The Olympic opening ceremony has become one of the most talked-about elements of the Games, growing in scope and spectacle over the years. The opening of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics is set to continue that creative legacy. Featuring performances from some of the world’s biggest artists and two torch-lightings in Milan and the Alpine town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, it’s going to be an event worth tuning in to.
The ceremony coverage will be hosted by Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and commentator Terry Gannon, and will feature the Parade of Nations, performances from Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and many more. According to the official Olympics page, the opening event will take place not only at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, but throughout “the entire city and the Olympic territories will come alive with satellite events and symbolic moments.”
While the opening ceremony marks the official start of the Olympics, you can catch some events as early as Feb. 4 and several that’ll run all the way until Feb. 22, when the closing ceremony will take place. Here’s what you need to know to watch the opening ceremony.
When is the opening ceremony at the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Live coverage of the 2026 opening ceremony begins on Friday, Feb. 6, at 2 p.m. ET, and viewers can expect it to last about three hours. Both NBC and Peacock will air an encore of the event at 8 p.m. ET.
How to watch the opening ceremony without cable
You can tune in for the opening ceremony by streaming it all on Peacock. It can also be streamed on NBC via a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV, DirecTV or Hulu Plus Live TV. (Note that because of ongoing contract issues between NBC Universal and Fubo, Olympics coverage will not be available on Fubo this year.)
Peacock offers access to live sports events like the 2026 Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LX on both of its subscription plans. Peacock Premium with ads costs $11 a month, and the ad-free Premium Plus plan is $17.
YouTube TV offers more than 100 live channels, including NBC, which you’ll need to watch the opening ceremony and the rest of the 2026 Winter Games. From now through March 17, new subscribers can sign up for a YouTube TV Base Plan for $60 a month for your first two months.
Who will be performing at the opening ceremony?
In addition to hosts Savannah Guthrie and Terry Gannon, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White will be in the broadcast booth for the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at Milan’s San Siro Stadium. Sportscaster Mike Tirico will be reporting remotely from San Francisco, where he’ll cover Super Bowl LX on Feb. 8.
The opening ceremony will also include performances from Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Pierfrancesco Favino, opera star Cecilia Bartoli and singer Laura Pausini. Italian actor Sabrina Impacciatore, best known for her role in The White Lotus, and pianist Lang Lang are also scheduled to participate. And as always, the Parade of Nations will feature every participating athlete from every country represented at the Games.
When is the closing ceremony?
If you’re planning ahead, the Winter Games closing ceremony will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, Feb. 22, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. ET/PT.
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