The 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony is scheduled for Friday, February 6, 2026, starting at 8:00 p.m. local time in Milan, Italy (2:00–2:30 p.m. Eastern Time in the U.S.).

Quick Scoop: Key Times

  • Date: Friday, February 6, 2026.
  • Local start time (Milan): 20:00 (8:00 p.m.).
  • U.S. live TV start (approx.): 2:00–2:30 p.m. ET for coverage of the ceremony.
  • Primetime replay in U.S.: 8:00 p.m. ET encore on major U.S. broadcaster (NBC).
  • Expected duration: Around three hours, which is typical for Olympic opening ceremonies.

If you just want to catch it live at the stadium in Milan, plan around 8 p.m. local time; if you’re watching from the U.S., tuning in by about 2 p.m. ET will cover the start of the show.

Where it’s happening

  • Venue: San Siro Stadium in Milan, Italy.
  • Note: 2026 is unusual because there will also be simultaneous ceremonial elements in Cortina d’Ampezzo as part of the shared-host concept for Milan–Cortina.

How to watch (U.S.-focused)

  • TV: Live and delayed coverage on NBC.
  • Streaming: Peacock and NBC Olympics platforms, plus associated NBC streaming sites/apps.

Time zone quick reference

  • Milan (CET): 8:00 p.m.
  • UTC: 7:00 p.m. (since CET is UTC+1 in early February).
  • Eastern Time (U.S.): 2:00–2:30 p.m. ET live start window.
  • Central Time (U.S.): About 1:00–1:30 p.m. CT.
  • Pacific Time (U.S.): About 11:00–11:30 a.m. PT.

For forum threads or “latest news” posts about “when do the opening ceremonies start” around early February 2026, the accurate, up-to-date answer points to Feb 6 at 20:00 in Milan (2–2:30 p.m. ET for live coverage).

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.