After all the talk, it’s almost time for action. The 25th edition of the Winter Olympics officially begins on February 6, with the opening ceremony raising the curtain on the Games.
The main ceremony will be held at the San Siro stadium, home of Italian football giants Inter and AC Milan. As per tradition, the Olympic cauldron will be lit to mark the start of the Winter Olympics, while we also get our first glimpse of the participating athletes.
For the first time ever, the ski resort of Cortina d’Ampezzo will host its own secondary ceremony at the same time as the main event in Milan.
Legendary Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will be part of the San Siro show, with Mariah Carey and Laura Pausini among the other performers. The ceremony will be presided over by creative director Marco Balic, and several heads of state and political leaders will be in attendance.
Here’s where to watch the Winter Olympics opening ceremony live streams online anywhere, and potentially FREE.
Watch 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony for FREE
The opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics can be streamed for free in the UK, Canada, Australia and Ireland.
🇬🇧 United Kingdom: BBC iPlayer
🇨🇦 Canada: CBC Save
🇦🇺 Australia: 9 Now
🇮🇪 Ireland: RTÉ is playing
Live in the US? All the coverage from NBC, USA Network and CNBC is available for free thanks to the 21-day trial for YouTube TV. That will of course include the opening ceremony.
What if you are abroad? Stream the opening ceremony from anywhere in the world using Norton VPN.
How to Watch Any Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony Stream Using a VPN
How to watch Winter Olympics 2026 live streams in the US
In the US, the Opening Ceremony is available via NBC and via Peacock.
You must have at least one Peacock Premium subscription to gain access, with Peacock pricing starting at $10.99 per month or $109.99 per year.
NBC is available through Sling TV and YouTube TV.
Outside the US this Friday? Use Norton VPN to gain access to coverage of the Winter Olympics.
How to watch Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony 2026 live streams in the UK
In the UK, coverage of the Winter Olympics opening ceremonies is shared between the BBC and Discovery+.
BBC Two will show the opening ceremony, with live streaming available via BBC iPlayer. Don’t forget you need a UK postcode for a BBC iPlayer account (eg SE1 7PB)
Discovery+ plans start at £3.99/month.
Heading out of the UK this Friday? Use a VPN to watch BBC iPlayer or Discovery+ from abroad while away from home.
How to watch Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony 2026 live streams in Canada
In Canada, the CBC will show the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
It will be shown across multiple channels, including CBC, CBC Gem, CBC News Network, Sportsnet and TSN. The CBC Gem streaming platform is your best port of call.
If you’re not in Canada for the Milano Cortina, you simply must use a VPN to tune in from abroad.
How to watch Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony 2026 live streams in Australia
In Australia, the Winter Olympics opening ceremony will be shown on 9Now and Stan Sport. The start time is at 6 AEDT Saturday morning.
9 Now is home to free Milano Cortina coverage and is our recommendation.
Away from Australia today? Use a VPN to watch 9Now or Stan Sport from abroad.
How to watch Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony 2026 live streams in New Zealand
In New Zealand, Sky Sports NZ will show the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics.
You can access Sky Sport via satellite TV or get a live stream with the Sky Sport Now subscription service, which starts at $29.99 per day or $54.99 per month.
Are you missing Milano Cortina due to work commitments abroad? Norton VPN will unlock access to your home streaming service.
Frequently Asked Questions for the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony
What is the schedule for the Winter Olympics?
Friday, February 6
– OPENING CEREMONY
Saturday, February 7
– Alpine skiing (1 medal events)
– Cross-country skiing (1 medal events)
– Curling
– Figure skating
– Freestyle skiing
– Ice hockey
– Incubate
– Ski jumping (1 medal event)
– Snowboarding (1 medal event)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Sunday, February 8
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Cross-country skiing (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Figure skating (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Hatching (1 medal event)
– Snowboarding (2 medal events)
– Speed skating (1 medal events)
Monday, February 9
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Figure skating
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Incubate
– Ski jumping (1 medal event)
– Snowboarding (1 medal event)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Tuesday, February 10
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Cross-country skiing (2 medal events)
– Curling (1 medal event)
– Figure skating
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Incubate
– Short track speed skating (1 medal event)
– Ski jumping (1 medal event)
Wednesday 11 February
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Figure skating (1 medal event)
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Hatching (2 medal events)
– Nordic combined (1 medal event)
– Snowboarding
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Thursday, February 12
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Cross-country skiing (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Hatching (1 medal event)
– Short track sprint (2 medal events)
– Skeleton
– Snowboarding (2 medal events)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Friday, February 13
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Cross-country skiing (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Figure skating (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Skeleton (1 medal event)
– Snowboarding (2 medal events)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Saturday 14 February
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Cross-country skiing (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Short track speed skating (1 medal event)
– Skeleton (1 medal event)
– Ski jumping (1 medal event)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Sunday, February 15
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Bobsled
– Cross-country skiing (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Figure skating
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Skeleton (1 medal event)
– Ski jumping (1 medal event)
– Snowboarding (1 medal event)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Monday, February 16
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Bobsleigh (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Figure skating (1 medal event)
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Short track speed skating (1 medal event)
– Ski jumping (1 medal event)
– Snowboarding
Tuesday, February 17
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Bobsleigh (1 medal event)
– Curling
– Figure skating
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Nordic combined (1 medal event)
– Snowboarding (2 medal events)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Wednesday, February 18
– Alpine skiing (1 medal event)
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Cross-country skiing (2 medal events)
– Curling
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey
– Short track sprint (2 medal events)
– Snowboarding (1 medal event)
Thursday 19 February
– Curling
– Figure skating (1 medal event)
– Freestyle skiing (1 medal event)
– Ice hockey (1 medal event)
– Nordic combined (1 medal event)
– Ski mountaineering (2 medal events)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Friday, February 20
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Bobsled
– Curling
– Freestyle skiing (2 medal events)
– Ice hockey
– Short track sprint (2 medal events)
– Speed skating (1 medal event)
Saturday 21 February
– Biathlon (1 medal event)
– Bobsleigh (1 medal event)
– Cross-country skiing (1 medal event)
– Curling (1 medal event)
– Freestyle skiing (3 medal events)
– Ice hockey
– Ski mountaineering (1 medal event)
– Speed skating (2 medal events)
Sunday, February 22
– TERMINATION
– Bobsleigh (1 medal final)
– Cross-country skiing (1 medal final)
– Curling (1 medal final)
– Ice hockey (1 medal final)
Can I watch the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics on my mobile?
Of course, most broadcasters have streaming services that you can access via mobile apps or via your phone’s browser.
You can also keep up to date with all things Autumn Nations on the official social media channels at X (@MilanoCortina2026), YouTube (@Olympics) and Instagram (@milanocortina2026).
We test and review VPN services for legitimate recreational use. For example: 1. Accessing a Service from another country (subject to the terms and conditions of that Service). 2. Protecting your online security and enhancing your online privacy when you are abroad. We do not support or condone illegal or malicious use of VPN services. Consumption of paid-for pirated content is neither endorsed nor endorsed by Future Publishing.
