Mariah Carey confirmed as first music icon of 2026 Winter Olympic Opening Ceremony

Pop superstar Mariah Carey is set to headline the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, organisers announced on Monday.

The acclaimed singer will perform at Milan’s San Siro Stadium on 6 February, launching the Games. Her appearance aims to embody the ceremony’s central theme of "Harmony", blending music and sport to highlight inclusion, respect, and cultural exchange.

Produced by Balich Wonder Studio, the ceremony will also feature international artists and elements celebrating Italian culture and innovation.

The Games will be staged across northern Italy, with events in Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo, and other venues across Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino-Alto Adige.

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Carey is best known for her 1994 festive hit “All I Want for Christmas Is You.”

Despite being released three decades ago, Carey is still reaping the benefits of the record-breaking Christmas classic, pulling in an estimated millions of dollars in royalties each year.

Each year, Carey earns an estimated $2.5 to $3 million from royalties for the song, according to data from Forbes and The Economist.

As of 2017, the song had generated over $60 million through royalties since its release, according to an estimate by The Economist. Carey’s co-writer, Walter Afanasieff, is also expected to make a significant chunk of royalties. It is the most-streamed holiday track of all time.

The 2026 Winter Olympics are just a matter of weeks away now as Milano Cortina gears up to host the quadrennial festival of snow and ice-based sports.

The last Winter Olympics in Beijing saw Norway top the medal table with 16 golds, ahead of Germany, USA and hosts China, while Team GB claimed just two medals – both in curling, right at the end of the Games, with Eve Muirhead skipping the women’s team to gold and Bruce Mouat skipping the men’s team to silver.

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Hopes are higher for more British medals this time around, not only in the curling rink but in a number of the snow events, with regular World Cup wins coming in disciplines such as snowboarding, snowboard cross and freestyle skiing from British competitors

Milano Cortina 2026 will get underway on 4 February, with the opening ceremony two days later on 6 February, and will run until the closing ceremony on 22 February, with 116 medal events across the 19 days in Italy.