MILAN — The Mona Lisa. People dressed as coffee makers. Mariah Carey. Fun cheers. Heavy boos.
It’s a fact the Olympic opening ceremony is a made-for-TV extravaganza, meant to wow a global audience from start to finish.
But it’s just as spectacular in person, and even better, allows you to catch things you likely didn’t see on the broadcast. Luckily, USA TODAY Sports caught it all from the site of the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, capturing the live action art displayed throughout the night.
Even though the opening ceremony began at 2 p.m. ET on Friday, Feb. 6, the festivities started 30 minutes before inside Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium with a preshow DJ and hosts teaching the crowd dances for the show. The crowd did its own thing, giving off a classic European soccer vibe in a stadium known for it.
It may have looked packed during the show, people braving the cold outdoor conditions, but it wasn’t entirely full, with noticeable empty seats in the upper northeast and east side of the stadium.
The colorful early sequence certainly brightened the show from the jump, but a closer look at who made the rainbow palette and you’d realize they were all figures that define Italy. There were people dressed like Ancient Romans, bakers, the Mona Lisa and, in a tribute to Italian design, the coffee maker.
That made way for Mariah Carey’s highly anticipated performance. You didn’t notice the snail’s pace she was moving at coming out of the corner of the stadium, knowing Carey was making her way to the center of the stage. Her Italian singing was impressive, and it sure helped she had a screen to help enunciate the words.
Then came the hilarious ending, where a crew sprinted to the center of the stage, while Carey just stood there, waiting. Just as it began, it was a slow walk off for the artist.
When the Olympic protocol for Milano Cortina began, the crowd made it known how much it respects Italy President Sergio Mattarella. His showing in the introduction video drew a loud cheer that happened any time he was shown, with legendary Italian racer Valentino Rossi getting the same reception.
The lead-up to the parade of athletes was as dazzling as it was on TV, with the fireworks of the Olympic rings brightening the entire stadium. The Olympian introductions was different, with athletes spread out in the region, but regardless of how many athletes were and weren’t present, the nations drew a wide array of reactions.
To no surprise, the home crowd gave a rousing ovation to Italy at the conclusion, but several neighboring countries got a little extra love prior. Nations like Spain, Germany and France drew noticeable reactions, but they didn’t compare to the cheers Ukraine got at its announcement. It was by far the longest sustained cheering for another European country.
But there were boos. They mostly came during the introduction of Israel, a sustained jeer coming down amid the country’s highly criticized actions in the Gaza Strip.
The other negative reaction wasn’t toward a nation, but for someone in the audience. The United States actually was positively received by the crowd, but that ended when Vice President JD Vance was shown on the stadium screens, turning the cheers into boos. There have been protests in Milan over the Trump Administration’s use of ICE in the U.S. and presence for the Olympics.
While the event went on in Milan, crowds began to dwindle in Livigno and Cortina as spectators braved the frigid temperatures for a segment that lasted more than an hour.
Athletes got to see the second half of the opening ceremony, but that didn’t mean they stayed seated. Some Olympians got up and mingled with each other, sometimes going off into other sections or wandering around.
However, they all were tuned in for the ending sequence of the Olympic cauldron being lit, which brightened up the stadium as the fire burned in Milano and Cortina.
The festivities didn’t end with that, either. As the stadium started to empty, athletes stayed on the stage, taking team photos and photos with other nations. Olympic staff got to snag pictures and meet the athletes.
A wholesome ending, perfectly embodying the Olympic spirit to officially kick off the Games.