The Opening Ceremony of any Olympic Games is always a sight to behold. From Cathy Freeman as the final torch bearer at Sydney 2000 to the lighting of 204 copper petals to create the cauldron at London 2012, the Olympics are a moment that brings audiences together both in the stadium and at home watching on TV.
With millions of viewers tuning in across the globe, the Opening Ceremony sets the stage for the excitement, emotions and engagement that will take place during the 17 days of Milano Cortina 2026.
The event’s creative director Marco Balich has worked closely with Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS) to make sure the complex ceremony will translate on screen. “In [Milan’s] San Siro we’ll have 70,000 people cheering alongside the athletes and heads of state,” he told TVBEurope during a recent media roundtable, “and in Cortina there will also be a lot of action.”
There will be two cauldrons for Milano Cortina, one in the city and the other in the mountains. “Lighting the cauldron in two different locations and keeping up the emotion is challenging. I leave it up to you to [decide] if we nail it or not.”
Balich wants to ensure all of the competitors at the Games have the opportunity to be part of the iconic athletes’ parade. In order for that to happen, the parade will take place in four different locations, meaning that those who begin their competitions the following day will still be included. “I think that’s a beautiful gift that these Games give to the athletes, so they can represent their country with a big smile, and we are very happy about that,” said Balich.
“Together with OBS, we have put a lot of effort into making sure that this goes as smoothly as possible. In Milan, you will see just the placard bearer, before we jump immediately to the next location where there are athletes. That is going to be very complicated, but [we can deliver it]. The viewers will see one unique team marching in the same direction with the same lighting and the same music.”
Balich added that the creative team have deliberately chosen not to use any form of AI as part of the ceremony’s technology. “We are going to go for a very essential human-driven, no technological thrills event that will focus on the values and power of humanity. That’s what we want to share with the world. Authenticity is a key factor in order to engage the new generation of audiences and involve them in these beautiful Games.”
Engaging that younger generation of viewers is important for the future of the Games, and with the so-called second screen, there are always a lot of competing elements for viewers’ attention, but Balich believes that audiences will still be excited to discover who will light the cauldrons. “Working with the Olympic Committee and OBS we have managed to create a simultaneous ceremony in four locations, which is really interesting. We have put a lot of effort into it.
“Certain moments are epic and huge,” he added. “As an example of the scale, the estimated audience of the Opening Ceremony is 2.2 billion viewers. Compare that to the Oscars, which we always think of as a large audience, but it has a very small number compared to the huge audience that will watch the Ceremony. This is very important to bear in mind. We want everyone to feel welcome and to join in because the Games are for everyone.”
Cortina last hosted the Winter Olympics back in 1956, when most broadcasters were still operating in black and white. Back then, there wasn’t much of a ‘show’. “It’s great to see the evolution of the Games and how it has become this major show, a major statement,” said Balich.
“But the essence stays [the same as] previous Olympics, which is a sequence of moments that revolve around the sense of national identity, Olympic identity and the athletes. That to me is the secret ingredient of why the Olympics are so relevant around the world today. People around the world will be watching to see their team, and they want to see who is lighting the cauldron. Those are appointments for viewing.”
