The Olympic Winter Games in Milan kicked off with a stunning slate of performances.

A rousing Opening Ceremony that included everything from dancing musical notes to massive paint tubes to massive flying Olympic rings to Mariah Carey ended with a dramatic reveal as Italian legends Sofia Goggia, Alberto Tomba and Deborah Compagnoni lit the two torches that will burn for the length of the Winter Olympics.

As the Opening Ceremony began at the 2026 Olympics, Italian-themed performances flooded the stage, including one by iconic singer Mariah Carey.

Wearing a wintery silver-and-white dress, Carey stood under a single spotlight as she sang a version of Domenico Modugno’s popular 1950s classic “Nel blu, dipinto di blu”, better known as “Volare,” before jumping into her song “Nothing Is Impossible” from her 2025 album, Here For It All.

Mariah Carey surprised audiences at the Olympic opening ceremony by singing in Italian. Here’s why the performance was a poetic fit for the Games.Mariah Carey's Olympic Opening Ceremony moment, explai

Let the Games begin! The Opening Ceremony for the 2026 Milan Cortina Olympic Games takes place Friday, with several highly anticipated events and performances. This ceremony will look different from any other history.

The T20 World Cup's opening ceremony will see performances by Sivamani, Rishabh Rikiram Sharma, Badshah and Nora Fatehi, plus visuals and team presentations