Winter Olympics 2026: How Milan Cortina Games will make history with two cauldron lightings at Opening Ceremony

History will be made at the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympics. During the Opening Ceremony Friday, Olympic torches will be used to light two separate cauldrons, the first time that's ever happened in the history of the event.

The lightings, which will take place simultaneously, will occur in two separate locations. One is located in Milano at the Arco della Pace. The second is located in Cortina d’Ampezzo in Piazza Dibona. Olympic organizers decided on two cauldrons as a way to show harmony and unity between both host cities of the 2026 Olympics.

The cauldrons are meant to evoke the work of Leonardo da Vinci, particularly his knots, which appeared in his paintings and his manuscripts.

While Olympic organizers have not announced the exact time the cauldrons will be lit, it will likely occur near the end of the Opening Ceremony, which will start at 2 p.m. ET and run for roughly three hours. That should result in the cauldrons being lit in the final 30-45 minutes of the Opening Ceremony on Friday.

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Who will light the Olympic cauldrons?

Olympic organizers tend to keep details about the Opening Ceremony a secret, so there's been no official announcement on who was chosen to light the two Olympic cauldrons Friday. 

Typically, the host country chooses current or former Olympic athletes for the honor. At the 2024 Olympics in Paris, French track and field star Marie-José Pérec, who won three gold medals during her career, was one of the two people selected to light the cauldron. The other was French judo gold medalist Teddy Riner, who also won three gold medals during his Olympic career. 

During the 2022 Olympics in Beijing, skier Zhao Jiawen and cross-country skier Dilnigar Ilhamjan were chosen for the honor. Both athletes took part in the 2022 Olympics, though did not medal in their events.

Italy could turn to skiers Deborah Compagnoni and Alberto Tomba for the honor if it wanted to highlight successful Olympians from the past. Compagnoni and Tomba each won three gold medals at the Winter Olympics during their careers. Neither were selected to carry the torch leading up to the cauldron lightings, so it's possible organizers are saving Compagnoni and Tomba for this moment. 

When is the Opening Ceremony?

The Milan Cortina Opening Ceremony will take place Friday, Feb. 6, at roughly 2 p.m. ET. It will be 8 p.m. in Italy when the Opening Ceremony kicks off. The entire event is expected to take roughly three hours and will feature a parade of athletes from each country and well as performances by Mariah Carey, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Chinese pianist Lang Lang and Italian actor Sabrina Impacciatore.

The event will stream live on Peacock at 2 p.m. ET, and will be aired in primetime on NBC at 8 p.m. ET.