The Olympic opening ceremony has become one of the most talked about elements of the Games, growing in size and spectacle over the years. The opening of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics is set to continue that creative legacy. Featuring performances from some of the world’s greatest artists and both torchlights in Milan and the Alpine town of Cortina d’Ampezzo, this is an event worth seeing.

Coverage of the ceremony will be hosted by Today co-anchor Savannah Guthrie and commentator Terry Gannon, and will feature the Parade of Nations, performances from Mariah Carey, Andrea Bocelli and more. According to official page of the Olympicsthe opening event will take place not only at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, but throughout “the entire city and the Olympic territories will come alive with satellite events and symbolic moments.”

While the opening ceremony marks the official start of the Olympics, you can catch some events as early as February 4 and several that continue until February 22, when the closing ceremony takes place. Here’s what you need to know to watch the opening ceremony.

When is the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics?

Live coverage of the 2026 opening ceremony will begin at Friday, February 6, at 2 pm ETand viewers can expect it to last about three hours. Both NBC and Peacock will air an encore of the event at 8 pm ET.

How to watch the opening ceremony without cable

You can watch the opening ceremony by streaming it all on Peacock. It can also be streamed on NBC via a live TV streaming service like YouTube TV, DirectTV or Hulu Plus Live TV. (Note that due to ongoing contract issues between NBC Universal and Fubo, Olympics coverage will not be available on Fubo this year.)

Peacock offers access to live sporting events such as the 2026 Winter Olympics and Super Bowl LX on two of its subscription plans. Peacock Premium with ads costs $11 a month, and the ad-free Premium Plus plan is $17.

YouTube TV offers more than 100 live channels, including NBC, which you should watch for the opening ceremony and the rest of the 2026 Winter Games. From now until March 17, new subscribers can sign up for the YouTube TV Base Plan for $60 a month for your first two months.

Who will perform at the opening ceremony?

In addition to hosts Savannah Guthrie and Terry Gannon, Olympic snowboarder Shaun White will be in the broadcast booth for the Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron at San Siro Stadium in Milan. Sportscaster Mike Tirico will report remotely from San Francisco, where he will cover Super Bowl LX on February 8.

The opening ceremony will also include performances from Grammy Award-winning singer-songwriter Mariah Carey, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, Pierfrancesco Favino, opera star Cecilia Bartoli and singer Laura Pausini. Italian actor Sabrina Impacciatore, best known for her role in The White Lotus, and pianist Lang Lang are also set to participate. And as always, the Parade of Nations will feature every participating athlete from every country represented at the Games.

When is the closing ceremony?

If you’re planning ahead, the Winter Games closing ceremony will be broadcast on NBC and Peacock on Sunday, February 22, from 9pm to 11pm ET/PT.