Two years after the Paris Summer Olympics drew record attendance and viewership with events that unfolded beneath a twinkling Eiffel Tower, the Winter Games are coming to the scenic alps of Northern Italy on Friday.
Unlike the last two iterations of the Winter Games (Pyeongchang, South Korea, in 2018 and Beijing in 2022) that depended almost entirely on man-made flakes, Northern Italy is home to iconic winter sports locations that athletes and fans know well.
For the first time, the event will take place simultaneously across four separate venues in the cities of Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo and Livigno.
Italy is six hours ahead of the Eastern time zone in the United States. Here’s how to watch and follow the action.
What time are the opening ceremonies?
The events begin at 2 p.m. Eastern on Friday (8 p.m. in Italy).
How can I watch?
NBC and Peacock will air the events live in the United States and show them again later that same night at 8 p.m. All live streams will be available on mobile and tablet via the Peacock, NBC and NBC Sports apps.
The full TV listings can be found here on NBCOlympics.com. You can subscribe to Peacock here and navigate to its Olympics landing page here.
If you’re not in the United States, dozens of broadcasters will carry the event live, including HBO Max (Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Norway, Sweden), the BBC (United Kingdom), and the CBC (Canada).
How long will it last?
It is expected to last around three hours.
What do we know about it?
It will be the first time in the Games history that two Olympic cauldrons will be lit simultaneously — one in Milan at the Arco della Pace, a 19th century triumphal arch, and one in Cortina d’Ampezzo in Piazza Dibona, a cobbled square at the heart of the mountain town.
The Milan-Cortina Games said the cauldrons will be lit at the same time to signify the “constant dialogue between the different territories of this widespread edition of the Games.” The design of the cauldrons was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s intricate knot engravings, the organization said, to symbolize “the harmony between nature and human ingenuity” and to pay homage to the artist who lived in Milan for 17 years.
There also will be athlete parades across all four venues in Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo and Livigno.
Who is performing?
Mariah Carey, known for her seasonal blockbuster “All I Want for Christmas is You,” will headline the show.
There will also be performances by popular Italian artists, including Laura Pausini, a singer who rose to fame after winning the Sanremo Festival of Italian Song in 1993 and won a Grammy Award for best Latin pop album in 2005; and Andrea Bocelli, a tenor and recording star in classical music and opera.
Sabrina Impacciatore, an Italian actress who played a hotel manager in the second season of “The White Lotus,” will also be a part of the ceremonies.
A few things to look for in the Games.
The U.S. women’s figure skating team has a chance to end its 20-year Olympic medal drought with two dominant skaters: Alysa Liu, 20, and Amber Glenn, 26. The last time the United States won a medal in women’s figure skating in singles was 2006, a silver. The last gold was in 2002.
Ilia Malinin, a 21-year-old American, is considered the greatest figure skater in the world and the only skater ever to land a quad axel in competition. If he captures gold in Milan, American men will have won back-to-back golds for the first time since 1988.
The lineup for the U.S. ski and snowboard teams will feature Olympic veterans like Lindsey Vonn, Mikaela Shiffrin and Jessie Diggins.
Ms. Vonn, the 41-year-old Alpine skiing star, came out of a five-year retirement in November 2024. She couldn’t walk without pain or limping, and underwent partial knee replacement surgery in April 2024. She has three Olympic medals and is a top medal contender in Milan.
And then there’s Jordan Stolz, the 21-year-old speedskater phenom who grew up in Kewaskum, Wis. He has a handful of world championships in the 500-meter, 1,000-meter and 1,500-meter and mass start, and is favored to win gold in all four of those events.
Ashley Ahn covers breaking news for The Times from New York.
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