The 2026 Winter Olympics kicked off with a bang in Italy on Friday.
The opening ceremony was held across four cities — San Siro, Cortina d’Ampezzo, Predazzo and Livigno — and began with a dance routine at San Siro Stadium in Milan.
The opener was full of dance routines inspired by Italian history and culture, including a performance that saw three legendary musical composers — Giuseppe Verdi, Gioachino Rossini and Giacomo Puccini — represented by comically large heads.
While Mariah Carey headlined the event, serenading the crowd with a rendition of the iconic Italian song “Nel blu dipinto di blú (Volare),” Italian singer-song writer Laura Pausini sang the Italian national anthem.
The parade of athletes — which was…