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Milan-Cortina 2026 Opens With Early Events and Questions Over Venue Readiness

Viewers turn to NBC and Peacock for every event, with separate reports describing unfinished venues and extensive snowmaking.

CORTINA D’AMPEZZO, ITALY – JANUARY 26: The Olympic Rings are set in front of surrounding mountains on January 26, 2026 in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Cortina will host Sliding, Curling and Women’s Alpine events. (Photo by Maja Hitij/Getty Images)
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[US, Mexico & Canada customers only] Jan 21, 2026; Bormio, ITALY; General view of the Olympics logo in preparation for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Mandatory Credit: Claudia Greco/Reuters via Imagn Images

Overview

  • Preliminary competition begins Wednesday, Feb. 4, with mixed doubles curling underway and training or early rounds in alpine skiing, luge, hockey, snowboarding, ski jumping and figure skating.
  • The Opening Ceremony is set for Friday, Feb. 6, at Milan’s San Siro with live coverage at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and streaming on Peacock, featuring performances by Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini.
  • NBCUniversal carries U.S. coverage across NBC, USA Network, CNBC and NBCSN, with every event streaming on Peacock and a note that FuboTV currently lacks NBCUniversal channels due to an unresolved carriage dispute.
  • A leaked internal memo and photo reports describe unfinished work at multiple sites, including a Cortina cable car prompting local school closures, ongoing construction at the curling venue and incomplete areas at Milan’s hockey arena, plus claims the rink is a few feet shorter than NHL minimums.
  • Organizers lean on extensive artificial snow production as forecasts point to above-average temperatures at Alpine venues, with tens of thousands of spectators and nearly 3,000 athletes contesting 116 medal events through Feb. 22.