But we all know he wants to cap a stellar career with a podium finish in the single or double moguls. Forza!

02/06/26 15:01

Team Canada enters stadium to loudest cheers yet

- Robyn Doolittle

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Okay, I swear I’m not just saying this, but Canada just got BY FAR the loudest cheer from the crowd so far. Lots of Canadian fans in the crowd. Canada’s flag-bearers are Mikaël Kingsbury and Marielle Thompson. They are not in Milan, but I’m counting about 70 Canadians in the stadium parade.

02/06/26 14:54

Australian Olympic kits showcase Canadian gear

– Juliette Baxter

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Too bad these smaller teams aren’t getting as much love for their uniforms. They deserve more attention to design to reflect their hard work. And FYI, Australia is entering the stadium with apparel by Canadian brand Karbon. Love seeing Canadian gear celebrated abroad.

02/06/26 14:54

Athletes overdressed in balmy Milan

- Cathal Kelly

It is currently a balmy 7 C in Milan. After our winter, I would call this shorts weather. I can only imagine how all the teams coming into the San Siro wearing ankle-length puffer jackets must be suffering.

02/06/26 14:51

Parade of Nations begins as athletes stream through rings

– Robyn Doolittle

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Massive cheers erupt from the crowd as the announcer declares that it’s time to welcome the athletes. It’s Parade of Nations time, where the athletes from each country are showcased. This is interesting because so many athletes aren’t in Milan. A video shows athletes in different locations walking through a giant Olympic ring that matches the five in the stadium. This part always makes me very emotional. These people – and their families and loved ones! – have worked their whole lives for this moment. It’s just beautiful. So much is horrible right now and this is a moment of just pure joy for people who have worked so hard to become the best in the world at what they do.

02/06/26 14:46

Opening ceremony a master class in cultural references nobody gets

- Cathal Kelly

There is a strong onus on Olympic opening ceremonies to be elevated and inscrutable. A bit like that guy who comes to your house and tells you should really get into Verdi. Music most people don’t listen to. Cultural references nobody gets. Transitions that don’t make a ton of sense. Thus far, this has been a real masterpiece of that form.

02/06/26 14:44

Enjoying Italy’s opening ceremony so far, but doesn’t hold a candle to London

- Eric Reguly

So far, I am thinking that the Milan Cortina opening ceremony, while entertaining, doesn’t hold a torch (so to speak) to the London 2012 one. Watching Danny Boyle’s masterpiece in London was a thrill and, at points, shocking because it did not scrub clean Britain’s often dark, inglorious history, which included the industrial revolution and the “dark satanic mills.” I remember the chimney stacks on the stage belching out black smoke. All of which is not to say that I am not enjoying the Milan opening ceremony. The dance sequences are terrific. I just don’t find it as stunningly creative and energetic as London’s.

02/06/26 14:38

American broadcasters are beating Canada’s in ads

– Simon Houpt

Less than 40 minutes into the opening ceremony, CBC cuts away from the proceedings for another ad break. While NBC shows a charming short film set on a tram (and cuts to Team USA backstage), CBC viewers got a block of commercials for Airbnb, Audible, RBC and Scotties.

02/06/26 14:37

A fitting tribute to Giorgio Armani

– Juliette Baxter

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Giorgio Armani suitings choreographed and designed to echo the Italian flag? Minimalist and monochromatic, the fabrications flow like the flag, and his legacy is deserving of the honour. Emporio Armani has been outfitting the Italian team since 2012, celebrating sport and fashion for more than a decade.

02/06/26 14:35

Italian sports heroes Rossi, Mattarella get a nod

– Robyn Doolittle

A little video just played featuring one of Milan’s historic trams. It ends with a child dropping a toy of one of the Games’ mascots. Who should pick it up? Sergio Mattarella, president of the Italian Republic, which garners big cheers. On the tram’s final stop in front of San Siro Stadium, the driver is revealed to be Valentino Rossi, an Italian sports hero. (This garners even louder cheers.) We are now entering our fashion era. We’ve got runway models wearing green, white and red power suits designed by Giorgio Armani strutting across the field of play. The last model, wearing a long white dress, delivers the Italian flag.

02/06/26 14:33

CBC split-screen ads frustrate viewers

– J. Kelly Nestruck

I was very interested in what was going on with actress Matilda De Angelis – star of Netflix’s The Law According to Lidia Poët – and those guys with the big heads, but CBC decided to interrupt the opening ceremony just 10 minutes in with a block of five ads.

The ceremony shrunk to a small screen within a screen – and a bigger one took over most of the screen and the sound entirely for commercials for ketchup and The Super Mario Galaxy Movie.

Like my colleague Marsha, Canadians are irritated all over social media.

“Do the Super Mario ads take precedence over the CBC Olympic feed because he’s an Italian plumber?” Bluesky user @jasonlamb.org asked.

“Thankfully, I can switch over to another country’s broadcast,” posted @arrrdeecee.bsky.social.

This stuff doesn’t happen on other public broadcasters like the BBC, by the by.

02/06/26 14:31

Broadcasters call Mariah Carey’s Italian singing ‘embarrassing’

– Eric Reguly

The Italian commentators at the opening ceremony said Mariah Carey forgot some of the words of the famous Italian song Volare, as she was singing it (or tried to). One of the commentators said her “interpretation was embarrassing.”

02/06/26 14:29

Mariah Carey brings her pipes to Italy

– Adrian Lee

Mariah’s pipes are of course unimpeachable, please don’t cancel me – but she looked and sounded somewhat uncomfortable here in the cavernous space. It didn’t help that she clearly had to stonily read the lyrics of Volare. Things got a little looser during her on-the-nose song, Nothing Is Impossible, from her 2025 album Here For It All.

02/06/26 14:24

Mariah Carey’s sparkling gown takes centre stage

- Juliette Baxter

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Italian costume designer Massimo Cantini Parrini masterminded the looks of the ceremony. The Academy Award nominee only landed the role less than a year ago and fused a love of costume, colour and set design that’s camera-ready and eye-catching.

Mariah Carey is not to be outshone, though. She took centre stage with her voice and a sparkling gown fit for a diva and global audience. The design philosophy: more shimmer! More shine! More feathers!

02/06/26 14:18

These ads are a killer

– Marsha Lederman

What on earth is CBC doing? Making us watch/listen to ads instead of the actual action within the first 10 minutes of this opening ceremony? Did they think the split-screen would make it okay? Wow. And ugh. I have switched to NBC, for now.

02/06/26 14:17

Donatella Versace at opening ceremony for Giorgio Armani tribute

– Juliette Baxter

Donatella Versace didn’t go to the cottage yet (she’s a proud Heated Rivalry fan). Today she is at the opening ceremony and will witness a planned tribute to the late Giorgio Armani. Team Italy’s uniforms were designed by EA7 Emporio Armani, the athletic division of the well-known brand.

02/06/26 14:16

Opening dancers among more than 1,300 cast members performing

- Robyn Doolittle

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I see my colleague Cathal Kelly talking about the London opening ceremony, which was great. But Celine Dion walked out in the rain and sang in Paris after her battle with Stiff Person Syndrome. So Paris wins. But Milan is going to put up a fight. There are more than 1,300 cast members taking part tonight. The main stage is set up like a museum with glass showcases. The crowd is slow-clapping and cheering.

The dance performance we just saw was to represent the myth of Cupid and Psyche, which, according to organizers, “becomes a symbolic tale of attraction, transformation, and union, visually embodying the concept of Armonia as a dialogue between diverse elements.” It is a tribute to “Italian Beauty and Antonio Canova, a leading exponent of Neoclassicism.” Before it began, I could see hundreds of dancers (clearly freezing their butts off) jumping up and down in the wings ready to go.

02/06/26 14:03

CBC’s opening ceremony broadcast hosted by familiar faces

– J. Kelly Nestruck

Hi, I’m Kelly Nestruck and I write about television for The Globe and Mail. I’ve fired up the streaming service CBC Gem to keep an eye on the national public broadcaster’s coverage of the opening ceremony.

Sports broadcaster Andi Petrillo and Canadian singer Alessia Cara – Italian-Canadians both – are in the studio, while CBC News chief correspondent Adrienne Arsenault and Olympics reporter Devin Heroux are inside San Siro Stadium.

Since they went on the air at 1:30 p.m. ET, so far it’s been a lot of chit-chat about Italian food and fashion. Heroux, in particular, still seems to be warming up. “Speaking of humanity, there’s going to be a lot of humans in this building tonight,” he said in one segue he’s clearly still workshopping.

02/06/26 14:02

My own open-air office, thanks to local hospitality

– Eric Reguly

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The locals in Bormio made me an outdoor office in the town’s main square so I could write sitting down. You can even see the infamous Stelvio ski race course lit up in the distance. They said they will feed me too!

02/06/26 14:00

Embracing my inner couch gnocchi with Stanley Tucci

– Marsha Lederman

Normally watching the Olympics inspires me to get out there and do something sporty, or at least something mildly active. I have a feeling these Olympics, however, are going to make me want to sit down with a giant plate of pasta and a very good glass of Barolo. There is a lot of culinary commentary – for heaven’s sake, Stanley Tucci is there as NBC’s food and culture reporter. (Tough gig.) Speaking of food, I have shed my first advertising-related tears of these Games. Thanks, Cheerios commercial.

02/06/26 13:49

Milan is getting hyped for Andrea Bocelli at the opening ceremony

– Robyn Doolittle

Okay, we’ve got a DJ duo going now playing Euro dance music. An MC is interjecting to get the crowd going. He’s running through a list of some of the performers expected tonight. The biggest cheers were for Andrea Bocelli. But now we’re back to the beats. Crowds were advised to dress warmly. San Siro Stadium is open-air and the temperature is dropping rapidly (although it still feels more like a crisp October evening than a Canadian February).

And – brace yourselves – we’re getting instructions on some flash-mob choreography to a song that goes: “Milano Cortina oh-oh-oohhhhhh.”

02/06/26 13:41

It’s 5 o’clock somewhere in Toronto

- Zosia Bielski

Hi, I’m Zosia Bielski, a feature writer at The Globe who normally covers time use. I’m in Toronto, where bars have been given special dispensation to start serving booze at 6 a.m. to thirsty winter sports fans, accounting for the six-hour time difference with Italy. Ahead of the opening ceremony, I’m pumped for the pomp, pageantry and camp inside San Siro Stadium in Milan.

Will Mariah Carey bungle la bella lingua in song? Will Zucchero, Italy’s Celine Dion, make a cameo? Who will don the controversial Heated Rivalry fleece? And, after the first hiccup at Wednesday’s curling matchup in Cortina d’Ampezzo – where the stadium dimmed momentarily – will the lights stay on?

02/06/26 13:38

Can Italy top the London 2012 opening ceremony?

– Cathal Kelly

Hi, I’m Cathal Kelly, a sports columnist at The Globe and Mail, reporting from the streets of Milan (i.e. a bar). This is my eighth Olympics. I’ve yet to see a better opening ceremony than at the first one – London 2012. But it’s Italy. My hopes are high.

02/06/26 13:25

Buongiorno from Bormio!

- Eric Reguly

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Buongiorno! I am Eric Reguly, one of the six Globe reporters covering the Olympics. I am in Bormio, where the men’s Alpine competitions are being held, starting with the men’s downhill Saturday at 11:30 a.m., Italy time (5:30 a.m. ET). I am here with The Globe’s photographer, Fabrizio Troccoli, who will be contributing to our opening ceremony coverage. Bormio is a small, ancient town at the foot of the Stelvio ski race course. It is steeped in tradition and history and is known for its hot springs, whose patrons have included Leonardo da Vinci in the 15th century. Only a few metres from the main square, Fabrizio and I peeked into a window, thinking it was a house; it was a cow barn and farmers were milking the animals. The main square in Bormio, where we are standing, is packed. We are facing a huge screen waiting for the action at San Siro Stadium in Milan to start.

02/06/26 13:11

Less than an hour to go until the opening ceremony in Milan

- Robyn Doolittle

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Buonasera a tutti! Saluti da Milano! (I hope Google Translate got that right …) We’re an hour away from showtime and the crowds are streaming into the massive Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium, where an estimated 60,000 people are expected tonight. I got here around 4:30 p.m. and there were already massively long lines. About half of the stadium is full.

Inside, the Games’ mascots Tina and Milo are circling the stadium floor, which is decorated with 10-foot marble-style busts. Tonight we are expecting performances from Mariah Carey, legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and The White Lotus’s Sabrina Impacciatore, among many others. This opening ceremony is unique in that it will unfold in two separate cities.

02/06/26 13:06

An eye on culture (and 2010 memories) from Vancouver

– Marsha Lederman

I’m Marsha Lederman, a Globe and Mail columnist in Vancouver. In 2010, I was The Globe’s Western arts correspondent, busy covering the artistic aspects of the Winter Olympics, including a robust Cultural Olympiad and the opening and closing ceremonies.

I remember distinctly how un-winter it felt the day of Vancouver’s opening ceremony: Across the street from my house, people were playing tennis in shorts. Which is pretty much the situation here right now, crocuses and all (don’t hate us, Eastern Canada).

The impact of climate change is concerning. This week, the Calgary Herald reported on a study that found that of 93 mountain locations with the winter infrastructure to host a Winter Olympics, only 52 cities will have a cold-enough climate to do so by the 2050s.

But for today, we focus on the opening ceremony. I’m looking forward to watching and following along with Globe writers and readers.

02/06/26 12:46

Finland women’s hockey will play on despite norovirus crisis, coach says

- Grant Robertson

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A day after Canada and Finland postponed their opening game in women’s hockey at the Olympics because several Finnish players were stricken with norovirus, Finland’s coach vowed to play on – no matter how many players are healthy.

Finland head coach Tero Lehterä said today that he expects Saturday’s game against the United States to go ahead, even if he has to use the minimum number of players required under international rules.

“We’re going to play tomorrow no matter what. If we’ve got five players, one goalie, we’re going to show up,” Lehterä said. “That’s the rule, five plus one.”

It likely won’t come to that. Finland practiced on Friday with 14 players from a roster of 23: seven forwards, four defence, and three goalies. The other nine players were either quarantined with norovirus or being isolated as a precaution.

That was an improvement on Thursday, when Finland had 13 players sidelined with the illness or due to concerns they had been exposed, and only 10 players were able to practice.

“We’re hopeful things are looking a little bit better, but you never know in this situation what’s going to happen,” Lehterä said.

02/06/26 12:46

Watch: What makes the Stelvio ski course so terrifying?

- Eric Reguly

Racers on the notoriously technical and fast Stelvio will reach the lip of Saint Peter’s Jump at 100 kilometres per hour or more. At that instant, they become airborne for 50 or 60 metres and will hit 140 km/hr – almost the cruising speed of a small Cessna propeller plane – a second after returning to earth and making a high-G turn to the left. I felt my heart rate go up just looking at the wall.

The Stelvio terrifies lesser racers from the start to the finish, and even some of the best ones.

The run’s maximum gradient is 63 per cent, which makes Saint Peter’s Jump look rather tame. The top speeds are reached near the top, right after the near-vertical start. The best racers can hit 150 km/hr within 15 seconds or their near free-fall.

Read the full story here.

02/06/26 12:15

CBC hosting Olympics watch parties in libraries across Canada

Librarians near you may soon be trading shushes for cheers.

CBC is teaming up with libraries across Canada to host free Olympics watch parties, including for today’s opening ceremony at 2 p.m. ET.

The public broadcaster says more than 800 libraries nationwide – and around 30 Toronto Public Library branches – will screen parts of the Milan Cortina Winter Games in both English and French.

Find a watch party near you and see the full schedule here.

- The Canadian Press

02/06/26 11:47

Opinion: No penis-related news matters until it happens at the Olympics

- Cathal Kelly

There are a few reliable ways to supercharge a news story. At the Olympics, the key is to wedge the word “penis” in there somewhere.

Lots has happened in Milan already. Nothing will be as sticky in the global hive mind as Penisgate.

This is the story of male ski jumpers injecting acid into their members for the purposes of incrementally engorging their downstairs measurements. A bigger unit means you will be fitted with a larger ski suit.

Why are penises such a recurring theme at the Olympics? Maybe it’s the fact that in the midst of this very serious business, where the participants’ lives are constantly forking between agony and ecstasy, everyone needs a release valve.

Read the full column here.

02/06/26 11:37

Ten Canadian athletes to watch at the Olympics

- Chris O’Leary

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Milan Cortina will mark the return of numerous household names. Look out for “Captain Clutch” – women’s hockey player Marie-Philip Poulin – as she tries to add a fourth Olympic gold medal to her name.

Three-time Olympic bronze medalist Mark McMorris is hoping to capture his elusive gold in men’s slopestyle despite a crash in training, and Canada’s women’s curling team is aiming to end their 12-year gold medal drought.

Hockey superstar Connor McDavid will also make his debut, along with 24-year-old speed-skating phenom Will Dandjinou.

Read the full list of 10 Canadian Olympians to keep your eye on here.

02/06/26 09:23

Canada sitting fifth in figure skating team event

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Canada sits fifth in the figure skating team event after the first day of competition.

Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier scored 85.79 points in their rhythm dance to Supermodel by RuPaul at Milan Ice Skating Arena on Friday morning.

Trennt Michaud and Lia Pereira – skating in place of former world champions Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps – placed fourth in the pairs short program, while Madeline Schizas finished sixth in women’s singles for a total of 19 points in the standings.

The U.S., led by three-time world ice dance champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates, topped the standings with 25 points, followed by Japan with 23 and Italy with 22.

– The Canadian Press

A previous version of this story incorrectly stated that Madeline Schizas finished fifth in women’s singles. She finished sixth.

02/06/26 08:59

Vonn completes training run despite knee injury

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The weather kept Lindsey Vonn waiting, but the injured U.S. ski great boosted her medal prospects significantly by completing a first downhill training run without problems at the Milan Cortina Olympics on Friday.

The 41-year-old plans to race on Sunday despite rupturing her anterior cruciate ligament in a World Cup downhill crash in Switzerland last week – an injury that would have sidelined most competitors and has added more lustre to her already indomitable reputation.

– Reuters

02/06/26 07:00

Stellato-Dudek remains in Canada, ability to compete still unclear

- Robyn Doolittle

As the team figure skating competition got underway in Milan Friday morning, injured Canadian figure skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek – who was forced to withdraw from the event – was still in Canada and it remains unclear whether she will be capable of competing in the individual pairs event later in the Games.

Skate Canada spokesperson Julia Michalopulos said officials expect to make a decision in the next three or four days.

02/06/26 06:07

Canada falls to U.S. in mixed-doubles curling

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The Canadian mixed-doubles curling team of Brett Gallant and Jocelyn Peterman dropped a 7-5 decision to the American duo of Korey Dropkin and Cory Thiesse on Friday morning at the Winter Olympics.

Canada was unable to generate any scoring opportunities in the eighth end and settled for a single, falling to 3-1 in round-robin play. The Americans improved to 3-0.

The match had a celebrity flair to it as well. Hip-hop icon Snoop Dogg, who was named the Honorary Coach of Team USA in December, attended the game sporting a custom jacket featuring the faces of the U.S. pair.

Competition continues through the medal games on Tuesday. Traditional four-player team play begins Wednesday and continues until the final day of the Games on Feb. 22.

– The Canadian Press and Reuters

02/06/26 05:54

Protesters rally in Milan against U.S. ICE presence

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Hundreds of protesters gathered in Milan on Friday to oppose the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and the closure of schools and streets in the city ahead of the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina Winter Games.

The U.S. State Department said last week that several federal agencies, including ICE, would help protect the visiting Americans.

– Reuters

02/06/26 05:27

Today’s Olympic schedule and event start times

– Globe staff

The Games don’t officially open for several hours, but a jam-packed morning of competition is already underway.

Here are the events taking place before the opening ceremony at 2 p.m. ET. You can find the full schedule here.

• 2:55 a.m. ET – Figure skating team event (ice dance rhythm dance)
• 4:05 a.m. ET – Mixed doubles curling round-robin (Canada vs. U.S.)
• 5:35 a.m. ET – Figure skating team event (pairs short program)
• 7:35 a.m. ET – Figure skating team event (women’s singles short program)
• 8:40 a.m. ET – Women’s hockey round-robin (Czechia vs. Switzerland)

02/06/26 05:00

Hockey and politics set to collide at the Games

- Grant Robertson

At the Milan Cortina Winter Games, where sports and politics are about to collide against a backdrop of Canada-U.S. vitriol, hockey is set to emerge as the front line of a new proxy war.

Gone are the days when Canadian Prime Ministers and U.S. Presidents made friendly wagers on Olympic hockey – as Stephen Harper and Barack Obama did in 2010 and 2014, resulting in several cases of American beer being shipped to Ottawa.

Relations are far frostier these days, and even the players know this tournament just feels different than any other Olympics in recent memory.

Read the full story here.

02/06/26 05:00

Opinion: Welcome to the Olympics, where Canada is swaggering and the U.S. may not notice

- Cathal Kelly

In their opening comments on Thursday, the Canadian Olympic Committee tried to telegraph that there are two Games happening here in Italy.

There’s the hands-across-the-water version they use in Canadian Tire commercials. And then there’s the real one – good guys vs. U.S.A.

These are the stick-it-to-Trump Games. Each Canadian medal is a thumb in the eye to every dullard who, upon hearing you are Canadian, leads with a 51st state joke.

Read the full column here.

02/06/26 05:00

On the eve of the Olympics, Milan started to enjoy the buzz

- Eric Reguly

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The rain had been steady and miserable almost all week in Milan. The streets were largely empty, the restaurants and bars half full. The main Olympic host city felt far from alive.

The mood swung in the opposite direction on Thursday morning. The skies turned blue, the sun shone and crowds – Olympic ticket holders from around the world, Olympic staff, shoppers and journalists – took to the streets.

Read the full story here.

02/06/26 05:00

Spanish skater close to Minions music approval

Spanish figure skater Tomas-Llorenc Guarino Sabate said early Thursday that he has received the necessary approval for three of the four music cuts he needs to perform his short program. The only piece missing from his medley is Freedom by Pharrell Williams.

Sabate was optimistic enough to practice his Minions-themed program shortly after 7 a.m. local time inside a nearly empty Milan Ice Skating Arena.

Read the full story here.

– The Associated Press

02/06/26 05:00

What time is the opening ceremony and where is it?

– Globe staff

The opening ceremony will take place on Friday, Feb. 6, at 8 p.m. local time (2 p.m. ET/11 a.m. PT). Owing to the widespread nature of these Games across northern Italy, the opening ceremony will unfold simultaneously in Milan and the mountain venues in Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno.

Two Olympic cauldrons will be lit simultaneously in Milan and Cortina – a first in Olympic history – by veteran Italian Olympic ski champions Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni, according to local news reports.

02/06/26 05:00

Canada’s flag-bearers are Mikaël Kingsbury and Marielle Thompson

– Rachel Brady

Olympic champions Mikaël Kingsbury and Marielle Thompson will be Canada’s flag-bearers as the Games kick off this afternoon.

Kingsbury, a three-time medalist in moguls from Deux-Montagnes, Que., and Thompson, who hails from Whistler, B.C., and is a two-time medalist in ski cross, are both headed for their fourth Winter Games at the age of 33.

The Parade of Nations will take place not only inside Milan’s more-than-75,000-seat San Siro Stadium but across the three other host communities as well. Both Kingsbury and Thompson will march in Livigno.

02/06/26 05:00

How to watch the Olympics and opening ceremony in Canada

– Globe staff

CBC is Canada’s official Olympic broadcaster. The 2026 Winter Games – including the full opening ceremony – will be available to watch on CBC through your TV provider, or to stream for free on the CBC Gem app or at CBCGem.ca.

You can also follow The Globe and Mail’s live coverage of all the latest news and analysis of the Games, on our website or mobile app.

02/06/26 05:00

Your guide to the 2026 Games

– Globe staff

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The Milan Cortina Winter Olympics are upon us and poised to be historic in more ways than one, as Team Canada and the world’s best athletes converge in northern Italy.

From hockey to figure skating and the debut of ski mountaineering, the competition will be nothing short of thrilling. But at the most geographically widespread edition of the Winter Games ever, international tensions – particularly toward the United States – will also be on full display.

Here’s everything you need to know about the Games.

02/06/26 05:00

Where are the Olympics being held?

– Globe staff

Most of the 116 medal events will take place in six cities across northern Italy, spanning approximately 22,000 square kilometres: Milan, Cortina, Livigno, Anterselva, Predazzo and Bormio.

There will also be six separate athlete villages, making Milan Cortina the first edition of the Winter Games with a multicentred model.

Milan will host most of the ice sports, including speed skating, figure skating and hockey. Cortina will host events such as curling, bobsled and luge. The four other hubs – which are smaller mountain clusters – will stage the majority of the ski and snowboarding events.

The closing ceremonies will be held in Verona, the home of Romeo and Juliet.

02/06/26 05:00

Who is performing at the opening ceremony?

– Globe staff

Pop icon Mariah Carey, famed tenor Andrea Bocelli and Milanese rapper Ghali are just a few of the performers slated to take the stage at the opening ceremonies.

Carey, a five-time Grammy-winner known for “We Belong Together” and “All I Want for Christmas Is You,” is the ceremony’s biggest international name and will be singing partially in Italian. Bocelli, who earned a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2010, returns to the Olympic stage in his home country after singing at the 2006 Turin Winter Games closing ceremonies.

Italian-Tunisian Ghali raps with a combination of Milanese slang, French and Arabic, and shot to fame when single “Ninna nanna” reached No. 1 in the Italian charts in 2016. Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang, who also performed at the 2008 Beijing Summer Games, will be accompanied by Italian mezzo-soprano Cecilia Bartoli as he plays at his second Olympics.

Other confirmed performers include Grammy-winning Italian singer Laura Pausini, White Lotus actress Sabrina Impacciatore and actor Pierfrancesco Favino with violinist Giovanni Zanon.

02/06/26 05:00

What is the time difference to Milan?

– Globe staff

Italy is six hours ahead of Toronto (ET) and nine hours ahead of Vancouver (PT).

Many major medal events – including the men’s and women’s gold medal hockey games – will take place in the afternoon or evening in Italy, allowing for morning or early-afternoon viewing in North America.

02/06/26 05:00

Ask us your Olympics questions

– Globe staff

From how Canada is doing so far to what the energy is like in Italy, tell The Globe’s Olympics team what you want to know about the Games. We’ll do our best to answer your questions.