Summary

  • Winter Olympics opening ceremony - watch live at top of page (UK only)

  • 25th Games being held in Milan-Cortina, Italy

  • Ceremony staged at Milan's San Siro Stadium with Mariah Carey and Andrea Bocelli among performers, athletes parades also across northern Italy

  • Bobsleigh pilot Brad Hall and ice dancer Lilah Fear are Team GB flagbearers

  • Follow our daily guide, with first medals to be won on Saturday

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Live Reporting

Mike Peter, Sam Drury and George Booth

  1. Emma Smith
    BBC Sport at San Siro

    Giovanni Magalo must be chilly. He is wearing a very smart suit, but no coat and the temperature has really dropped in Milan.

    He kept himself warm by talking - at length.

  2. 'I have never been as proud to be Italian'

    Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee and Giovanni Malago, President of the Italian National Olympic CommitteePA Media

    President of the organising committee for Milan-Cortina 2026, Giovanni Magalo: "We stand ready to make Olympic history again, inspired by the values that unite all of us: excellence, friendship and respect.

    "The co-ordination of so many different bodies in the pursuit of one dream has been a powerful expression of this country's ability to deliver such a complex project.

    "I have never been as proud to be Italian as I am tonight."

  3. As Magalo pays tribute to his country and the international Olympic movement, here's some GB athletes tackling all things Italy.

    Italian Athlete or Italian Food - Team GB's Winter Olympians

  4. Classic Winters: 'The best half pipe run of all time'

    Silver at Sochi 2014. Silver at Pyeongchang 2018.

    Then, with the final run of the contest in Beijing in 2022, Japanese snowboarder Ayumu Hirano had to pull out all the stops to better the 92.5 best score of leader Scotty James.

    Hirano delivered with an all-time classic. Check out his inch-perfect final run below.

    Hirano wins men's halfpipe with superb final run

  5. The dignitaries step up in front of a set of performers holding national flags, with their stage flanked by athletes in massed huddles of different colour winter jackets.

    First up we have the president of organising committee, Giovanni Magalo.

  6. 'Mr. Bean moment'

    Hazel Irvine
    BBC Two commentator

    That's our Mr. Bean moment of the ceremony. Let's hope the microphones work for this next bit. The speeches are on their way.

  7. John Hunt
    BBC Two commentator

    It is said that the average Italian person makes 200 hand gestures in a day whilst speaking.

    A general view of the Olympic RingsGetty Images

  8. This is pitched as a guide to understanding and using Italian hand gestures.

    I think understanding is a good idea, maybe not copying.

    Speaking as a middle-aged man from the New Forest, I don't really think I could pull them off.

  9. Ah, here's the bit we've all been waiting for - the mime artist.

  10. Sabrina has escaped her kidnappers and races to the centre of the stadium, where she dances on her own for a while like someone desperately trying to revive the dancefloor at a bad wedding.

    Fortunately she's joined by a few other folk, and we can dance our way to the end of the segment.

  11. Sabrina Impacciatore is now in the stadium, and seems to be acting out a scene where she's been kidnapped by a gang of hockey stick wielding gentlemen who danced out of a train.

  12. Emma Smith
    BBC Sport at San Siro

    I really admired the ambition of Paris 2024, but having a traditional stadium based opening ceremony here has been enjoyable.

    So far it has been the right balance of impressive and unhinged.

    Athletes parade at the San SiroGetty Images
    Hungary athletes parade at the San SiroGetty Images
    Sabrina Impacciatore performs a musical during the opening ceremonyGetty Images

  13. I know what you've all been wondering for the last few hours - "what's the creative concept behind this opening ceremony?"

    Well, let me tell you - it's armonia.

    I'll quote from the IOC here:

    "Armonia derives from the Greek word harmonía, meaning 'union, connection, agreement'. The term comes from the verb harmózein, meaning 'to put together, to match', and refers to the act of connecting different elements into a coherent whole.

    Originally, harmonía didn’t just describe a musical concept, but the principle of a relationship: the balance that arises when different parts come together, without either losing its own identity.'

    So there you go.

  14. Emma Smith
    BBC Sport at San Siro

    The USA team got huge cheers as they entered the arena.

    Those cheers turned quickly to boos when American vice president JD Vance appeared on the big screen. He is at the stadium tonight with wife Usha.

    US athletes paradeGetty Images
    US athletes paradeGetty Images

  15. Parade 'worked perfectly'

    John Hunt
    BBC Two commentator

    I think that worked perfectly. The fact that so many athletes could take part is a big, big win.

  16. And we're done!

    A little over 90 minutes since the parade started, the Italian contingent come through to cheers from their home grounds.

    We're back to a video segment, starring White Lotus actress Sabrina Impacciatore.

  17. 'If you're a happy athlete then there's more chance you can win'

    Team GB

    Eve Muirhead, now Team GB's Chef de Mission, speaking to BBC Two earlier: "Let's say it is different being an athlete, but I'm loving it [her role as Chef de Mission]. Long days and sleepless nights, but it is definitely worth it.

    "This is what they have trained for years and years. I am loving it and I wouldn't have it any other way. I lead, manage and support the full delegation.

    "There is the odd challenge that come up, but there is the solution to a challenge. I want to bring a sense of calm

    "We try our best to make it the best experience for the athletes. If you're a happy athlete then there is more chance you can win."

  18. Classic Winters: 'At the fourth time of asking'

    At Beijing 2022, Team GB's women's curling team, skipped by Eve Muirhead, secured Britain's first curling gold in twenty years.

    After leading her team to GB's only gold at the games, Muirhead placed third in the BBC Sports Personality of the Year and then retired from curling in 2022.

    Team GB women win curling gold back in 2022

  19. We're coming to the end of the athlete parade - the United States come through the gigantic golden rings that mark the start of the parade routes, followed by France as the hosts in 2030.

    The Italian team will come through last to finish us up.

    I wonder what they'll do with the rings once they're done here - they're not especially re-usable.

    Stick them in the garden lawn, trail a wisteria up it?

    Flagbearers Amos Mosaner and Federica Brignone of Team ItalyGetty Images

  20. ‘It feels like flying to me’

    Jasmine Sandhar
    BBC Newsbeat

    Phebe Bekker and James HernandezGetty Images

    Among Team GB’s 53 athletes selected for these games are Olympic debutants Phebe Bekker, 20, and 24-year-old James Hernandez.

    The pair - in their fifth season skating together - say they’re proud to get to this point so early in their ice dancing career.

    Hernandez fell in love with the sport when he was young because “it feels like flying to me, and when you're young, you always want to fly.”

    And they agree the best thing about performing on the biggest stage is they have each other for support.

    “We are doing this together day in day out so there's ups and downs all the time,” says Bekker.

    “We’re like a weird mix of brother and sister and an old married couple.”

    The pair will be skating to their theme of 90s music, but are realistic about their medal chances.

    “It’d be very optimistic if we say we can get one,” says Bekker. “The best-case scenario would be to put out two great performances that we can feel really proud of.”

    But does she think they can become the next Torvill and Dean?

    “That is the goal, but hopefully we are the new Phoebe and James.”