Milano Cortina Olympics 2026 Opening Ceremony Unites Mariah Carey, JD Vance, and Vittoria Ceretti in a Surreal Spectacle

If there was ever proof that only the Olympics can collapse worlds into one stage, the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics opening ceremony delivered it. Where else could Mariah Carey, JD Vance, and Italian model Vittoria Ceretti appear in the same night, bound together by choreography, symbolism, and pageantry?

NBC’s announcers summed it up with a single word: Harmony. The ceremony aimed to fuse Milan’s urban grandeur with the alpine spirit of Cortina d’Ampezzo, while also presenting a broader message of global unity.

A Grand Stage in Northern Italy

On Friday, dignitaries, athletes, and cultural icons gathered at Milan’s legendary San Siro Stadium for the three-and-a-half-hour event. NBC and Peacock began live coverage at 2 p.m. ET, with a primetime presentation scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.

This year’s Games mark a historic first: athlete processions unfolded across four venues — Milan, Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d’Ampezzo — making it the most geographically expansive Olympics to date. Reflecting that scope, two Olympic cauldrons were lit simultaneously: one at Arco della Pace and the other at Piazza Dibona, set to be extinguished together at the Games’ conclusion.

Italian Art, Opera, and High Drama

Unlike the rain-soaked Paris ceremony years earlier, Milan Cortina opened under clear, wintry skies. Bursts of color filled the stadium as dancers moved to Gioachino Rossini’s William Tell Overture. A cinematic tribute to Federico Fellini’s La Dolce Vita followed, complete with flashing paparazzi lights and sweeping orchestration.

Three massive tubes of blue, red, and yellow paint descended onto a spiral stage, unfurling around dancers in matching hues — a nod to Milan’s La Scala and the classical sculptures of Antonio Canova. Perhaps the most whimsical moment came when dancers appeared wearing oversized bobble-head masks representing opera legends Puccini, Rossini, and Verdi.

Mariah Carey Takes Center Stage

Dressed in a shimmering Roberto Cavalli design by creative director Fausto Puglisi, Mariah Carey delivered one of the night’s most memorable performances. She sang “Volare (Nel Blu, Dipinto Di Blu),” the Italian classic by Domenico Modugno that once topped the Billboard Hot 100.

Adorned in platinum-and-diamond jewelry by Levuma, Carey followed with her original song “Nothing Is Impossible,” hitting a soaring high note that drew thunderous applause from the crowd of more than 60,000.

World Leaders and Mixed Reactions

Following Carey’s performance, Italian president Sergio Mattarella entered the stadium alongside Kirsty Coventry, the International Olympic Committee president and former Olympic swimmer.

They were shown seated near U.S. Vice President JD Vance and his wife, Usha Vance. As U.S. athletes passed during the parade, some audible boos rippled through the stadium — echoing reactions the Vances received during a previous public appearance months earlier. Vance wore a light blue tie beneath his overcoat, while Usha, who is expecting the couple’s fourth child, opted for a camel peacoat and cream turtleneck.

Fashion, Poetry, and National Pride

Italian icon Laura Pausini performed the national anthem, “Fratelli d’Italia,” followed by actor Pierfrancesco Favino reciting Giacomo Leopardi’s poem “L’infinito.”

Models dressed in red, white, and green glided across the stage in designs by Giorgio Armani, who passed away last year at 91. Among them was Vittoria Ceretti, who carried the Italian flag toward an all-female honor guard — with NBC commentators reminding viewers that her relationship with Leonardo DiCaprio became public in 2023.

Athletes, Opera, and Unexpected Cameos

The parade of athletes followed, with competitors from Greece — the birthplace of the Olympics — leading the procession among 93 participating nations. Later, Andrea Bocelli delivered a powerful rendition of “Nessun Dorma” from Puccini’s Turandot.

While Tom Cruise was rumored to appear on behalf of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics but ultimately did not, Snoop Dogg made an unexpected entrance alongside the Jamaican bobsled team — a moment that perfectly captured the ceremony’s fever-dream energy.

An Opening Ceremony Only the Olympics Could Deliver

From opera legends and fashion icons to pop divas and politicians, the Milano Cortina 2026 opening ceremony embraced spectacle without restraint. It was grand, strange, celebratory — and unmistakably Olympic.

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