The 2026 Winter Olympics commenced in Milan with an opening ceremony that prioritized Italian style and aesthetic beauty over the grand spectacle that global audiences have come to expect from recent Games. Held on Friday evening against the backdrop of Italy's fashion capital, the event showcased the nation's rich cultural heritage through a distinctly fashion-forward lens, though many observers noted it lacked the ambitious scale and technological wizardry that have defined previous Olympic celebrations.
Vittoria Ceretti, the 27-year-old Italian model currently linked to Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio, drew significant international attention as she carried the national flag during the ceremony's introductory moments. Her presence served as a perfect prelude to the evening's overarching emphasis on Italian beauty, design, and celebrity culture. The decision to feature Ceretti aligned seamlessly with the subsequent tribute to Giorgio Armani, the legendary Milanese fashion designer who passed away in September at the age of 90. Models paraded across the stage in elegant Armani suits rendered in the colors of the Italian flag—red, white, and green—creating a runway-style homage that celebrated the country's profound influence on global fashion and its commitment to aesthetic excellence.
While the official theme of the ceremony was "harmony," the execution revealed a deeper preoccupation with beauty in its various forms. The program consistently highlighted Italy's contributions to art, music, cuisine, and physical appearance, yet conspicuously avoided monumental displays of engineering or historical grandeur. The massive architectural achievements that define Italy's legacy—the Duomo di Milano, Roman Colosseum, and ancient aqueducts—remained absent from the visual narrative, perhaps due to the practical and financial constraints of recreating such icons on a temporary stage. This omission suggested a deliberate choice to focus on intangible cultural assets rather than physical monuments.
The performances themselves unfolded as a series of dance sequences that, while visually pleasant and competently executed, failed to achieve the breathtaking impact of recent Olympic ceremonies. The opening number featured representations of Cupid and Psyche from Apuleius's "Metamorphoses," with performers embodying these classical figures as they navigated around other artistic symbols in search of one another. The choreography, though graceful, lacked the narrative clarity and emotional resonance that might have connected international audiences to this ancient Roman tale. Unlike the controversial and boundary-pushing elements of Paris 2024's opening ceremony, which sparked global conversation, this segment maintained a conventional, family-friendly approach that prioritized safety over innovation.
A particularly unusual segment introduced oversized bobblehead figures representing three of Italy's most celebrated opera composers: Gioachino Rossini, Giuseppe Verdi, and Giacomo Puccini. These caricatured giants, with their comically nodding heads, bobbed across the performance space while dancers costumed as musical notes, espresso machines, picture frames, chefs, and historical figures like Galileo Galilei and Leonardo da Vinci moved in choreographed patterns around them. The effect, while whimsical and distinctly Italian in its embrace of the absurd, struck many viewers as more reminiscent of a regional festival or carnival than a global sporting event's opening ceremony. The juxtaposition of high culture (opera composers) with kitschy presentation created a tonal dissonance that characterized much of the evening.
The musical performances included a rendition of the classic Italian song "Volare" that transitioned into a newer composition titled "Nothing is Impossible." The vocalist delivered both songs with impressive technical skill and emotional depth, though the staging remained remarkably static, relying entirely on vocal prowess rather than dynamic movement, visual innovation, or technological enhancement. This minimalist approach stood in stark contrast to the elaborate productions that have become standard at Olympic ceremonies, where musical acts are typically integrated into larger multimedia spectacles.
Additional choreographed sequences attempted to represent various Italian cities and natural landscapes, though the abstract nature of these performances left some thematic connections unclear for international audiences. Dancers moved through formations meant to evoke the Alps, Mediterranean coastlines, and urban centers, but without explicit narration or visual cues, the geographic storytelling often felt obscure. The creative choices throughout the evening suggested a consistent preference for charming, low-scale production over the technologically ambitious spectacles that have defined the 21st-century Olympic experience.
Indeed, comparisons to previous Winter Games proved unfavorable for Milan's modest production. The 2022 Beijing Games delivered a massive, precisely choreographed, and technologically sophisticated ceremony that projected national power and organizational might through thousands of synchronized performers and cutting-edge digital effects. Similarly, the 2014 Sochi Olympics in Russia presented a militaristic display of precision and grandeur that, while controversial politically, demonstrated an undeniable commitment to spectacular presentation. Both ceremonies set a high bar for subsequent host nations in terms of scale, budget, and ambition.
By contrast, Milan's ceremony felt intentionally scaled back, as if designed for a smaller audience and more limited budget. The production seemed content with repetition and conventional beauty, offering little that felt revolutionary or particularly memorable. Even the 2024 Paris Summer Olympics, which faced criticism for some unconventional artistic choices and organizational challenges, attempted bold innovation and cultural commentary that sparked global discourse. Milan's ceremony, in contrast, appeared to avoid risk entirely, settling for pleasant but unremarkable entertainment.
The Parade of Nations introduced an interesting structural innovation by dividing the procession across four host locations: Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno, and Predazzo. While this decision complicated the traditional single-stadium march that audiences expect, it reflected the reality of these being the most widespread Winter Games in history. This geographic distribution allowed more athletes to participate in the ceremony without traveling far from their competition venues, addressing a practical challenge of modern Winter Olympics where events are often scattered across mountain regions. However, the fragmentation also diluted the emotional impact of seeing all nations gathered in one place, a powerful symbol of global unity that has long been central to Olympic ceremonies.
The Italian team entered to a techno remix of "Largo al factotum" from Rossini's "The Barber of Seville," with the famous "Figaro! Figaro!" refrain transformed into a pulsating electronic dance track. This playful musical choice encapsulated the ceremony's campy, lighthearted tone—simultaneously honoring Italy's operatic heritage while attempting to modernize it for contemporary audiences. The result was emblematic of the entire evening: well-intentioned, occasionally charming, but ultimately uncertain in its artistic identity.
Following the parade, the program returned to yet another dance sequence featuring actress Sabrina Impacciatore from the second season of HBO's "The White Lotus," who performed alongside characters representing various mountain towns and Alpine traditions. This final performance reinforced the ceremony's consistent emphasis on dance and movement, though by this point, the repetitive format had begun to test the patience of viewers hoping for greater variety or a climactic finale. The absence of a spectacular lighting display, fireworks sequence, or technological marvel left the ceremony feeling like it had simply faded out rather than reached a triumphant conclusion.
Ultimately, Milan's opening ceremony succeeded in presenting an authentically Italian celebration that honored the nation's fashion heritage, artistic legacy, and aesthetic values. The production consistently reflected Italy's cultural priorities: beauty, style, and emotional expression over technical demonstration or architectural spectacle. However, for audiences anticipating the spectacular pageantry that Olympic ceremonies can deliver when resources and ambition align, the event felt underwhelming and forgettable.
The production choices prioritized charm and surface beauty over depth, scale, and innovation, resulting in a ceremony that was pleasant to watch but left little lasting impression. While Italy's genetic and cultural gifts were indeed on full display through its models, designers, and performers, the millennia-old industriousness that built the nation's greatest achievements remained notably absent from the celebration. The ceremony raised an important question about the future direction of Olympic openings: must every host nation attempt to outdo its predecessors in spectacle, or is there value in a more modest, culturally specific approach? Milan's answer, while true to its identity, may not be the one that satisfies a global audience expecting the extraordinary.