The Olympic flame for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games will embark on an extensive 63-day journey across Italy, passing through all 110 provinces.
The route revealed in Verona on November 26, 2024, will cover 12,000 kilometres (7,455 miles) exactly a year before the flame will be lit in Ancient Olympia, Greece. The journey will begin two days after the flame reaches Rome on December 4, 2024, featuring 10,001 torchbearers.
The relay will travel through Tuscany and reach the islands of Sardinia and Sicily by sea before returning to the mainland. Key stops include Naples during Christmas, Bari on New Year's Eve, and Torino on January 11, 2025. A special tribute to Italian skier Matilde Lorenzi, who tragically passed away in a training accident, will be held in Piedmont.
The torch will arrive in Verona on January 18, and on January 26, it will make its way to Cortina d'Ampezzo, marking the 70th anniversary of the 1956 Winter Olympics. The journey will culminate in Milan on February 6, 2026, at the opening ceremony in the iconic San Siro stadium.
A celebration of courage, peace, inclusion, and respect will be central to selecting torchbearers. Details on how to apply will be released in February. The relay, which includes 60 city celebrations, aims to inspire and unite people across Italy, symbolizing the power of sport to foster connections and build a sense of shared purpose.
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