What time is the Winter Olympics opening ceremony?

The 2026 Winter Olympics is upon us, and the opening ceremony will take place at the iconic San Siro Stadium in Milan, though for the first time in history, celebrations will be spread across four different locations (including Cortina, Predazzo, and Livigno) to accommodate athletes competing in distant mountain clusters.

The theme for the ceremony is “Armonia” (Harmony), aiming to reflect the balance between the urban landscape of Milan and the peaks of the Dolomite

The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina is scheduled to start at 21:00 (SA time) on Friday.

However, for those in South Africa who may be interested in watching the opening ceremony, it currently isn’t clear if it will be shown on SuperSport as it doesn’t feature on the broadcaster’s TV Guide.

Winter Olympics opening ceremony set to be an interesting affair

The opening ceremony of the Winter Games – which run through February 22 – is to be held simultaneously at four venues, including Milan’s San Siro football stadium, and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno, and Predazzo, which will host the skiing and snowboarding events.

This opening ceremony is making history because it’s multi-site. While the main torch will be lit at the San Siro in Milan, there will be live celebrations happening simultaneously in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Livigno, and Predazzo.

Numerous artists and 1 200 Olympic volunteers are expected to participate in front of many celebrities and government officials, including US Vice President JD Vance.

The ceremony will first celebrate the beauty of Italy, with singer Andrea Boccelli and American pop star Mariah Carey singing in Italian.

Which SA athletes are taking part at the Games?

Cross-country skier Matthew Smith and skeleton athlete Nicole Burger have been selected to carry the South African flag at the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games.

Smith (35) and Burger (31) are the oldest members among the five athletes who will do duty for Team SA at the XXV Winter Olympics. This is the biggest delegation that the country has ever sent to a Winter Games. All five are experiencing their first Winter Olympics at senior level.

Team SA’s other three athletes were born overseas. Malica Malherbe (British Columbia), Lara Markthaler (Germany), and Thomas Weir (Switzerland) are talented young athletes with bright Olympic futures and aged 21, 18 and 17, respectively.

In making the announcement about the flag bearers, the President of the South African Sports Confederation, Olympic and Paralympic Committee (SASCOC), Barry Hendricks, congratulated the athletes and wished them well.

“I’m delighted that we have five worthy athletes representing Team SA. Congratulations to all ahead of their first Winter Olympics, and a special note of congratulations to Matthew and Nicole who will carry our flag. It’s a huge life milestone for any athlete to lead their nation at the opening ceremony of any Games”, Hendricks said.

“With this being our biggest team ever at any Winter Games, the honour and memory is one that will last a lifetime. Carrying the flag will be an emotional moment for Matthew and Nicole. I urge them to embrace the occasion and continue to make themselves, their family and friends, and their country proud, on and off the field of competition”, he added.