Milan's storied San Siro stadium, the 99-year-old home of Inter and AC Milan, will stage the Winter Olympics opening ceremony on Friday night in what is expected to be its final global showcase before demolition. The stadium is scheduled to be replaced in time for Italy's co-hosting of the 2032 European Championship, making the ceremony a symbolic link between the city's past and future.
The ceremony will feature performances by Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, Lang Lang, Ghali and Andrea Bocelli. Bocelli said the Olympic values of sport are what matter most, not the emotion he leaves behind. Tickets for the ceremony range from hundreds of euros to over €2,000, putting them out of reach for many locals. Organisers have set up giant public screens in plazas and fan zones with music and food for those without tickets.
Security is tight across Milan, with increased police patrols, heightened monitoring at transit hubs and concrete barriers near major sites. US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend, amid concerns that spectators could jeer them and the American team in response to policies of the Trump administration. IOC President Kirsty Coventry urged respect, saying the opening ceremony should be an opportunity for mutual respect.
The women's ice hockey match between defending Olympic champions Canada and Finland was postponed on Thursday after illness swept through the Finnish camp, affecting 13 players.
Despite anxieties over costs, security and geopolitical tensions, the opening ceremony aims to reset perceptions and officially launch the Games. As the cauldron burns against the winter sky, Milan may feel transformed, at least temporarily, as the world's attention focuses on the competition ahead.
