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It opened with a kaleidoscopic celebration of Italian artistic excellence – plus a stint by Mariah Carey – at the iconic San Siro Stadium. It carried on with a whirlwind of competitions, performances and spectacle across Milan, Cortina and several other snow-capped venues. Now, the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are drawing to a close – and getting ready to do so with another bang.
On February 22, the city of Verona (yes, Romeo and Juliet’s Verona) will host the Games’ closing ceremony at its historic Roman amphitheatre, the Arena di Verona, promising another epic show and a send-off worthy of the athletes who animated the past 17 days.
As with the opening event, details are still scarce, but we’re confident it’s going to be a trip. Here’s everything you need to know about the start time, run time, location and lineup for the closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Games.
When is the closing ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Sunday, February 22. The ceremony will take place once all sporting events have wrapped up, with the final competitions (including medal events for bobsleigh, the women’s 50km cross-country mass start, women’s curling and men’s ice hockey) scheduled for earlier that day. As tradition dictates, the evening will also feature the official handover to the French Alps 2030 team, marking the transition to the next Winter Games.
What time does it start, and how long will it last?
The closing ceremony kicks off at 8.30pm sharp and is expected to last around three and a half hours – roughly in line with the opening night. So wherever you’ll be watching from, make sure you’re stocked up on snacks, drinks and a comfortable seat.
Where is the closing ceremony?
While the Winter Olympics kicked off in Milan, the closing ceremony will take place in the northern Italian city of Verona, in the Veneto region. The choice is deliberate: while Verona hasn’t hosted any sporting events during the Games, it sits neatly between the two co-hosts, acting as a natural crossroads between mountains and plains. It’s also just a one-hour train ride from Milan, making it an easy hop for spectators travelling from the Olympic capital.
As for the venue itself, that’ll be the Arena di Verona, a Roman amphitheatre dating back to the first century AD and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Known worldwide for hosting large-scale operas and concerts, the landmark offers both the scale and the gravitas needed for an Olympic finale. On the night, the ceremony is set to transform it into a spectacular global stage.
It doesn’t stop there: the event will also spill into Piazza Bra, just outside the Arena, and the Teatro Filarmonico di Verona, the city’s main indoor opera house.
What to expect
Titled Beauty in Action, the closing night is set to be another wide-ranging celebration of Italian creativity, with sport, art and spectacle woven tightly together. While full details are still under wraps, what’s been announced so far points to a multi-disciplinary show blending opera, music, dance, cinema, design and technology, all nodding to the ‘ability of Italians to transform aesthetics into emotion,’ as per the Olympics website.
The only confirmed name at this stage is international ballet star Roberto Bolle, with more guests expected to be announced closer to the date. Behind the scenes, around 800 people – from musicians and dancers to technicians and volunteers – will help bring the night to life, with Italian artists taking centre stage both on and off it.
How to watch
It’s the same drill as the opening ceremony. In Italy, the grand finale will air on the country’s public broadcaster RAI. In the UK, you’ll be able to tune in via the BBC, while viewers in the US should head to NBC. UK-based sports fans can also catch extended coverage on TNT Sports and discovery+, with broadcasts starting from 5.30pm UK time. Still in Milan (or Cortina)? Skip the sofa and head to one of the city’s Fan Zones, temporary public venues hosting live screenings and communal watch parties, no ticket required.
How to get tickets
Tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony are available exclusively via the official ticketing website and app. Sales are first come, first served, with a cap of four tickets per person for high-demand sessions – so if you’re keen, don’t hang about. A quick heads-up: the Arena di Verona is significantly smaller than San Siro (around 22,000 seats versus 76,000), which means closing ceremony tickets are likely to be both harder to snag and more expensive than those for opening night.
Read Time Out’s complete guide to the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics 2026, plus our roundup of the best things to do in Milan.
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