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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 carry out in the course of the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympic Video games on the San Siro stadium in Milan on Friday.

Gabriel Bouys/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Gabriel Bouys/AFP through Getty Photographs

The 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics kicked off in Milan on Friday night, native time. Athletes representing over 90 nations march into the San Siro stadium crammed with hundreds of spectators in the course of the opening ceremony in Milan.

Lindsey Vonn competes during the Women's Downhill event of FIS Alpine Skiing World Cup in Tarvisio, Italy, on Jan. 17.

The efficiency paid homage to Italian music, artwork and tradition with tributes to composers, visible artists and movies in a colourful 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, amongst dozens of different dancers.

Here’s a collection of pictures 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 carry out in the course of the opening ceremony.

Wang Zhao/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Wang Zhao/AFP through Getty Photographs

Colorful dancers perform under large tubes of paint suspended above them during the opening ceremony.

Colourful dancers carry out beneath giant tubes of paint suspended above them in the course of the opening ceremony.

Gabriel Bouys/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Gabriel Bouys/AFP through Getty Photographs

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 through Getty Photographs

Mariah Carey sings during the opening ceremony. She is wearing a white and silver sparkly gown with white feathers.

Mariah Carey sings in the course of the opening ceremony.

Wang Zhao/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Wang Zhao/AFP through Getty Photographs

Dozens of performers dressed in colors of the Italian flag: red, white and green, line up during the opening ceremony.

Performers dressed within the colours of the Italian flag line up in the course of the opening ceremony.

Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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, increase the Italian flag in the course of the opening ceremony.

Wang Zhao/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Wang Zhao/AFP through Getty Photographs

Two performers are suspended between two large rings.

Two performers are suspended between two giant rings.

Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

The Olympic Rings are revealed above dancers during the opening ceremony

The Olympic Rings are revealed above dancers in the course of the opening ceremony.

Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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 different athletes representing Greece parade in the course of the opening ceremony on the Predazzo Ski Leaping Stadium in Predazzo.

Javier Soriano/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Javier Soriano/AFP through Getty Photographs

Canadian athletes march into the stadium.

Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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 in the course of the opening ceremony on the Predazzo Ski Leaping Stadium.

Javier Soriano/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Javier Soriano/AFP through Getty Photographs

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 in the course of the opening ceremony in Livigno.

Cameron Spencer/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Cameron Spencer/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs

An aerial view of the athletes parading into the San Siro stadium.

Antonin Thuillier/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Antonin Thuillier/AFP through Getty Photographs

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 Crew Haiti arrive in the course of the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Video games in Livigno. (Photograph by / POOL / AFP through Getty Photographs)

Cameron Spencer/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Cameron Spencer/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs

Italy's flag bearers Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino parade with other athletes.

Italy’s flag bearers Arianna Fontana and Federico Pellegrino parade with different athletes.

Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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 different athletes on the San Siro stadium.

Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Piero Cruciatti/AFP through Getty Photographs

Italian rapper Ghali (center) performs during the opening ceremony.

Italian rapper Ghali (heart) performs in the course of the opening ceremony.

Gabriel Bouys/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Gabriel Bouys/AFP through Getty Photographs

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.

Closing torchbearer Italian skier Sofia Goggia holds the torch of the Olympic flame subsequent to the Olympic cauldron designed by Marco Balich at Piazza Angelo Dibona in Cortina d’Ampezzo.

Stefano Rellandini/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs

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Stefano Rellandini/Pool/AFP through Getty Photographs