The opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics took place simultaneously in four Italian cities, with boos directed at the US and Israel delegations at San Siro Stadium. Highlights featured performances by Mariah Carey and Laura Pausini, alongside the Brazilian athletes' parade led by Lucas Pinheiro Braathen and Nicole Silveira. The event celebrated Italian culture and lit two Olympic torches for the first time in history.
The opening ceremony of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, titled "Harmony," took place on Friday (6) across four northern Italian venues: Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Livigno, and Predazzo. At San Siro Stadium in Milan, the main event opened with dance and acrobatics performances honoring Italian history and culture, featuring composers Giuseppe Verdi, Giacomo Puccini, and Gioachino Rossini.
Mariah Carey performed "Nel blu dipinto di blu" (Volare) by Domenico Modugno in Italian, followed by "Nothing is Impossible." Laura Pausini sang the Italian national anthem accompanied by models in flag colors. The parade featured about 3,500 athletes from 93 countries, with simultaneous displays in other venues.
The Brazilian delegation was spirited, with Lucas Pinheiro Braathen (alpine skiing, Norwegian naturalized Brazilian) as flag bearer in Milan and Nicole Silveira (skeleton) in Cortina. Their uniform revealed a large Brazilian flag as they crossed the stadium, drawing praise on social media. Rebeca Andrade carried the Olympic flag alongside Eliud Kipchoge and Cindy Ngamba.
Boos targeted the US delegation, linked to ICE presence, Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies (including deaths in Minneapolis), and comments on Greenland. Officials like JD Vance and Marco Rubio attended, joined by Sergio Mattarella and Giorgia Meloni. Milder boos hit Israel, likely due to the Gaza war. Ukraine received the loudest cheers, while Russians compete without flag or anthem.
Sabrina Impacciatore recounted the Games' history from 1924, and Andrea Bocelli sang "Nessun dorma." For the first time, two torches were lit: in Milan by Alberto Tomba and in Cortina by Sofia Goggia. Brazil debuts on the 10th in cross-country skiing, with 14 athletes in five disciplines, aiming to surpass Isabel Clark's 9th place in 2006.
