With just under six months until the 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the picturesque north-western Italian town of Milan is preparing to welcome the world’s audiences to one of Europe’s most historic cities.
The coming Winter Olympics, officially recognized as Milano-Cortina 2026, will mark Italy’s first showing of the Winter Olympics since the 2006 games in Turin.
Milan’s close proximity to the Italian Alps makes this venue particularly special, with the surrounding mountains and snowy peaks, viewers will likely anticipate the beauty of Milan’s cityscape as well as the breathtaking view of the Alps.
Among Olympic fans remains a contentious attitude surrounding the Summer and Winter games, specifically, which ones are preferred and why.
“I would say I look forward to both for different reasons,” said Megan Mainor a senior environmental science major. “I love the Summer Olympics because I get really into watching the gymnastics, but my favorite sport to watch is the Figure Skating in the Winter Olympics.”
Milan’s role as a host city for the Winter Olympics is very unique, while indoor events such as ice skating will be held within the city’s urban area, nearly all alpine-related sports will take place in Cortina d’Ampezzo, as well as other mountain venues several hours away.
This structure of the Olympic Games highlights not just the host city, but also its surrounding area, taking into account all aspects of the City’s beauty and its unique surrounding environment.
Much like the prior Summer Olympics in Paris, athletes and viewers will need to travel across the host country in order to view certain events, creating both an appreciation for the sport and for the beauty of the natural landscape.
The 2025 Summer Olympics in Paris were some of the most-watched Olympic games in recent history, owing much thanks to this newer structure, which uses not just the host city, but also the surrounding towns and historical landmarks.
GCSU students share their opinions concerning their excitement for the coming Olympic Games in Milan.
“Generally not, I don’t really keep up with the Olympics,” said Lulu Whitener, a junior english major. “I try to, but I usually get caught up with other stuff. I wish I could do more because I think it brings people together.”
In recent years, worldwide viewership surrounding the Olympics has fluctuated, but indicators, such as the success of the Paris Olympics, predict strong interest in the 2026 Games.
Historically, the most watched Winter Olympic events have been figure skating, snowboarding and alpine skiing, as reported by the data surrounding the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics.
During these games, the International Olympic Committee reported spiking engagement among younger audiences, a trend that is expected to continue. During the 2026 Milan games, men’s and women’s alpine skiing is projected to dominate national interest, while figure skating is expected to be viewed by most internationally.
“I absolutely love watching figure skating,” Mainor said. “I get very invested every Winter Olympics.”
Milan-Cortina 2026 will not introduce any brand-new Olympic sports; however, it will feature new and expanded formats that endorse competitive diversity and expose criticisms surrounding gender inequality, primarily through the addition of mixed-team events, such as skiing and snowboarding.