The 2026 Winter Olympics closing ceremony took place on 22 February 2026. It started at 20:30 CET (19:30 UTC) and concluded at 23:00. It was held at the Verona Arena in Verona, Italy.
As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combine the protocol-related and cultural segments.[1] It is the first Olympics Games closing ceremony under the IOC presidency of Kirsty Coventry.
The city of Verona was chosen to host the ceremony, even though no events were scheduled to take place there: the intention was for this ceremony to be held in a setting reminiscent of the ancient Olympic Games. The ancient Roman amphitheater, that regularly hosts a famous open-air opera festival as well as other cultural events, will also host the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Paralympics on 6 March. The Teatro Filarmonico, an opera theatre in Verona, served as a secondary venue.
The creative team for the ceremony was led by Francesco Paolo Conticello, president and CEO of G2 Eventi – Casta Diva Group. The team includes Angelo Bonello (artistic and show director) and Francesca Formisano (music composer).[2] While other sources stated that the creative team was guided by Alfredo Accatino[it], with the team consisting of Adriano Martella (creative director), Stefania Opipari (show director), Stefano Ciammitti (costume designer), Vittorio Cosma (music director), Michele Braga[it] (music director) and Claudio Santucci (set designer).[3]
The closing ceremony was held at the Verona Arena, and started at 20:30 (CET) in Verona, Italy. It began with a film tribute to Italian opera: a lumière illuminated multiple chandeliers on a constructed stage in the middle of the arena, with a camera following him behind the stage into underground tunnels beneath the arena. The segment was named "a night at the opera", and featured tributes to various Italian operas, including La traviata, Madama Butterfly, The Marriage of Figaro, Aida, and Rigoletto. This segment featured cameos from famous Italians, including Achille Lauro and Deborah Compagnoni. A brief tribute to Juliet on her balcony was also seen. Afterwards, a large chandelier appeared above the stage while music from La traviata was playing. Meanwhile, athletes paraded through Piazza Bra in Verona while making their way into the arena.[5]
After the seating of the dignitaries, Paolo Fresu and the choir of the Fondazione Arena di Verona performed "Il Canto degli Italiani" during the raising of the flag of Italy; the flag itself was carried by people from the host sites of the games and the Carabinieri. Italian athletes who won medals at the Games stood on stage during the flag raising. The choir sang from the Teatro Filarmonico, which served as a secondary venue for the ceremony. At the secondary venue, an audience including Benedetta Porcaroli was shown. Another tribute to Italian operas followed, with performers wearing extravagant costumes made using recycled materials.[6]
Milano Cortina 2026 organising president Giovanni Malagò and International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry delivered official remarks, with Coventry declaring the closing of the Games. The flame was extinguished at the arena, Milan, and Cortina d'Ampezzo, while pianist Gloria Campaner performed Experience by Ludovico Einaudi. This was followed by the musical performances of Diplo, Major Lazer, Meduza, MØ, Nyla, DJ Snake, Achille Lauro, and Alfa. A light show also occurred in place of fireworks. To end the ceremony, the characters from the opera segment rested under the arena.[9]
The closing ceremony was filmed by host broadcaster Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), with OBS distributing a "world feed" for rights-holding broadcasters to use.
According to Auditel ratings, the closing ceremony was seen in Italy by an average of 6.2 million viewers.[17]
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