The Organizing Committee of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics has settled on “Beauty in Action” as the title of the Closing Ceremony, which will take place at the Arena di Verona on Feb. 22, 2026. The Organizing Committee has also presented the creative team behind the ceremony, led by Alfredo Accatino, as well as the first performer involved in the show: internationally acclaimed ballet dancer Roberto Bolle.
The theme serves as a tribute to Italian culture and creativity and a blending of sport with art and beauty. Bringing together tradition and innovation, the show will extol the Italian manner of transforming aesthetics into emotion, fusing opera, music, dance, cinema, design and technology.
The ceremony will be held at a World Heritage Site, the Arena di Verona, “an eternal stage where history embraces the future, at an event that combines sport, art and culture in a celebration of Italian beauty,” said Giovanni Malagò, President of the Organizing Committee. The Arena di Verona is getting a new name, Verona Olympic Arena, for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games. Built in 30 AD to host gladiator battles, the Arena di Verona is one of Italy’s largest Roman amphitheaters. Over the years, it has hosted everything from operas and pop concerts to iconic moments in sports, such as the finishes of the Giro d’Italia. The Closing Ceremony will also expand beyond the arena into the adjacent Piazza Bra and the Verona Philharmonic Theater, where the choir and orchestra of the Arena di Verona will perform.
The creative team behind the Closing Ceremony, guided by Alfredo Accatino, comprises Adriano Martella, Creative Director; Stefania Opipari, Show Director; Stefano Ciammitti, Costume Designer; Vittorio Cosma, Music Director; Michele Braga, Music Director; and Claudio Santucci, Set Designer.
The Opening Ceremony, entitled “Harmony” and announced in October, is set to take place at the San Siro Stadium in Milan on Feb. 6, 2026.
The Arena di Verona will also host the Opening Ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Games on March 6.
