2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics: The Last-Minute Spectator Guide

116 events, 7 territories, 2,900 athletes

From February 6 to 22, 2026, 2,900 athletes compete in 116 events across 8 sports and 16 disciplines. The Paralympic Games will follow from March 6 to 15. What makes this edition unique in Olympic history: the venues are spread over more than 22,000 km², with two main hubs — Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo — separated by more than 400 kilometers.

The opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium featured international artists including Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, and Andrea Bocelli. The closing ceremony will take place at the Roman amphitheater in Verona on February 22.

The winning strategy: think in clusters

5 Olympic venues accessible by metro

Milan is the most accessible base for a last-minute spectator. The city hosts five Olympic venues: San Siro stadium (opening ceremony), the Milano Ice Skating Arena in Assago (figure skating and short track), the Milano Santa Giulia Ice Hockey Arena (men’s hockey), the Milano Rho Ice Hockey Arena (women’s hockey), and the Milano Speed Skating Stadium (speed skating).

For spectators, Milan offers the best transport connections, the widest hotel selection, and the easiest access to multiple events, without the challenges of winter mountain driving. The city has implemented exceptional mobility measures: metro service extended until 2 AM and reinforced night bus network from February 5 to 21.

Practical tips

• Contactless payment in the metro (bank card, smartphone, smartwatch)
• Olympic Village at Porta Romana, near Milano Rogoredo station
• Explore the Navigli and Brera neighborhoods in the evening, away from the typical tourist circuits

Alpine skiing, curling, and sliding in the heart of the UNESCO Dolomites

In the heart of the UNESCO-listed Dolomites, Cortina d’Ampezzo welcomes the Olympic Games back 70 years after the 1956 edition. The resort hosts women’s alpine skiing at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre, curling at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, and sliding events (bobsleigh, luge, skeleton) at the Cortina Sliding Centre.

The setting is spectacular: the vertical walls of the Dolomites tower over every event. However, this cluster requires more careful planning due to the mountain access and limited accommodation. More affordable alternatives can be found in neighboring villages: San Vito di Cadore and Pieve di Cadore (100-200 €/night).

Access and mobility

• No train station: access via « Cortina 2026 Link » bus from Ponte nelle Alpi (7.50 € per trip)
• Limited traffic zones (ZTL) activated on competition days
• The most convenient airport is Venice Marco Polo (4-5 hours by car)

Bormio: The Stelvio run and the debut of ski mountaineering

Nicknamed Magnifica Terra for its hot springs, forests, and peaks, Bormio hosts the men’s alpine skiing events and the Olympic debut of ski mountaineering at the Stelvio Ski Centre. The course stretches 3,186 m with a vertical drop of 987 m and a maximum gradient of 63%, comparable to the legendary Streif in Kitzbühel.

Ski mountaineering, a discipline where athletes ascend and descend alternating between skiing and hiking, makes its historic Olympic debut in 2026. Tickets for this new discipline are already sold out — a sign of unprecedented enthusiasm.

Livigno: The freestyle temple at 1,816 m altitude

A village of 7,000 residents tucked away in the Rhaetian Alps, Livigno is the freestyle and snowboard temple for these Games, hosting 26 medal events. The most impressive structure in the Snow Park is the big air ramp, standing over 50 meters tall and illuminated for nighttime competitions.

Known as a « landlocked island » due to its difficult access, Livigno makes day trips nearly impossible. Plan accommodation on-site or in Tirano. The hidden perk: its historic status as a duty-free zone makes alcohol, tobacco, and fuel significantly cheaper than elsewhere in Italy.

Access to the Valtellina cluster

• Train from Milan to Tirano (one train every 30 minutes during the Games)
• Dedicated shuttle Tirano → Livigno (Foscagno Pass at 2,291 m — expect delays)
• Train & Ride shuttle Tirano → Bormio

Anterselva: The largest spectator venue of the Games

The Anterselva Biathlon Arena, in South Tyrol, is the venue with the largest spectator capacity of the entire Games (19,000 seats). From February 8 to 21, this venue hosts all 11 biathlon events — a historic first for this province on the Austrian border where German is heard as often as Italian.

The venue sits at 1,600 m altitude, with technical loops and a state-of-the-art shooting range recently renovated. The local culture blends Knödel (Tyrolean dumplings), Speck, and mountain wines. The Anterselva valley, overlooked by its glacial lake, remains one of the best-kept secrets of the Alps.

Val di Fiemme: The cradle of Nordic sports

A Dolomite valley classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Val di Fiemme hosts two major venues: the Tesero Cross-Country Skiing Stadium (cross-country skiing) and the Predazzo Ski Jumping Stadium (ski jumping and Nordic combined). It is the most affordable cluster of the Games, with family-friendly accommodation in Cavalese, Tesero, and Predazzo.

The valley is also an under-the-radar paradise for alpine food lovers: cheese dairies producing Puzzone di Moena, mountain huts serving homemade canederli, and the forests of Paneveggio — the « forest of violins » that supplied the spruce wood for Stradivarius instruments.

« Beauty in Action » closing ceremony

On February 22, the Verona Arena — a Roman amphitheater built in 30 AD for gladiatorial combat — will host the closing ceremony titled « Beauty in Action. » The stage design will draw inspiration from a water droplet, symbolizing a natural cycle connecting mountains, plains, cities, and seas. The venue will subsequently host the Paralympic opening ceremony.

Verona is the anti-Olympic village par excellence: a city of art, wine (Valpolicella, Amarone), and opera. Work it in as a one- or two-day « break » between your competition blocks to reduce fatigue and enjoy authentic Italy.

• Milan to Verona in 1h15 by Frecciarossa
• Verona Porta Nuova station is a 1.5 km walk from the Arena
• Very limited parking — take the train instead

Tickets still available from 30 €

Tickets are sold exclusively through the official platform tickets.milanocortina2026.org. Over 57% of tickets are priced under 100 €, and the ticketing office continues to release new batches during the Games, particularly for freestyle, cross-country skiing, Nordic combined, and snowboard.

Price ranges by category

Current offers

• 25% discount on group purchases of 4 to 10 tickets
• Snowboard and freestyle: buy 1 get 1 free on selected events
• Paralympics: tickets from 10 € for children under 14

Trains, shuttles, and the official app

The 2026 logistics challenge is the dispersal: Milan to Cortina is 400 km and 4 to 5 hours by road. The organizers are relying on a Train & Ride and Park & Ride system with dedicated shuttles from train stations to competition venues. Parking at venues is extremely limited or outright prohibited.

Main connections

Must-have apps

• Tickets MilanoCortina2026: your venue entry tickets
• Transport MilanoCortina2026: route planner and real-time shuttle tracking
• Take screenshots of your bookings in case mobile networks become overloaded

Bergamo, Bolzano, Trento, and Como: 30 to 50% cheaper

Accommodation prices in the host cities have skyrocketed during the Games. The solution: stay in well-connected neighboring cities.

Every evening, after the events, you get to enjoy authentic Italy far from Olympic inflation: pizzoccheri in Bergamo, Aperol spritz overlooking Lake Como, or canederli in a Tyrolean Stube in Bolzano.

Experience the Games without a ticket

The official Fan Villages are free, open-access spaces in the host cities. Even without a competition ticket, the Olympic experience is everywhere: giant screens, sponsor activations, and a festive atmosphere. In Milan, Piazza del Duomo transforms into an urban Olympic village. In Cortina, Corso Italia pulses with the energy of the Games.

It is also the perfect opportunity to discover local gastronomy, regional products, and Italian craftsmanship in a festive setting, without paying the price of a competition ticket.