If you were planning a fashion trip to Milan or a skiing holiday in the Italian Alps, you would find yourself surrounded by far more people than you expected. That’s because, just one week after the start, the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics have already transformed entire cities, streets and stations into a giant international stage. It is an event that promises to showcase Italy to the world, with lights, sport and entertainment, but not without tension and controversy.
The opening ceremony, staged on Friday 6 February at the San Siro Stadium in Milan, was a colossal spectacle of music, culture and national symbolism. The event, which lasted about three hours and was broadcast worldwide, involved over 500 musicians, more than a thousand original costumes and a director who wanted to portray Italy through fashion, design and contemporary creativity. It was also an opportunity to pay homage to iconic figures of Italian culture, with a special tribute to the great fashion designer Giorgio Armani, who passed away in 2025.
In addition to the visual spectacle and the parade of athletes, the ceremony focused on the element of the “widespread Olympics”: for the first time in Olympic history, the parade of delegations took place in several locations, Milan, Cortina, Livigno, and Predazzo, to pay tribute to the unique geographical character of these games.
Yet, beyond the lights and spectacle, not everything is rosy.
In some cities, activist groups organised alternative events, such as the “Utopiadi” in Milan, a sort of counter-event to the sporting and social events, and there was no shortage of criticism of the management of transport and urban spaces, with some trains delayed or blocked due to protests and unrest.
Local associations and committees have been particularly critical of the construction of new infrastructure in sensitive Alpine areas, arguing that the Games risk leaving a permanent impact on ecosystems that are already fragile and under pressure from climate change.
One of the most discussed issues was the new bobsleigh tracks and facilities in Cortina. The construction of the bobsleigh, skeleton, and luge track, designed to avoid using facilities abroad, has been the subject of protests due to its high cost and land consumption in a mountain area that also thrives on nature tourism.
Finally, in some cities, there have been marches and demonstrations bringing together various issues: the right to housing, environmental protection, criticism of “touristification”, and rising rents. In Milan, where property pressure is already very high, some fear that the event will further accelerate processes of social exclusion.
Ultimately, this event is not just about sport. It is about spectacle, geopolitics, economics, and national identity. For Italians, it means welcoming the world to our country with pride, but also with a healthy critical spirit towards the challenges and contradictions that emerge when the world focuses on Milan and our mountains.