Mariah Carey brought world-class pop stardom to the opening ceremony of the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics at Milan’s historic San Siro Stadium on Friday night.
Carey, who has 19 Billboard No. 1 singles and six Grammy Awards, performed entirely in Italian for the first time in her illustrious career, singing Domenico Modugno’s “Nel Blu, dipinto di Blu,” known internationally as “Volare,” a symbolic gesture that underscored the event’s theme of “Harmony” and its ambition to highlight local culture while giving the broadcast a global appeal.
“Volare”, composed by Domenico Modugno and performed at the Sanremo Music Festival in 1958, was sung with the famous refrain: “Volare! Ah, ah!” – It became a milestone in the history of Italian song, becoming a worldwide phenomenon and winning two Grammy Awards. This was an unprecedented feat for Italian music at the time.
Carey followed up “Volare” with her hit single “Nothing is Impossible” from her 2025 studio album “Here For It All.”
Much like the 2024 Paris Olympics, Italy’s ceremony, which weaves together sport, fashion and national heritage, also included a tribute to fashion giant Giorgio Armani, who died last September at the age of 91 and was Milan’s greatest ambassador.
Winter Olympics ceremonies set against a backdrop of geopolitical tensions – U.S. authorities have authorized the deployment of ICE agents to Italy to protect Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who are scheduled to attend the opening game at Milan’s San Siro stadium.
Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns the Eurosport Network, will broadcast 865 hours of live coverage of the Olympic Games across 15 venues. In the US, the game will receive full-court press treatment from NBC and Peacock. In Europe, HBO Max is streaming games alongside local broadcasters.
