Photos: Highlights from the Winter Olympics opening ceremony

Dozens of Italian ballet dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Friday. There is a large marble bust on the round stage and some dancers are in white, illuminated cases while others dance in the dark.

Italian ballet dancers perform during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Games at the San Siro stadium in Milan on Friday. Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kicked off in Milan on Friday evening, local time. Athletes representing over 90 countries march into the San Siro stadium filled with thousands of spectators during the opening ceremony in Milan.

The performance paid homage to Italian music, art and culture with tributes to composers, visual artists and films in a colorful spectacle. Performers included Italian actress Matilda De Angelis, American singer Mariah Carey, Italian singer Andrea Bocelli, Italian rapper Ghali and Italian ballet dancers Antonella Albano and Claudio Coviello, among dozens of other dancers.

Here is a selection of images from the opening ceremony:

Italian ballet dancers Antonella Albano and Claudio Coviello dressed as angels in all white perform with at least a dozen dancer behind them during the opening ceremony.

Italian ballet dancers Antonella Albano and Claudio Coviello perform during the opening ceremony. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images Colorful dancers perform under large tubes of paint suspended above them during the opening ceremony.

Colorful dancers perform under large tubes of paint suspended above them during the opening ceremony. Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images Italian actress Matilda De Angelis (center) performs as a conductor, dressed in a black gown and holding a large baton, with dancers dressed as the three great masters of Italian opera Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini and Gioachino Rossini, who are wearing giant heads and holding books of sheet music. Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images Mariah Carey sings during the opening ceremony. She is wearing a white and silver sparkly gown with white feathers.

Mariah Carey sings during the opening ceremony. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images Dozens of performers dressed in colors of the Italian flag: red, white and green, line up during the opening ceremony.

Performers dressed in the colors of the Italian flag line up during the opening ceremony. Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images Members of The Corazzieri, the Italian Corps of Cuirassiers, raise the Italian flag during the opening ceremony.

Members of The Corazzieri, the Italian Corps of Cuirassiers, raise the Italian flag during the opening ceremony. Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Wang Zhao/AFP via Getty Images Two performers are suspended between two large rings.

Two performers are suspended between two large rings. Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images The Olympic Rings are revealed above dancers during the opening ceremony

The Olympic Rings are revealed above dancers during the opening ceremony. Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images Greece's flag bearer Nefeli Tita and about 10 other athletes representing Greece parade during the opening ceremony. The athletes are wearing white winter coats and light blue pants and matching winter hats.

Greece's flag bearer, Nefeli Tita, and other athletes representing Greece parade during the opening ceremony at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium in Predazzo. Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images Dozens of Canadian athletes march into the stadium. They are wearing brown jackets with a large red maple leaf, brown pants and red hats.

Canadian athletes march into the stadium. Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images Colombia's flag bearer Fredrik Fodstad parades during the opening ceremony. He is wearing a winter jacket with a bright and dark green triangle pattern and a striped wide brim hat.

Colombia's flag bearer Fredrik Fodstad parades during the opening ceremony at the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium. Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Javier Soriano/AFP via Getty Images A tight photo of a South Korean athlete holding the country's flag with two fellow athletes behind. They are wearing white winter jackets with red and blue stripe design and white winter hats.

South Korea's athletes parade during the opening ceremony in Livigno. Cameron Spencer/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Cameron Spencer/Pool/AFP via Getty Images An aerial view of the athletes parading into the San Siro stadium.

An aerial view of the athletes parading into the San Siro stadium. Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Antonin Thuillier/AFP via Getty Images Athletes of Team Haiti arrive during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Livigno. (Photo by / POOL / AFP via Getty Images)

Athletes of Team Haiti arrive during the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Livigno. (Photo by / POOL / AFP via Getty Images) Cameron Spencer/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Cameron Spencer/Pool/AFP via Getty Images Italy's flag bearers Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino parade with other athletes.

Italy's flag bearers Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino parade with other athletes. Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images USA's flag bearer Erin Jackson parades with other athletes at the San Siro stadium. The athletes are wearing white jackets with white pants and red, white and blue knit sweaters and matching hats.

USA's flag bearer Erin Jackson parades with other athletes at the San Siro stadium. Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Piero Cruciatti/AFP via Getty Images Italian rapper Ghali (center) performs during the opening ceremony.

Italian rapper Ghali (center) performs during the opening ceremony. Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Gabriel Bouys/AFP via Getty Images Final torchbearer Italian skier Sofia Goggia holds the torch of the Olympic flame next to the Olympic cauldron designed by Marco Balich at Piazza Angelo Dibona in Cortina d'Ampezzo.

Final torchbearer Italian skier Sofia Goggia holds the torch of the Olympic flame next to the Olympic cauldron designed by Marco Balich at Piazza Angelo Dibona in Cortina d'Ampezzo. Stefano Rellandini/Pool/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Stefano Rellandini/Pool/AFP via Getty Images A general view of the Olympic flame in the Olympic cauldron designed by Marco Balich next to the Arco della Pace monument in Milan.

A general view of the Olympic flame in the Olympic cauldron designed by Marco Balich next to the Arco della Pace monument in Milan. Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images hide caption

toggle caption Julien De Rosa/AFP via Getty Images Sloats Milo and Tina, Paralympics and Olympics mascots, dance before the Olympic opening ceremony.

Stoats Milo and Tina, the Paralympics and Olympics mascots, dance before the Olympic opening ceremony. Ben Curtis/AP hide caption

toggle caption Ben Curtis/AP
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