When are Winter Olympics Milano Cortina 2026? Who are the stars to watch? How to watch and stream live in UK and Ireland
Updated 06/02/2025 at 14:45 GMT
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The 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milano Cortina will see the top winter sports stars - including Mikaela Shiffrin, Marco Odermatt and Eileen Gu - competing for gold. Dave Ryding and Mia Brookes will be among those going for medals for Great Britain. We run through everything you need to know about the Games, including when they start, the new events, and where everything is taking place...
‘One of the coolest things’ – Vonn on prospect of partnering Shiffrin in new event
Video credit: TNT Sports
The world's biggest winter sports stars will be descending on Italy in 2026 for the Winter Olympics.
Mikaela Shiffrin, Marco Odermatt, Federica Brignone, Kirsty Muir, Eileen Gu and Mia Brookes will be among the competitors looking to medal in Milan-Cortina.
It will be the fourth time Italy has hosted the Games and all the action, from the ski slopes to the ice hockey rink.
We run through all you need to know about the 2026 Winter Olympics, including where exactly it is taking place, when it starts, the new events, and the stars who will be taking part…
When are the 2026 Winter Olympics?
The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics is on February 6 and will be held at San Siro, home of football teams Inter and AC Milan.
The competition actually starts two days earlier on February 4, and it all finishes on February 22 with the closing ceremony at Verona Arena.
Where are the 2026 Winter Olympics?
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be hosted in two cities in northern Italy: Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
The events will take place in four main areas:
- Milan - ceremonies in Milan and Verona; ice hockey, speed skating, figure skating and short track in Milan
- Valtellina - freestyle skiing and snowboard events in Livigno; ski mountaineering and men's Alpine skiing on the Stelvio
- Cortina - women's Alpine skiing on the Tofane; curling and sliding sports in Cortina; biathlon in Anterselva
- Val di Fiemme - ski jumping in Predazzo; cross-country skiing in Tesero
How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics
Watch the 2026 Winter Olympics on TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland - full coverage details will be confirmed in due course.
How many medals can be won?
There will be more than 3,500 athletes at the 2026 Winter Olympics, competing for 195 medals.
The number of medal events has increased from 109 to 116.
What new events are at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
There are seven new medal events at the 2026 Winter Olympics.
They are: ski mountaineering, men's dual moguls, women’s dual moguls, men’s and women's doubles luge, men's and women's team Alpine combined, women's large hill ski jump, and mixed team skeleton.
Who will be competing at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Among the stars bidding for glory in Milan Cortina will be alpine skiers Mikaela Shiffrin, Marco Odermatt and Federica Brignone.
USA's Lindsey Vonn, 40, is also aiming to make her Olympic return after coming out of a six-year retirement.
Great Britain’s Dave Ryding will be hoping to join them on the ski slopes and compete at his fifth Olympics.
Snowboarder Mia Brookes could make her Olympic debut while Bruce Mouat will be looking to improve on his curling silver from 2022 and freestyle skier Kirty Muir could compete against Chinese superstar Eileen Gu.
Italy’s Nicolo Ernesto Canclini will be going for gold in ski mountaineering, and could skier Lucas Pinheiro Braathen win Brazil’s first Winter Olympics medal?
When are the 2026 Paralympic Winter Games?
The 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will be held from March 6-15.
They will also be held in Milan-Cortina and will see around 600 athletes competing in 79 medal events across six sports.
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