The 2026 Winter Olympics are shaping up to be one of the more unusual Games in recent memory. Italy is hosting the Winter Games for the third time, and this edition faces some real challenges—climate concerns, construction delays, and plenty of questions about whether all this is actually sustainable. Between new sports being considered, venue designs that range from clever to questionable, and the sheer logistical headache of spreading events across 200 kilometers, there’s a lot happening here. This guide covers what you need to know, from when things happen to who’s likely to compete, and why this particular Olympics matters.
Back to Italy
Italy hosted the Winter Olympics once before, in 1956 at Cortina d’Ampezzo. The IOC chose Milan-Cortina for 2026 at their meeting in Lausanne back in June 2019. Austria’s Innsbruck was the other bidder, but they dropped out before the final vote, so Italy basically ran unopposed.
The setup for these Games is genuinely unusual. Most Winter Olympics cluster everything in one region, but Milan-Cortina stretches across about 200 kilometers—Milan on the flat plains of northern Italy, Cortina way up in the Dolomite mountains. Getting athletes and equipment moving between the two has been a major planning headache.
Milan handles the Olympic Village, most indoor events, and the Opening and Closing Ceremonies at San Siro Stadium. Cortina, which remember hosted back in 1956, gets the alpine skiing and sliding sports (bobsleigh, luge, skeleton) at the renovated Cortina sliding center. Ice hockey splits between Milan and nearby cities, while the other mountain sports use venues scattered through the Dolomites.
Sports and Schedule
Seven core sports make up the Winter Olympics program: alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing, figure skating, ice hockey, luge, ski jumping, snowboarding, and speed skating. The IOC is still considering adding a few more disciplines to pull in younger viewers.
The Games run February 6 to February 22, 2026, with the Opening Ceremony on February 6 at San Siro. Events actually start a couple days before the ceremony and wrap up on February 22 with the Closing.
Alpine skiing happens at the newly built courses in Cortina. The old Olympia delle Tofane course from 1956 got a major overhaul—modernized for today’s standards while keeping some of the original character.
Figure skating and short track take place at the PalaOlimpico in Milan, which has hosted big competitions before and will be reconfigured for an intimate feel. Ice hockey uses several venues, with the men’s final expected to be the biggest draw.
Cross-country, ski jumping, and biathlon share venues in the mountains with the Dolomites as a pretty incredible backdrop. Snowboarding covers the usual lineup—halfpipe, slopestyle, big air, and the parallel giant slalom that’s gotten popular lately.
Sustainability and Climate
Sustainability has been a major focus for these Games, probably because it’s impossible to ignore the climate question when you’re hosting a winter sports event. The IOC has been clear that 2026 needs to set an example for what Olympic events can look like in a warming world.
The big decision was to rely mainly on artificial snow. This has been controversial. Supporters say man-made snow, made with energy-efficient machines and careful water management, actually gives more reliable competition conditions than hoping for the right natural snowfall. Critics point to the environmental cost of all that snow-making and what it says about the reality of climate change.
The organizers are trying to achieve carbon neutrality through a mix of cutting emissions and offsetting what they can’t cut. That means renewable energy projects across the region, electric vehicle fleets, and building with recycled and recyclable materials wherever possible. The Olympic Village uses energy-efficient designs that will stay in use after the Games end.
Using existing venues instead of building brand new ones was another key strategy. They upgraded and modernized facilities that were already there—the Cortina sliding center, various ski areas that have hosted World Cup events for years. Less construction means smaller environmental footprint, and these venues keep serving athletes and locals after the Olympics are over.
Building Things
The Games have driven major infrastructure work across the region—transport, places to stay, venue construction. It’s been messy, with delays and budget overruns that are pretty standard for events this size, but things are moving toward completion.
High-speed rail between Milan and Cortina has been the priority. Once it’s done, the trip takes about an hour and forty minutes. That rail line will stick around as a regional transportation upgrade long after the Olympics. They’ve also improved highways and expanded airport facilities to handle the expected crowds.
The Olympic Village in Milan is being built to house around 3,000 athletes and officials during the Games. After, it converts into permanent housing for Milan residents. Similar athlete housing in Cortina expands the area’s accommodation options for the tourism industry there.
The biggest venue project is probably the Cortina sliding center renovation. It needed serious modernization to meet international standards, and the construction timeline was tight. The track and buildings finished in late 2025, just in time for test events before the Games.
Who to Watch
As the Games get closer, certain athletes and teams stand out as favorites, while some fresh faces are trying to make names for themselves.
In alpine skiing, Austria, Switzerland, and Norway remain the traditional powers, but American and Italian skiers have been performing well lately. The home advantage for Italian athletes could matter, especially in technical events where knowing the course and local snow conditions helps. The women’s competition has several defending champions trying to repeat, while new generations push to break through.
Figure skating always draws big attention, and 2026 will showcase the current stars plus up-and-coming talent. The team event format, added at recent Olympics, keeps evolving and creates extra drama as countries compete across multiple disciplines.
Ice hockey, especially the men’s tournament, reliably produces dramatic storylines and passionate fans. The usual suspects—Canada, the United States, Sweden, Russia, Finland—compete against rising nations hoping to upset them. The women’s tournament keeps growing, with the US and Canada still dominant but European teams getting more competitive.
Cross-country and biathlon test athletes’ endurance and accuracy across brutal race formats. Nordic combined, where athletes need to excel at both ski jumping and cross-country, always delivers exciting competitions. Norway has historically owned these sports, but other countries are narrowing the gap.
Why This Matters
The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics arrive at a turning point for the Games and for winter sports generally. With climate change reshaping what’s possible for winter athletics, these Olympics will show whether new approaches to sustainability and environmental responsibility can actually work. What the organizers and IOC figure out here will influence how future Winter Olympics happen and whether the tradition can survive in a warming world.
Beyond the environmental questions, there’s something appealing about bringing the Olympics back to a region that genuinely loves winter sports. Italy’s enthusiasm for athletics, combined with the Dolomites’ scenery and Milan’s energy, creates an interesting setting. The distributed venue setup, while complicated to manage, highlights how varied winter sports are and the different places they can happen.
For athletes, the 2026 Games represent years of work and sacrifice. The pressure, the victories, the near-misses—everything plays out over seventeen days. Whether you watch in person or follow from home, you’ll see extraordinary moments that capture what the Olympics are supposed to be about.
As February 2026 gets closer, the world is watching to see how Italy handles all of this. What works and what doesn’t will shape winter sports and the Olympic movement for years to come. One thing’s for sure: the best winter athletes in the world will gather in Milan and Cortina chasing Olympic glory, continuing a tradition that’s drawn audiences since the first Winter Olympics in Chamonix almost a hundred years ago.
