olimpic games 2026

The 2026 Winter Olympics are approaching, and Italy is preparing for an event that will shape its sporting legacy. Set to take place in February 2026, the Milano Cortina Games mark the first time Italy has hosted the Winter Olympics since Turin 2006, and the second time Cortina d’Ampezzo has served as an Olympic venue, having welcomed the world in 1956. As preparations enter their final phases, organizers face mounting challenges including climate concerns, infrastructure development, and rising costs that have drawn international attention.

A Historic Return to Italy

The International Olympic Committee awarded the 2026 Winter Games to the Milan-Cortina bid during its 134th Session in Lausanne, Switzerland, in June 2019. The Italian proposal defeated competing bids from Sion, Switzerland, and Innsbruck, Austria, securing 47 of the 82 votes cast in the first round of voting. This victory ended a 20-year wait for Italy to host the Winter Olympics, following Turin’s financially troubled but sportily successful 2006 Games.

The Milano Cortina 2026 bid represented a departure from traditional Winter Olympic host cities. Rather than centering the Games in a single mountain location, organizers opted for a distributed model with events spread across multiple venues in the Lombardy and Veneto regions. This geographic spread has created unique logistical challenges while offering opportunities to showcase Italy’s diverse alpine landscapes and cultural heritage.

Milan, Italy’s economic and fashion capital, will host the opening and closing ceremonies at San Siro Stadium, home to AC Milan and Inter Milan. The stadium, which seats approximately 80,000 spectators, is undergoing renovations to accommodate the ceremony requirements while preserving its historic character. Cortina d’Ampezzo, the Dolomite resort town that first hosted the Winter Olympics in 1956, will serve as the primary mountain venue for alpine skiing, snowboarding, and freestyle skiing events.

Venue Construction and Infrastructure Challenges

Construction and renovation of Olympic venues has represented the most significant challenge for organizers. Unlike many previous Winter Olympics that relied heavily on existing infrastructure, Milano Cortina 2026 has required substantial new development, particularly in mountain venues where terrain and accessibility present complex engineering problems.

The new Olympic Sliding Center in Cortina, designed to host bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge competitions, has been particularly controversial. Originally estimated to cost around 60 million euros, final costs have reportedly exceeded 150 million euros, making it one of the most expensive sliding tracks ever built. Environmental groups have raised concerns about the track’s impact on the Dolomite ecosystem, while local residents have expressed frustration with construction disruptions and traffic congestion on mountain roads.

Other venues have faced similar cost escalations. The Media Village in Milan, intended to house thousands of journalists and broadcast personnel, has required extensive renovation of existing structures in the Port Nuova district. Alpine skiing venues in Cortina, including the Olympia delle Tofane course, have required upgrades to meet international competition standards while preserving their historic character.

The most ambitious infrastructure project has been the construction of new railway connections between Milan and Cortina. A high-speed rail link reducing travel time to under two hours has been a central promise of the bid, though completion timelines have shifted repeatedly. While the main rail corridor has made significant progress, some connecting services may not be fully operational by Games time, potentially requiring supplementary bus transportation.

Climate Concerns Cast a Shadow

Climate change has emerged as a significant concern for Milano Cortina 2026, as it has for all recent Winter Olympics. The Dolomite mountains, while spectacular, have experienced increasingly warm winters and reduced snowfall in recent years, raising questions about the reliability of natural snow conditions for competition venues.

Organizers have responded by investing heavily in artificial snow-making capabilities. State-of-the-art systems have been installed at all alpine skiing venues, capable of producing millions of cubic meters of snow in a matter of days. These systems have proven essential in recent test events, where warm temperatures and rain threatened competition schedules. However, environmental critics have questioned the sustainability of relying heavily on artificial snow production in a region experiencing water stress.

The situation has prompted the IOC to closely examine future Winter Olympic host selections. Following the controversial 2022 Beijing Games, which relied entirely on artificial snow, there is growing recognition that climate change fundamentally alters the calculus for Winter Olympic planning. The 2030 Games, which will be awarded to the French Alps, face similar challenges that organizers are attempting to address through innovative venue design and scheduling flexibility.

Economic Impact and Local Sentiment

The economic impact of the Games on the Lombardy and Veneto regions has been a subject of considerable debate. Organizers project significant long-term benefits from improved infrastructure, increased tourism capacity, and international exposure. The Olympic Village in Milan, which will provide housing for approximately 12,000 athletes and officials during the Games, is being converted into permanent housing for sale after the Olympics, addressing the city’s acute housing shortage.

Local businesses in Cortina have expressed mixed feelings about the Games. The resort town, known for its upscale shops, luxury hotels, and celebrity clientele, stands to benefit from increased visibility and tourism. However, some business owners have complained about construction disruptions and concerns that post-Olympics infrastructure costs will lead to higher taxes.

The Italian government has committed substantial public funding to the Games, with estimates suggesting total public investment exceeds 7 billion euros. This figure includes not only Olympic-specific infrastructure but also broader regional development projects, including road improvements, railway upgrades, and environmental remediation. Critics have questioned whether the public investment provides adequate value for money, particularly given the cost overruns that have characterized the preparation process.

Buildup to the Games

With less than a year until the opening ceremony, the focus has shifted to operational readiness. Test events across all sports have been completed, providing valuable feedback on venue conditions, timing systems, and athlete services. The results have been generally positive, though organizers acknowledge that lessons learned from test events will inform final preparations.

The Olympic Village in Milan held its official opening ceremony in late 2025, with athletes and team officials beginning to arrive for preliminary training. The village features modern accommodations, dining facilities, recreational areas, and medical services, all designed to meet the high standards expected by Olympic athletes.

Athlete qualification pathways have been established across all winter sports, with national Olympic committees preparing their strongest teams. Italy, as host nation, has secured automatic qualification in all sports and is expected to field its largest Winter Olympic team in history. Italian athletes will face intense pressure to perform before home crowds, particularly in alpine skiing, where Italy has historically excelled.

The torch relay will see the flame travel through both host regions before arriving in Milan for the opening ceremony. The route will pass through numerous Italian cities, including Rome, Venice, and Verona, maximizing domestic engagement with the Games.

Looking Forward: Legacy and Expectations

As Milano Cortina 2026 approaches, organizers are acutely aware of the legacy they will leave behind. The 2006 Turin Games, while sportily successful, were criticized for leaving behind white elephant venues that struggled to find post-Olympic uses. Milano Cortina organizers have worked to avoid similar outcomes by emphasizing temporary structures, multipurpose venues, and legacy conversion plans from the outset.

The Games will also test the IOC’s distributed hosting model, which seeks to reduce the concentration of infrastructure investment in a single location. If successful, this approach could influence future Winter Olympic host selections, potentially opening opportunities for regions that previously lacked the resources to host comprehensive Games.

Whatever the outcome, Milano Cortina 2026 will occupy an important place in Olympic history. It represents both a celebration of Italy’s winter sports heritage and a test case for how the Olympic movement adapts to the challenges of the 21st century. As athletes, fans, and officials prepare to descend on Northern Italy, the world will watch closely to see whether the Games deliver on their promises of sporting excellence, organizational innovation, and lasting legacy.