The Winter Olympics officially kick off today, with the Opening Ceremony celebrating the start of two weeks of the very best of winter sport.
The main Opening Ceremony takes place in Milan’s San Siro Stadium, one of the historic site’s final events before it is slated to be torn down.
But due to the spread-out nature of these Games – taking place across northern Italy – there will also be athlete parades in the mountain clusters, including Cortina, where the curling, bobsleigh, skeleton and luge all take place.
This Opening Ceremony has taken ‘Harmony’ as its theme, and will celebrate the two main sites hosting this Games: Milan and Cortina, which also hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics.
Plenty of stars will be in action at tonight’s ceremony, and not just the athletes - Mariah Carey, legendary singer Andrea Bocelli, and Grammy-nominated pianist Lang Lang are all set to perform.
Follow all the action with The Independent’s live blog below:
Winter Olympics Opening ceremony live
- The Winter Olympics opening ceremony takes place tonight at 7pm GMT
- Mariah Carey set to headline ceremony which includes Andrea Bocelli
- Games have already begun with Team GB impressing in mixed doubles curling
‘Incredible’ Team GB can ‘disrupt the norm’ at the Winter Olympics, says Eve Muirhead
18:08 , Lawrence OstlereSome pre-Ceremony reading from our reporter on the ground, Flo Clifford:
‘Incredible’ Team GB can ‘disrupt the norm’ at the Winter Olympics, says Eve Muirhead
Dodds delighted with 'best performance'
18:00 , Lawrence OstlereJennifer Dodds felt she and partner Bruce Mouat had produced their best performances yet as the duo recorded another two wins in Friday's round-robin matches in the mixed doubles curling competition.
While they lined up against Sweden with an unblemished record so far in Cortina, they had narrowly defeated the Czech Republic in a nervy game on Thursday night.
Mouat and Dodds produced a strong showing against Sweden to win 7-4 in their morning match before a comprehensive 8-2 beating of Korea in the afternoon, with an end to spare in both games.
Dodds said: "Those two games were probably our best performances for both of us. We said after yesterday that we wanted to build and there were a couple of things we wanted to work on. We came out today and executed exactly what we wanted to do."
Mouat felt he has now got to grips with the surface, adding: "I found (my groove).
"It was a lot of good communication last night after the game with the coaches and with Jen. I felt like I woke up this morning in a good place and I'm glad that the shots proved that."
Protesters gather outside San Siro
17:50 , Lawrence OstlereHundreds of protesters chanted slogans, blew whistles and set off flares at a rally on Friday opposing the presence in Italy of U.S. immigration agents and the closure of streets ahead of the opening ceremony of the Milano-Cortina Winter Games.
Reports that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials would be deployed to protect Americans during the Olympics have galvanised opposition, given the agency’s front-line role in U.S. President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation push at home.
“ICE OUT” and “ICE should be in my drinks, not my city” read some of the banners held by the student-led demonstrators.
Blowing plastic whistles — which have become a symbol of anti-ICE rallies in the United States — protesters in Milan also called on visiting U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio to go home.
British medal hopefuls for 2026
17:25 , Chris WilsonMatt Weston & Marcus Wyatt - skeleton
As well as the freestyle skiing and snowboarding disciplines, GB have huge potential in skeleton - a sport which has seen at least one British medallist for every Winter Olympics it has featured in, bar Beijing.
Between them Matt Weston and teammate Marcus Wyatt won every single skeleton World Cup race this season, making Britain the first nation in history to achieve the feat. 28-year-old Weston is now a three-time World Cup overall winner, having won five of seven races on the circuit this season, and is the reigning world champion to boot, successfully defending his title in Lake Placid last March.
He is the red-hot favourite for individual gold in Cortina and a strong contender for another medal in the mixed team event alongside Tabby Stoecker, Britain’s top women’s skeleton athlete.
However, Marcus Wyatt’s stunning season - winning the two World Cup races not won by Weston and finishing third overall - puts Britain in the position of having two strong favourites for Olympic glory.
The 34-year-old won the European title in 2024 and was runner-up to Weston at last year’s World Championships, and played a crucial role in Britain sealing the mixed team title in the World Cup this season, winning two races alongside Stoecker.
He finished 16th on his Olympic debut in Beijing but after becoming one of the most consistent winners on the elite circuit anything less than a medal this time around would be a major shock.
British medal hopefuls for 2026
17:14 , Flo CliffordCharlotte Bankes - snowboard cross
Charlotte Bankes is another British snow athlete with gold medal potential - as Baker pointed out, “We have this incredible array of female athletes on snow who are pulling extraordinary things out of the bag”. 30-year-old Bankes is an Olympic veteran, having already represented France - where she grew up - in Sochi and Pyeongchang before competing for GB in Beijing.
A quarter-final exit there means she has unfinished business with the Games, but her path to victory was made more difficult by a collarbone injury last season which required two surgeries and drastically shortened her off-season preparation. But the two-time World Cup winner has already won a mixed team World Cup round alongside Huw Nightingale, who she will team up with in Milano-Cortina, and an individual World Cup round earlier this month, making her another one to watch.
British medal hopefuls for 2026
17:06 , Flo CliffordKirsty Muir - freestyle skiing
Freestyle skier Kirsty Muir has had a less than straightforward journey to her second Olympic Games. The 21-year-old ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in December 2023, remarkably managing to win bronze in a World Cup race despite being troubled by the as-yet undiagnosed injury.
She spent a year sidelined and had surgery on both the knee and a pre-existing shoulder problem, before returning in style, recording her first-ever World Cup victory just two months into her comeback, in March 2025.
The Scot was Team GB’s youngest athlete in Beijing, when she finished fifth in the Big Air and eighth in the slopestyle, and is in a strong position to improve on those results with two World Cup victories so far this season and two medals - gold in slopestyle and silver in Big Air - at the X Games last weekend.
British medal hopefuls for 2026
16:57 , Chris WilsonMia Brookes - snowboarding
19-year-old snowboarder Mia Brookes is another British favourite for a gold medal at the Games. She is making her Olympic debut in Milano-Cortina but is already a world champion and World Cup winner, having won the overall World Cup crystal globe last season alongside a second big air title.
She became the youngest world champion in snowboarding history with slopestyle gold in Georgia in 2023, simultaneously becoming GB’s first-ever world champion in the event, and is on top form heading to Italy having won X Games gold in slopestyle and bronze in Big Air this weekend. She will compete in both slopestyle and big air, with the potential for two medals at her maiden Games.
British medal hopefuls for 2026
16:48 , Flo CliffordZoe Atkin - freestyle skiing
Zoe Atkin finished ninth in her debut Olympics in Beijing but has taken the sport by storm since then, and is well placed to follow in the footsteps of older sister Izzy, who won Britain’s first-ever Olympic skiing medal with slopestyle bronze in Pyeongchang 2018.
The 23-year-old freestyle skier is the reigning world champion in halfpipe and won the overall World Cup crystal globe in the discipline last season, sharing the title with China’s Li Fanghui. She has carried that stunning form into the 2025-26 season, winning a second X Games gold last week, and has two silvers and a gold medal on the World Cup circuit so far this year, making her a heavy favourite for gold in Milano-Cortina.
Winter Olympics Explained
16:42 , Chris WilsonEver wondered what the lights are on the stones used in curling? Or what the power play is? Or maybe what a ski jump ramp is made of?
Well fortunately, The Independent has produced a number of explainers related to the Winter Games, with Flo Clifford on the ground in Milan and Cortina covering issues from curling regulations to Russian athletes and plenty more.
- What is ‘skimo’, the new Winter Olympics sport?
- What is the curling power play?
- What does having the hammer mean in curling?
- What are the lights on curling stones?
- What is a Winter Olympics ski jump ramp made of?
- Who are AIN athletes at the Winter Olympics and is Russia banned?
- Winter Olympics: Why aren’t Palestine competing and is Israel banned?
Which sports are in the Winter Olympics? Full list of Milano Cortina 2026 events
16:30 , Chris WilsonThere are 16 sports on the programme this year, including one which has never featured at an Olympics before, ski mountaineering, and new events in existing disciplines: a mixed team event in skeleton, women’s doubles in luge, and a men’s super team events in large hill ski jumping. The alpine mixed team parallel event has been dropped and replaced by men’s and women’s combined event.
Highlights include events in Alpine skiing, biathlon, bobsleigh, cross-country skiing and ice hockey:
Which sports are in the Winter Olympics? Full list of Milano-Cortina 2026 events
Winter Olympics Day 1
16:20 , Chris WilsonWe’ve had curling, ice hockey and figure skating starting early but tomorrow will see the first day of Winter Olympics action proper.
Luge, speed skating, speed jumping and snowboarding events will all begin tomorrow, while the curling and hockey events continue too.
Skiing governing body responds to penis-enlargement talk at Winter Olympics
16:10 , Chris WilsonWorld skiing’s governing body has dismissed the idea of ski jumpers injecting hyaluronic acid into their penises to gain a competitive advantage as a “wild rumour”.
One of the Olympics’ strangest sagas began when German outlet Bild reported talk within the ski jumping community of the practice allegedly being used to enlarge athletes’ measurements, thereby allowing them to use a larger and more aerodynamic suit in competition.
While there is no evidence of the practice being used and no allegations against any ski jumpers, the topic attained wider prominence when it was raised at a World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) press conference on Thursday. Wada said it would look into the claims.
Skiing governing body responds to penis-enlargement talk at Winter Olympics
How Team GB overcame power cuts and delays to make winning start in curling campaign
15:55 , Chris WilsonIt may not have been the serene opening night Olympic organisers hoped for, but Team GB’s Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds made a dream start in their bid for curling gold.
The mixed doubles pair were among the first eight athletes to compete at the Winter Olympic Games but their opening match was disrupted by a partial power cut after just five minutes.
The technical gremlins caused a short delay as staff at the Cortina Curling Stadium scrambled to fix the issue, in what proved to be another logistical headache for Olympic officials.
How Team GB overcame power cuts and delays to make winning start in curling campaign
Highlights: Team GB beat South Korea in Mixed Doubles Curling
15:42 , Chris Wilson
Who will perform at the Opening Ceremony?
15:34 , Chris WilsonPlenty of stars will be in action at tonight’s ceremony, and not just the athletes.
Mariah Carey is set to headline, although it’s not yet been revealed if she will perform “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, with rumours circulating that she will perform a well-known song in Italian.
Andrea Bocelli, one of Italy’s most internationally renowned singers, will return to the Olympic stage after previously performing at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. Over the course of his operatic career, the celebrated tenor has earned five Grammy Award nominations.
The likes of Snoop Dogg, who is Team USA’s first honorary coach and also part of NBC’s coverage team, will also make an appearance.
How can I watch the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
15:27 , Chris WilsonTNT Sports and streaming service discovery+ will broadcast every moment of the Winter Olympics, and will provide coverage of and build-up to the Opening Ceremony from 5.30pm GMT.
Viewers in the UK can also watch the Opening Ceremony live on the BBC. Coverage begins on BBC Two at 6:30pm GMT and will run until 10pm.
The ceremony begins at 7pm GMT.
What time is the Winter Olympics opening ceremony?
15:20 , Chris WilsonThe Winter Olympics officially kick off today, with the Opening Ceremony celebrating the start of two weeks of the very best of winter sport.
The main Opening Ceremony takes place in Milan’s San Siro Stadium, one of the historic site’s final events before it is slated to be torn down.
But due to the spread-out nature of these Games - taking place all across northern Italy - there will also be athlete parades in the mountain clusters, including Cortina, where the curling, bobsleigh, skeleton and luge all take place.
This Opening Ceremony has taken ‘Harmony’ as its theme, and will celebrate the two main sites hosting this Games: Milan and Cortina, which also hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics.
USA ‘honorary coach’ Snoop Dogg requests selfie with British curlers at Winter Olympics
15:12 , Chris WilsonBritish curler Bruce Mouat was delighted to have a picture request from rapper Snoop Dogg at Friday’s curling mixed doubles match in Cortina.
Mouat, along with his partner Jennifer Dodds, maintained an unbeaten record so far in the competition with a 7-4 win over Sweden, but he was just as pleased to meet the US superstar.
“We saw him at half-time. We saw he was sat next to (US curler) Cory (Thiesse)’s mum. He asked for a photo with us, so I am feeling pretty good about myself,” said Mouat.
Snoop Dogg requests photo with British curlers at Winter Olympics
Team GB beat South Korea in Mixed Doubles Curling
15:05 , Chris WilsonNothing South Korea could do there, with Team GB in control from the off and brilliant throughout, Dodds in particular continuing to deliver.
South Korea made a couple of high-profile mistakes, but they didn’t have enough to challenge.
Team GB will face the USA and Canada tomorrow, with the US undefeated and Canada having only lost to their North American counterparts so far.
Curling: Team GB 8-2 South Korea
14:57 , Chris WilsonA very well-played shot from Dodds with the last of the round, taking the stones into the button and leaving South Korea plenty to do.
The Koreans try to land a single – they do, but they decide that that’s it! We have the handshakes and Team GB are top of the standings in the mixed doubles!
Curling: Team GB 8-1 South Korea
14:44 , Chris WilsonA decent start for GB, landing comfortable on the outskirts of the button.
And there’s a lovely stone in the second shot, landing almost bang on the middle of the button! A great start.
Not a bad reply from South Korea though, knocking out that second stone, though Dodds and Mouat try to fight back, though South Korea manage to knock them further towards the boundary of the house to keep themselves in the ‘lead’.
Dodds uses the final stone and it’s a lovely shot, curled and swept straight into the middle of the button!
Can South Korea respond? They go with the full-on option, trying to simply knock GB out of the house, but it doesn’t quite go to plan and GB grab a steal.
Curling: Team GB 7-1 South Korea
14:33 , Chris WilsonA lovely shot from Bruce Mouat to knock both Korean reds out of the house. He allows himself a little smile as GB sit with one in the button.
They follow up with another well-placed stone, protecting the others by landing just at the top of the house.
South Korea go for another big shot to try and claim the three, though they end up making yet another mistake and are unable to get rid of any yellow stones! He was nowhere near in the end.
GB extend their lead once more!
Curling: Team GB 5-1 South Korea
14:24 , Chris WilsonBack underway after a brief break. Can south Korea fight back in Milan?
Curling: Team GB 5-1 South Korea
14:19 , Chris Wilson5-1 at the halfway point!
Another two points on the board as Team GB are helped by a mistake from their opponents.
GB have complete control in this one. They’ve been helped by a couple of mistakes by South Korea but they’ve been dominant, with a couple of crucial steals.
Curling: Team GB 3-1 South Korea
14:15 , Chris WilsonNot a great start from either side in the fourth, though it’s Team GB who are better placed, with two stones just outside the button...
Curling: Team GB 3-1 South Korea
14:06 , Chris WilsonAdvantage South Korea this time as they find the button. They make a mistake with their penultimate shot but Dodds can’t capitalise.
South Korea have a chance to add another point on the board with their final shot but it falls agonisingly short of the button, resting right on the line!
Curling: Team GB 3-0 South Korea
13:53 , Chris WilsonSouth Korea fire first next, finding the green but having to settle outside the button.
Dodds responds with another well-placed stone, just about finding the button to give South Korea all the work to do – they go for the hard option and they don’t make it, giving GB another point on the board, this one against the hammer.
Curling: Team GB 2-0 South Korea
13:43 , Chris WilsonGreat shots from Jennifer Dodds to begin with, landing twice in the centre of the house.
South Korea try to displace the stones but Dodds is equal to it, and the two riginal stones make the difference, giving Team GB two points to begin with!
Winter Olympics live
13:35 , Chris WilsonTeam GB will be getting underway in the curling soon, with the mixed doubles pairing facing South Korea after beating Sweden earlier.
Curling explained: How much does the stone weigh and what is it made of?
13:31 , Mike JonesThe official USA Curling rulebook states that each curling stone cannot be greater than 44 pounds (19.96kg) in weight, and no less than 38 pounds (17.24kg). The handle is included as part of the weight.
The stone’s circumference cannot exceed 36 inches (91.4cm) and cannot exceed 4.5 inches (11.43cm) in height.
The stones are made of a special type of granite, which is found on the island of Ailsa Craig in Scotland.
The hammer is a crucial part of curling. The team that has the hammer is able to throw the final stone of each end, generally a significant advantage, with all other stones thrown and the current scoring situation clear.
Whichever team doesn’t score during an end will get the hammer in the next round - this sometimes causes teams to avoid scoring just a single point, instead preferring to retain the hammer and score more heavily in the next end.
It is retained if neither team scores.
Curling explained: What are the lights on curling stones?
13:26 , Flo CliffordThe lights are a tracking system to ensure the athletes release the stone before the first hog line - the red line at both ends, where both teams must release the stone before passing it.
A heat sensor is embedded into the ice and will be triggered if your hand continues to hold onto the handle while breaching the line, meaning each stone has batteries to power these sensors.
Failure to release your hand before the line will turn the lights red and that team will be forced to remove it from play.
It rarely happens at this elite level, but such is the pressure at the Winter Olympics, it can occasionally happen.
Winter Olympics ‘penis-gate’ sparks anti-doping concerns
13:21 , Alex PattleThe World Anti-Doping Agency (Wada) has responded to extraordinary questions over ski jumping athletes and whether they are injecting acid into their penises in a bid to gain an advantage at the Winter Olympics.
Preliminary events are underway in Italy, where the 2026 Games will begin in earnest on Friday, and already there have been unusual concerns around the men’s ski jumping, which is due to start on Monday.
DJs, air hockey, and 5,000 teabags: Inside the Olympic village
13:15 , Flo CliffordOn a bright and unseasonably warm February day, hordes of people gather four or five deep around the perimeter of the Olympic Village. The phones and selfie sticks are out, clutches of policeman keep a watchful eye, and the horses hoping for a glimpse of… something, at least, as no one seems to be going in or out bar police cars.
Luckily the athletes are largely spared feeling like they’re in a zoo, because there’s a walled perimeter around the Village and several control points intruders must get through in order to access the oasis that is the Village itself.
DJs, air hockey, and 5,000 teabags: Inside the Olympic village
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
13:09 , Mike Jones10. Bruce Mouat - curling
Curling was Britain’s only real success story from the Beijing Games and more success looks to be on the horizon as the men’s team, skipped by Bruce Mouat, target the only major medal missing from their collection: Olympic gold. The Scot has skipped the side since 2017 and has won two world titles, four European championships, and twelve Grand Slams.
The team took silver in Beijing and will be among the favourites to upgrade that medal this time around, while Mouat also stands a good chance in the mixed event alongside fellow Scot and 2022 Olympic champion in women’s curling, Jennifer Dodds.
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
13:06 , Flo Clifford9. Brad Hall - bobsleigh
Bobsleigh pilot Brad Hall will lead both the two-man and four-man squads at his third Olympics, with Team GB outsiders for a medal in both events despite a challenging season dealing with injuries. The experienced Hall is the nation’s most successful pilot in World Cup history, with 30 medals on the circuit.
He picked up a European and World Cup bronze in the two-man event alongside Taylor Lawrence - who has also been selected for the Olympic squad - earlier this month, and finished the World Cup season fourth in the four-man and sixth in the two-man discipline.
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
13:03 , Flo Clifford7 & 8. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson - ice dance
Britain haven’t won a figure skating medal in any discipline since the legendary Jayne Torvill and Christopher Dean won bronze in 1994. That could all be about to change with Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson among the contenders in a stacked ice dance field in Milan - including in the eyes of Torvill and Dean themselves.
The duo have become crowd favourites for their high-energy programmes to pop soundtracks but have combined that appeal with technically precise skating. The pair have finished on the European podium four times in a row, picking up bronze in Sheffield earlier this month, and are two-time Grand Prix Final medallists.
They took bronze at the world championships in Boston last year - Britain’s first world medal since 1984 - and are among the top four teams in the world, with a long-awaited Olympic medal a distinct possibility.
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
13:00 , Flo Clifford6. Marcus Wyatt - skeleton
Marcus Wyatt’s stunning season - winning the two World Cup races not won by Weston and finishing third overall - puts Britain in the position of having two strong favourites for Olympic glory.
The 34-year-old won the European title in 2024 and was runner-up to Weston at last year’s World Championships, and played a crucial role in Britain sealing the mixed team title in the World Cup this season, winning two races alongside Stoecker.
He finished 16th on his Olympic debut in Beijing but after becoming one of the most consistent winners on the elite circuit anything less than a medal this time around would be a major shock.
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
12:57 , Flo Clifford5. Matt Weston - skeleton
As well as the freestyle skiing and snowboarding disciplines, GB have huge potential in skeleton - a sport which has seen at least one British medallist for every Winter Olympics it has featured in, bar Beijing.
Between them Matt Weston and teammate Marcus Wyatt won every single skeleton World Cup race this season, making Britain the first nation in history to achieve the feat. 28-year-old Weston is now a three-time World Cup overall winner, having won five of seven races on the circuit this season, and is the reigning world champion to boot, successfully defending his title in Lake Placid last March.
He is the red-hot favourite for individual gold in Cortina and a strong contender for another medal in the mixed team event alongside Tabby Stoecker, Britain’s top women’s skeleton athlete.
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
12:54 , Flo Clifford4. Charlotte Bankes - snowboard cross
Charlotte Bankes is another British snow athlete with gold medal potential - as Baker pointed out, “We have this incredible array of female athletes on snow who are pulling extraordinary things out of the bag”. 30-year-old Bankes is an Olympic veteran, having already represented France - where she grew up - in Sochi and Pyeongchang before competing for GB in Beijing.
A quarter-final exit there means she has unfinished business with the Games, but her path to victory was made more difficult by a collarbone injury last season which required two surgeries and drastically shortened her off-season preparation. But the two-time World Cup winner has already won a mixed team World Cup round alongside Huw Nightingale, who she will team up with in Milano-Cortina, and an individual World Cup round earlier this month, making her another one to watch.
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
12:51 , Flo Clifford3. Kirsty Muir - freestyle skiing
Freestyle skier Kirsty Muir has had a less than straightforward journey to her second Olympic Games. The 21-year-old ruptured her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in December 2023, remarkably managing to win bronze in a World Cup race despite being troubled by the as-yet undiagnosed injury.
She spent a year sidelined and had surgery on both the knee and a pre-existing shoulder problem, before returning in style, recording her first-ever World Cup victory just two months into her comeback, in March 2025.
The Scot was Team GB’s youngest athlete in Beijing, when she finished fifth in the Big Air and eighth in the slopestyle, and is in a strong position to improve on those results with two World Cup victories so far this season and two medals - gold in slopestyle and silver in Big Air - at the X Games last weekend.
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
12:48 , Flo Clifford2. Mia Brookes - snowboarding
19-year-old snowboarder Mia Brookes is another British favourite for a gold medal at the Games. She is making her Olympic debut in Milano-Cortina but is already a world champion and World Cup winner, having won the overall World Cup crystal globe last season alongside a second big air title.
She became the youngest world champion in snowboarding history with slopestyle gold in Georgia in 2023, simultaneously becoming GB’s first-ever world champion in the event, and is on top form heading to Italy having won X Games gold in slopestyle and bronze in Big Air this weekend. She will compete in both slopestyle and big air, with the potential for two medals at her maiden Games.
Ten British medal hopefuls to watch at Winter Olympics 2026
12:45 , Flo Clifford1. Zoe Atkin - freestyle skiing
Zoe Atkin finished ninth in her debut Olympics in Beijing but has taken the sport by storm since then, and is well placed to follow in the footsteps of older sister Izzy, who won Britain’s first-ever Olympic skiing medal with slopestyle bronze in Pyeongchang 2018.
The 23-year-old freestyle skier is the reigning world champion in halfpipe and won the overall World Cup crystal globe in the discipline last season, sharing the title with China’s Li Fanghui. She has carried that stunning form into the 2025-26 season, winning a second X Games gold last week, and has two silvers and a gold medal on the World Cup circuit so far this year, making her a heavy favourite for gold in Milano-Cortina.
Day 0 schedule (Friday 6 February 2026)
12:42 , Mike JonesCurling
- 9.05am–11.05am: Mixed doubles round robin
- 1.35pm-3.35pm: Mixed doubles round robin
Figure skating
- 8.55am–1.55pm: Team event (ice dance rhythm dance, pairs short program, women's singles short program)
Ice hockey
- 11.10am–1.40pm: Women's preliminary round
- 1.40pm–4.10pm: Women's preliminary round
OPENING CEREMONY
- 7pm-10pm: Opening ceremony at the San Siro in Milan and at Cortina d’Ampezzo
2026 Winter Olympics
12:36 , Mike JonesThe 2026 Winter Olympics have arrived as Milano Cortina hosts the quadrennial festival of snow and ice-based sports.
The last Winter Olympics in Beijing saw Norway top the medal table with 16 golds, ahead of Germany, USA and hosts China, while Team GB claimed just two medals – both in curling, right at the end of the Games, with Eve Muirhead skipping the women’s team to gold and Bruce Mouat skipping the men’s team to silver.
Hopes are higher for more British medals this time around, not only in the curling rink but in a number of the snow events, with regular World Cup wins coming in disciplines such as snowboarding, snowboard cross and freestyle skiing from British competitors.
The controversy behind Team GB’s banned skeleton helmet and the hunt for Winter Olympics glory
12:30 , Mike JonesMatt Weston believes that Team GB's infamous skeleton helmet is the pinnacle of sliding innovation, despite it being banned just days out from the Olympic Winter Games.
The 28-year-old has heralded British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association (BBSA)'s brand new helmet design as a revolutionary new piece of equipment. One perfectly in line with every national governing body’s constant aim to find marginal gains.
The controversy behind Team GB’s banned skeleton helmet and the hunt for glory
Team GB's skeleton helmets banned days before Olympics begins
12:24 , Mike JonesTeam GB have suffered a blow to their chances of winning Skeleton gold as their helmets have been banned, pending a review, just a few days before the Winter Olympics begins.
The International Bobsleigh and Skeleton Federation, cited that the aerodynamic ridges reportedly do not comply with the sport's regulations.
However, the British Bobsleigh and Skeleton Association believe in their design and have lodged an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Yet, it remains to be seen if the Brits will be using their new gear for this year’s Olympics.
Team GB need to ‘step it up a little’ despite perfect start in mixed curling
12:18 , James ToneyYou never know what will happen in the days before the Olympics start, though few had ski jumpers injecting their penises with acid in a bid to improve sporting performance on their bingo card.
Tantrums at the ice skating and rows over helmets at the skeleton might have been more predictable, but sometimes you just want the reassuring sounds of curling to remind you the Games have really begun.
Team GB need to ‘step it up a little’ despite perfect start in mixed curling
How Team GB overcame power cuts and delays to make winning start in curling campaign
12:12 , Charlie BennettIt may not have been the serene opening night Olympic organisers hoped for, but Team GB’s Bruce Mouat and Jen Dodds made a dream start in their bid for curling gold.
The mixed doubles pair were among the first eight athletes to compete at the Winter Olympic Games but their opening match was disrupted by a partial power cut after just five minutes.
The technical gremlins caused a short delay as staff at the Cortina Curling Stadium scrambled to fix the issue, in what proved to be another logistical headache for Olympic officials.
How Team GB overcame power cuts and delays to make winning start in curling campaign
Team GB impress in curling start
12:06 , Mike JonesDespite the opening ceremony only taking place this evening, the Games themselves have already begun with Team GB in the curling.
The mixed doubles duo of Jennifer Dodds and Bruce Mouat have won all of their matches having defeated Norway 8-6 on Wednesday evening before hammering Estonia 10-5 and clinching an 8-7 won over Czech Republic yesterday.
Following a 7-4 victory over Sweden this morning, the pair are back in action this afternoon and will face South Korea hoping to keep their winning run going.
Olympic hockey game postponed after virus outbreak
12:00 , John WawrowHere’s the full story behind Finland versus Canada’s postponement:
Olympic hockey game postponed after virus outbreak depletes roster
Olympic hockey game postponed after virus outbreak
11:45 , Mike JonesA women’s hockey match has been postponed in the preliminary round after a stomach virus depleted Finland’s squad.
The match has been moved to February 12 after Finland were only able to practice with eight skaters and two goalies.
13 members of the squadwere either in quarantine or isolation because of a norovirus that began affecting the team on Tuesday night.
Finland had been scheduled to take on Canada but their opponents backed the decision to postpone saying: “On behalf of Hockey Canada and our team, we want to wish Team Finland a speedy recovery,
“Obviously, you worked four years to come to an Olympic Games, we know what it means to represent your country and to be in this incredible tournament,
“To fall sick and to have a group of athletes under the weather the way they are, we feel for them.”
Who will perform at the Opening Ceremony?
11:30 , Mike JonesPlenty of stars will be in action at tonight’s ceremony, and not just the athletes.
Mariah Carey is set to headline, although it’s not yet been revealed if she will perform “All I Want for Christmas Is You”, with rumours circulating that she will perform a well-known song in Italian.
Andrea Bocelli, one of Italy’s most internationally renowned singers, will return to the Olympic stage after previously performing at the closing ceremony of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. Over the course of his operatic career, the celebrated tenor has earned five Grammy Award nominations.
Grammy-nominated pianist Lang Lang, known for “ushering classical music back into the 21st century,” will also be returning to the Olympics this year after previously performing at the opening ceremony for the 2008 Beijing Games.
The likes of Snoop Dogg, who is Team USA’s first honorary coach and also part of NBC’s coverage team, will also make an appearance.
How can I watch the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony?
11:15 , Mike JonesTNT Sports and streaming service discovery+ will broadcast every moment of the Winter Olympics, and will provide coverage of and build-up to the Opening Ceremony from 5.30pm GMT.
Viewers in the UK can also watch the Opening Ceremony live on the BBC. Coverage begins on BBC Two at 6:30pm GMT and will run until 10pm.
The ceremony begins at 7pm GMT.
Winter Olympics opening ceremong
11:01 , Mike JonesThe Winter Olympics officially kick off today, with the Opening Ceremony celebrating the start of two weeks of the very best of winter sport.
The main Opening Ceremony takes place in Milan’s San Siro Stadium, one of the historic site’s final events before it is slated to be torn down.
But due to the spread-out nature of these Games - taking place all across northern Italy - there will also be athlete parades in the mountain clusters, including Cortina, where the curling, bobsleigh, skeleton and luge all take place.
This Opening Ceremony has taken ‘Harmony’ as its theme, and will celebrate the two main sites hosting this Games: Milan and Cortina, which also hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics.
Good morning!
10:59 , Mike JonesWelcome to The Independent’s coverage of the Winter Olympics.
Though the Games have already begun tonight sees the official opening ceremony of the winter sports festival ahead of two weeks of intense sporting action.
The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7pm GMT so we’ll have all the updates from Milan before it kicks off.
