What To Know Heading Into 2026 Winter Olympics
It happens like clockwork. One day, you’re living your normal life, worrying about taxes and groceries. The next day, you’re screaming at your television because the U.S. curling team missed a takeout by two millimeters. You suddenly have strong, unshakeable opinions on luge aerodynamics and figure skating edge quality. Welcome back to the Winter Olympics.
It’s that special time every four years when we all become temporary experts on sports we haven’t thought about since 2022. This time around, the world is descending on Northern Italy for the Milan Cortina Games. It’s going to be stylish, it’s going to be fast, and if the schedule is any indication, it’s going to be absolutely relentless.
The Vibe: Italian Style and Massive Scale
Unlike the localized bubble we saw in Beijing back in 2022, the 2026 Winter Olympics are spreading their wings. We are talking about the most widespread Olympics in history. The events aren’t just in one cluster; they are scattered across over two dozen venues in Northern Italy, spanning hundreds of miles.
You’ve got the fashion capital of Milan holding down the city vibes, and the stunning Dolomites in Cortina d’Ampezzo providing that classic, jagged-peak backdrop that looks like a postcard from 1956.
It’s going to be a logistical puzzle for Olympics organizers, but for us watching at home? It means the scenery is going to be unbeaten. Plus, crowds are back. Actual, screaming human fans. After the silent, sterile atmosphere of the COVID-era games, hearing the roar of a stadium when a skier crosses the finish line is going to hit different.
The Opening Ceremony: A Tale Of Two Cities (and Mariah)
Mark your calendars for Friday, Feb. 6. That’s when the pageantry officially kicks off. In a move that feels very “extra” in the best possible way, this opening ceremony isn’t staying put. While the main show is going down at the legendary San Siro Stadium in Milan—home to some of the world’s most intense soccer matches—there will be a simultaneous celebration happening in Cortina. For the first time, two Olympic cauldrons are getting lit.
And because it’s not a global spectacle without some star power, the entertainment lineup is stacked. We aren’t just getting the Parade of Nations; we are getting Mariah Carey. The “Queen of Christmas” is defrosting in February to welcome the world to Italy. She’ll be joined by Andrea Bocelli. NBC starts coverage at 2 p.m. ET. NBC is re-airing the whole primetime spectacle at 8 p.m. ET.
How To Watch the Olympics Without Losing Your Mind
The time zone difference is the undefeated opponent of the American sports fan. Italy is six hours ahead of the East Coast. That means a lot of the gold medal moments are going to happen while you are drinking your morning coffee or suffering through a commute.
NBC is still the heavyweight champ of Olympics coverage. They will be broadcasting live throughout the day, but if you want to see everything without spoilers, you might need to dodge social media until the nightly primetime show at 8 p.m. ET.
For the cord-cutters and the obsessives, Peacock is your best friend. They’re streaming every Olympic event live. If you’re the type of person who needs to watch every minute of Biathlon at 3 a.m., Peacock has you covered. They are also bringing back “Gold Zone,” which is basically the RedZone channel for the Olympics. It whips around from sport to sport, cutting straight to the medal moments so you don’t have to watch 20 minutes of ice resurfacing.
The Human Element
Beyond the broadcast rights and the celebrity singers, remember what this is actually about. We’ve got 232 Americans and hundreds of international athletes who have spent the last four years training for a moment that might last 90 seconds.
There is something terrifyingly beautiful about the Winter Games. In the Summer Games, if you mess up, you usually just lose a race. In the Winter Games, if you mess up, you are often careening into a wall at 80 miles per hour. The stakes are physical, emotional, and immediate.
From the hockey rinks to the ski slopes, stories will be written in real-time. Unknowns will become legends, and legends will say goodbye. So, clear off the couch, grab the remote, and get ready to care deeply about sports you didn’t know existed yesterday. Let the Olympics begin.
