The 2026 Winter Olympics officially kick off this week with the opening ceremony in Milan-Cortina. The opening theme of the Winter Olympics is “Armonia”, which means “harmony” in English. Nearly 3,000 athletes are expected to take part in the parade, carry the Olympic flame and light the Olympic cauldron, as well as performances by Italian artists such as Andrea Bocelli, Laura Pausini and Galli. Mariah Carey will also perform.
The Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony will officially begin on Friday, February 6, 2026, at 2 pm ET / 11 am PT. An enhanced primetime encore broadcast will air again on NBC at 8 PM ET/8 PM PT. Here’s what else you need to know about watching the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony. Wondering how to watch the Winter Olympics? Yahoo Sports has you covered.
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How to watch the 2026 Olympics opening ceremony:
date: Friday, February 6, 2026
time: 2pm ET / 11am PT
TV channel: nbc
Streaming media: Peacock
When is the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics?
The Winter Olympics will officially begin with the opening ceremony on February 6 (although some events will start as early as February 4). The 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympic Games will be held on February 22.
Olympic Games opening ceremony start time:
The 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony will begin on Friday, February 6 at 2 PM ET/11 AM PT. The ceremony will also be replayed in primetime on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.
2026 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony Channel:
All content from the 2026 Winter Olympics, including the opening ceremony, will be broadcast on NBC and streamed live on Peacock.
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Today Show host Savannah Guthrie and NBC Sports legend Terry Gannon will lead coverage of the opening ceremony in Cortina, Milan, with help from three-time Olympic snowboarding champion Shaun White.
How to watch the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony without cable TV:
For $10.99 per month, you can watch live coverage of every event at the 2026 Winter Olympics with an ad-supported Peacock subscription. In addition, you can watch the entire Peacock library and NBC content on-demand, as well as select sports and live events.
For $17 per month, you can upgrade to an ad-free Premium Plus subscription, which includes live access to your local NBC affiliate (not just during select sporting events and events) and the ability to download select titles for offline viewing.
Apple TV also recently launched a bundle with Peacock. You can bundle Apple TV with ad-supported Peacock for $15 a month, or go ad-free for $20 a month.
Peacock starts at $10.99 per month
Who will perform at the opening of Cortina Milan 2026?
Nearly 3,000 athletes will participate in the opening ceremony this Friday. In addition to the Olympians, Mariah Carey has also been announced as a headliner. Kelly will serve as the main narrator of the opening ceremony, along with Italian actress Matilda De Angelis.
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How long does the Olympic opening ceremony last?
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics is expected to last about three hours.
Where will the Winter Olympics be held this year?
The 2026 Winter Olympics will be held in northern Italy, mainly in Milan and the Alpine resort town of Cortina d’Ampezzo. The opening ceremony will be held mainly inside the San Siro Stadium.
Winter Olympics time difference:
This year’s Olympics are being held in Italy, six hours ahead of U.S. Eastern Time. That means some events will start early for U.S. viewers, with live coverage likely ending around 4 p.m. ET each day. NBC reruns the biggest moments in prime time every night.
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2026 Winter Olympics TV/Streaming Schedule:
All time east.
Wednesday, February 4 (pre-opening games start)
Curling (round robin) – 2:00 a.m. (Peacock – live)
Curling (round robin) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – live)
Alpine Ski Training – 3:00–6:00 am (Peacock – Live)
Thursday, February 5
Curling (round robin) – 2:00 a.m. (Peacock – live)
Curling (round robin) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – live)
Freestyle Ski Qualifying – 4:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard Qualifying – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Friday 6th February – Opening Ceremony
Curling (round robin) – 2:00 a.m. (Peacock – live)
Figure Skating (Team Event Short Program) – 6:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
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Snowboard Slopestyle Qualifying – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Onsite)
Speed ​​Skating (Early Distance) – 8:00 AM (Peacock – Onsite)
Opening Ceremony – 2:00pm (Peacock – Live Broadcast)
Opening Ceremony – 8:00 PM (NBC – Prime Time)
Saturday, February 7
Alpine Skiing (Men’s Downhill) – 3:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard Slopestyle Finals – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Speed ​​Skating Medals – 7:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
Figure Skating (Group Free Program) – 8:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (Group matches start) – 10:00am (Peacock – Live)
Sunday, February 8
Alpine Skiing (Women’s Downhill) – 3:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Freestyle Ski Tycoon Finals – 6:00am (Peacock – Live)
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Figure Skating (Pairs Short Program) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
Luge (Solo) – 9:00 AM (Peacock – Onsite)
Hockey (Team Competition) – 12:00pm (Peacock – Live)
Monday, February 9
Biathlon Sprint – 5:00am (Peacock – Live)
Speed ​​Skating Medals – 7:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
Figure Skating (Pairs Free Skate – Medal) – 8:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (round robin) – 9:00 a.m. (Peacock – live)
Skeleton (Preliminaries 1-2) – 11:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Tuesday, February 10
Alpine Skiing (Giant Slalom) – 4:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard Halfpipe Qualifying – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure Skating (Men’s Short Program) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
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Curling (round robin) – 10:00 AM (Peacock – live)
Wednesday, February 11
Nordic Combined – 4:00am (Peacock – Live)
Freestyle Ski Aerials Final – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure Skating (Men’s Free Skate – Medal) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
Speed ​​Skating Medals – 11:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Thursday, February 12
Alpine Skiing (Slalom) – 4:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Snowboard Halfpipe Finals – 6:00am (Peacock – Live)
Figure Skating (Ice Rhythm Dance) – 8:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (Medal Round Qualifiers) – 10:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Friday, February 13
Biathlon Pursuit – 5:00am (Peacock – Live)
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Figure Skating (Ice Free Dance – Medal) – 8:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Skeleton Finals – 10:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (Quarterfinals) – 12:00pm (Peacock – Live)
Saturday, February 14
Alpine Skiing (Team Competition) – 4:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Cross-Country Ski Distance Race – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure Skating (Women’s Short Program) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
Speed ​​Skating Medals – 11:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Sunday, February 15
Snowboard Cross Finals – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure Skating (Women’s Free Skate – Medal) – 8:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
Luge Relay – 11:00 AM (Peacock – Onsite)
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Hockey (Semifinals) – 1:00pm (Peacock – Live)
Monday, February 16
Freestyle Ski Double Tycoon – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Cross Country Ski Team Sprint – 8:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (medal event) – 10:00 a.m. (Peacock – live)
Tuesday, February 17
Biathlon Relay – 5:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Speed ​​Skating Team Pursuit – 7:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (Placement Round) – 12:00pm (Peacock – Live)
Wednesday, February 18
Alpine Skiing (Final Technical Event) – 4:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Freestyle Skiing Big Air – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Curling (Gold Medal) – 9:00 a.m. (Peacock – Live)
Thursday, February 19
Cross Country Ski Marathon – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
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Snowboard Parallel Event – ​​8:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Hockey (Bronze Medal Game) – 1:00pm (Peacock – Live)
Friday, February 20
Biathlon Mass Start – 6:00am (Peacock – Live)
Speed ​​Skating Final Medal – 8:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Figure Skating Gala – 1:00pm (Peacock – Live Broadcast)
Saturday, February 21st
Men’s Hockey Gold Medal Game – 12:00 PM (Peacock – Live)
Women’s Hockey Gold Medal Game – 3:00 PM (Peacock – Live)
Men’s Hockey Gold Medal Game – 8:00 PM (NBC – Primetime)
February 22 (Sunday) – Closing Ceremony
Cross Country Ski Finals – 6:00 AM (Peacock – Live)
Closing Ceremony – 2:00pm (Peacock – Live Broadcast)
Closing Ceremony – 8:00 PM (NBC – Prime Time)
