When and where are the the 2026 Winter Olympics?

When any edition of the Summer Olympic Games and Paralympics comes to an end, it’s natural to already start looking forward to the next one, which takes place four years later. However, the next bout of Olympic action is actually less than two years away, in the shape of the 2026 Winter Olympics.

For the most part, the two competitions bear little resemblance, other than gold, silver and bronze medals being the be-all and end-all. While athletics, swimming and gymnastics are staples of the Summer Olympics, skiing and skating are among the stand-out events in the winter equivalent. Hockey is present in both, but switches from field to ice, as is logical.

2026 Winter Olympics: host cities and dates

The next Winter Olympics will take place in 2026, although we won’t have to wait two years for it to come around. And we don’t have to move too far from Paris either.

Italy is the host nation, with event to take place in three regions and seven locations across the country, although the city of Milan is the main one, along with Cortina d’Ampezzo, a ski resort near the northern border with Austria. With that in mind, the Games are officially called Milano Cortina 2026 and will be held from February 6, 2026 to February 22, 2026.

Olympic history to be made in 2026

It will be the first time the Olympics of any kind are officially hosted by multiple cities. Cortina d’Ampezzo previously hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics, although Milan will be making its debut as an Olympic host.

San Siro, the home stadium of soccer clubs Inter and AC Milan, will perhaps be the most well-known venue involved in the 2026 Winter Olympics, although it will only host the opening ceremony.

The closing ceremony will be held at the Verona Arena in the city of Verona, the first time in Olympic history the opening and closing ceremonies will be held in different venues.