2026 Winter Olympics facts for kids
Emblem of the 2026 Winter Olympics
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| Host city | Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy | ||
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| Motto | Sognando insieme (English: Dreaming together) | ||
| Events | 116 in 8 sports | ||
| Opening | 6 February 2026 | ||
| Closing | 22 February 2026 | ||
| Stadium | San Siro (Opening ceremony) Verona Arena (Closing ceremony) |
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| Winter | |||
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| Summer | |||
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The 2026 Winter Olympics, also known as Milano-Cortina 2026, will be a big international sports event. It will happen from February 6 to February 22, 2026. The games will be held in two Italian cities: Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo.
These two cities won the chance to host the games. They beat another bid from Stockholm and Åre in Sweden. The decision was made on June 24, 2019, by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
Italy has hosted the Olympics three times before. They hosted the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin. They also hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina d'Ampezzo. And the 1960 Summer Olympics were held in Rome. This will be the first time the Winter Olympics has two official host cities. It will also be the first Winter Olympics since 1984 where the opening and closing ceremonies are in different places. Many other cities in northern Italy will also host events.
Contents
Choosing the Host Cities
How Milan and Cortina Won
The cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo were chosen on June 24, 2019. This happened at a meeting of the International Olympic Committee (IOC) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Some members of the IOC from Italy and Sweden could not vote. This is a rule in the Olympic Charter.
| City | Nation | Votes |
|---|---|---|
| Milan–Cortina d'Ampezzo |  Italy |
47 |
| Stockholm–Åre |  Sweden |
34 |
| One person did not vote | ||
Preparing for the Games
Speed Skating Location
At first, the plan was to use an existing ice rink for speed skating. This rink is called Ice Rink Piné in Baselga di Pinè. But adding a roof to it would be very expensive. So, other options were considered.
One idea was to build a temporary or permanent ice rink in Fiera Milano. Another idea was to use the Oval Lingotto in Turin. This venue was used for speed skating in the 2006 Winter Olympics. It also hosted events in 2007 and will again in 2025.
In April 2023, it was decided that Fiera Milano would be the speed skating venue. This decision was made even though some officials preferred Turin.
Ice Sliding Track Location
The plan was to fix up the old Eugenio Monti olympic track in Cortina. This track is used for sports like bobsleigh and skeleton. Fixing it up was going to cost a lot of money. The cost kept going up, from about €14 million to €120 million.
No company wanted to do the work by the deadline. It was too expensive and hard to finish on time. Because of these problems, the mayor of Innsbruck, Austria, suggested using their existing sliding center.
Olympic Venues
Many of the places where events will happen were used before. Some were used for the 2013 Winter Universiade. Others were used for the 1956 Winter Olympics in Cortina.
Most ice events will be in Milan or nearby. The opening ceremony will be at the San Siro Stadium. The closing ceremony will be at the Verona Arena.
Milan Area Venues
- Stadio "Giuseppe Meazza", San Siro – This is where the opening ceremony will be.
- Fiera Milano Rho - This will host some ice hockey games and speed skating. It will also be a media center.
- Mediolanum Forum, Assago – This venue will host figure skating and short-track speed skating.
- PalaItalia Santa Giulia – This will be the main place for ice hockey.
- Piazza del Duomo – This famous square will be where medals are given out.
Cortina d'Ampezzo Area Venues
- Olimpia delle Tofane Slope – This is for alpine skiing.
- South Tyrol Arena, Antholz – This is where biathlon events will take place.
- Pista olimpica "Eugenio Monti" – This track is for bobsleigh, luge, and skeleton.
- Stadio olimpico del ghiaccio – This venue is for curling.
Valtellina Area Venues
- Pista Stelvio, Bormio – This slope is for alpine skiing and ski mountaineering.
- Mottolino/Sitas-Tagliede/Carosello 3000, Livigno – This area will host snowboarding and freestyle skiing.
Val di Fiemme Area Venues
- Stadio del salto "Giuseppe Dal Ben", Predazzo – This is for ski jumping and Nordic combined.
- Centro del fondo "Fabio Canal", Lago di Tésero – This stadium is for cross-country skiing and Nordic combined.
Verona Venue
- Verona Arena – This historic arena will host the closing ceremonies.
Sports and Events
The 2026 Winter Olympics will feature 116 events across 8 different sports.
- Alpine skiing (11)
- Biathlon (11)
- Bobsleigh (4)
- Cross-country skiing (12)
- Curling (3)
- Figure skating (5)
- Freestyle skiing (15)
- Ice hockey (2)
- Luge (5)
- Nordic combined (3)
- Short track speed skating (9)
- Skeleton (3)
- Ski jumping (6)
- Ski mountaineering (3)
- Snowboarding (11)
- Speed skating (14)
On June 18, 2021, the International Olympic Committee suggested adding ski mountaineering as a new sport. This idea was approved on July 20.
The final list of events was announced on June 24, 2022. Some changes were made to the alpine skiing events. Along with the three ski mountaineering events, five new events were added to other sports.
Here are the new events:
- Freestyle skiing: Men's and women's dual moguls.
- Luge: Women's doubles.
- Ski jumping: Women's large hill individual.
- Ski mountaineering: Men's and Women's sprint, mixed relay.
- Skeleton: Mixed team.
Images for kids
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A view of the San Siro Stadium in Milan.
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The Verona Arena will host the closing ceremony.
See also
In Spanish: Juegos Olímpicos de Milán-Cortina d'Ampezzo 2026 para niños
