If you’re a British skier or snowboarder – or indeed a fan of winter sport of any kind – it’s hard not to get excited about the impending arrival of the Winter Olympics Games.
It’s the one time every four years when snowsports intrude on the national conversation, where the Ski Sunday team take over the BBC, and even your elderly relatives suddenly become experts on Dave Ryding’s splits, or Mia Brookes’ cab 1440s.
The upcoming Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, which will take place between February 4 and February 22 2026, are particularly exciting. After the Covid-affected Beijing Games in 2022, Pyeongchang 2018 in South Korea, Sochi 2014 in Russia, and Vancouver 2010 – all of which were in slightly awkward time zones for UK viewers – these will be the first Winter Olympics staged in Europe for 20 years. Italy is just one hour ahead of the UK, which means the wall-to-wall coverage will be watchable in real time.
The events will take place not just in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, but in a range of well-known ski resorts and venues across north-eastern Italy. Several British snow sports athletes stand a good chance of winning a medal, as well as our all-conquering skeleton and curling teams. And because it’s Italy, you can guarantee the welcome will be warm, the local fans will be particularly passionate, and the atmosphere will be off the scale.
Here’s everything you need to know about the event, how to visit, where to watch and what it means for ski holidays in Italy during the 2025/26 ski season.
In this guide:
When is the next Winter Olympics?
Where is the next Winter Olympics?
How do you get tickets for the Winter Olympics?
Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic venues
When is the next Winter Olympics?
Winter Olympic events for Milano Cortina 2026 will kick off on February 4 2026, and run until February 22. The official opening ceremony will take place on the evening of Friday February 6, but as often happens, some competitions will start earlier.
The first competition will be the preliminary rounds of the mixed doubles curling on February 4. ...
