A Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

Plus: 8 Unforgettable Figure Skating Romances

View in browser | Update preferences SUBSCRIBE FOR FULL ACCESS While the nation may feel as divided as ever, the Winter Olympics are here to remind us all that incredible feats of athleticism can serve as a great unifier. All around the world, people are tuning into the same events from the comfort of their homes, gasping at or cheering for the same cast of competitors. Whether you're watching curling, ice hockey, snowboarding, ice skating, or ski mountaineering, every athlete is proof that prowess has no country of origin. So when you tune into today's opening ceremony, remember that the Games could do far more than just inspire you to take the stairs instead of the escalator on your way home from work. MAGGIE COUGHLAN, SENIOR EDITOR The Ultimate Guide to the 2026 Winter Olympics BY SAVANNAH WALSH Whether you're watching the competitions themselves, or merely want to fixate on any behind-the-scenes figure skating scandals or partner romances, here's how to watch the Winter Games from Milano Cortina—including Friday's highly anticipated opening ceremony. READ MORE All About the Olympics WINTER OLYMPICS 2026 All the Stars Expected at This Year's Opening Ceremony BY STEFANIA CONRIERI The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will welcome a constellation of international stars including Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli, and many, many more. READ MORE ROYALS Revisiting 50 Years of Princess Anne's Olympic Fashion Moments BY LAURA SCAFATI King Charles's sister was the first member of the British royal family to participate in the Olympics back in 1976. Now, she is in Milan for the Winter Games 2026 as a member of the International Olympic Committee. READ MORE SPORTS Hot and Cold: 8 Unforgettable Olympic Figure Skating Romances BY NATASHA O'NEILL If Heated Rivalry has taught us anything, it's that things can get pretty steamy on the ice—and off of it. Ahead, impassioned Russians, complicated love quadrangles, heartbreaking separations, and the saga of Salé and Pelletier. READ MORE HISTORY Flashback: The Last Time the Games Were in Cortina BY BLANCHE MARCEL Travel back in time to the 1956 Olympics, when the small Italian town welcomed the world's greatest athletes to compete in the heart of its mountains. READ MORE From the Magazine A Beginner's Guide to Ski Mountaineering BY TOM KLUDT Milano Cortina will usher in the debut of ski mountaineering, or "skimo," a multidisciplinary sport requiring its competitors to traverse a mountain both uphill and down. Ahead, your cheat sheet for the latest endurance sport to hit the slopes at the Winter Olympics. READ MORE In Case You Missed It The 8 Chilliest Olympic Figure Skating Scandals Figure skating has long been a controversy-prone sport: It's maddeningly subjective and has particularly lofty stakes. Throw in a dash of geopolitics, and you've got all the ingredients for drama on an operatic scale. Introducing the Next Face of Figure Skating Ilia Malinin, the 21-year-old two-time world champion and self-appointed "quad god," might just be the best figure skater in the world. Now he's going for gold in Milano Cortina. MORE FROM VANITY FAIR POLITICS BUSINESS HOLLYWOOD STYLE ROYALS CELEBRITY This e-mail was sent to you by VANITY FAIR. To ensure delivery to your inbox (not bulk or junk folders), please add our e-mail address, vanityfair@newsletter.vf.com, to your address book. View our Privacy Policy Unsubscribe Copyright © Condé Nast 2026. One World Trade Center, New York, NY 10007. All rights reserved.