Tonight the 2026 Winter Olympics Begin: Opening Ceremony Preview + Where to Watch + Full Day-by-Day Schedule (Feb. 6–22, 2026)

Young Horn
5 hours ago
4 min read

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics officially open tonight (Friday, Feb. 6, 2026) — and Italy is kicking things off in a way we’ve basically never seen: a multi-site Opening Ceremony with two Olympic cauldrons lit in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

If you’re trying to watch everything (or at least not miss the big moments), here’s a long, detailed guide covering:

✅ Opening Ceremony start time + TV/streaming info
✅ Where to watch every event
✅ What has already happened (pre-Opening Ceremony events)
✅ A day-by-day schedule of the Games (Eastern Time)

Opening Ceremony Tonight: Time, Channel, and How to Stream

When it starts (Eastern Time):

Live coverage: 2:00–5:00 p.m. ET (Friday, Feb. 6)
Primetime encore: 8:00–11:00 p.m. ET (Friday, Feb. 6)

Where to watch (U.S.):

TV: NBC
Streaming: Peacock, plus NBC’s platforms (NBCOlympics.com, NBC app, NBC Sports app)

What makes this ceremony different:

The Opening Ceremony is built around a multi-centered format so athletes across Italy’s dispersed venues can participate, and it includes two separate Olympic cauldrons (Milan + Cortina).

Where to Watch the Olympics All Games Long

If you want the simplest “don’t-miss-anything” approach:

Best option for total coverage

Peacock is the most straightforward way to watch events live and on demand in the U.S.

Best option if you have cable login

Use NBCOlympics.com / NBC apps (authenticate with your cable provider).

Best option for the big nightly show

NBC primetime (especially for marquee finals + U.S. medal moments).

What Events Have Already Happened (Before the Opening Ceremony)

Even though the ceremony is tonight, the competition calendar started early:

Wednesday, Feb. 4 (Day -2)

Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin sessions began.

Thursday, Feb. 5 (Day -1)

Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin continued (multiple sessions).
Women’s Ice Hockey: Pool play began (including USA vs Czechia on Feb. 5).
Snowboarding: Men’s Big Air qualifying.

So yes — the Olympics were already “live” before the parade of nations even started.

Day-by-Day Schedule (Eastern Time) — Feb. 6 Through Feb. 22

Below is a day-by-day roadmap using the published daily Olympic competition schedule (times ET; subject to change). For Day 0 (today), ESPN’s Day 1 listing also matches key start windows.

Friday, Feb. 6 (Day 0) — Opening Ceremony Night

Curling (Mixed Doubles): Round-robin (early + mid-morning sessions)
Figure Skating: Team event segments (early morning block)
Women’s Ice Hockey: Pool play games
Opening Ceremony: (San Siro Stadium, Milan)

Saturday, Feb. 7 (Day 1) — First Full Medal-Day Feel

Alpine Skiing: Men’s downhill
Cross-Country: Women’s 20km skiathlon
Freestyle Skiing: Slopestyle qualifying (women + men)
Luge: Men’s singles runs 1–2
Ski Jumping: Women’s normal hill
Snowboarding: Men’s big air
Speed Skating: Women’s 3000m
Women’s Ice Hockey: Pool play continues (USA vs Finland noted on schedule)

Sunday, Feb. 8 (Day 2)

Alpine Skiing: Women’s downhill
Biathlon: Mixed relay
Cross-Country: Men’s 20km skiathlon
Figure Skating: Team event continues (free skates block)
Curling: Mixed doubles round-robin continues

(The NBC daily schedule continues through the full Games; it’s the best single “by date” resource.)

Monday, Feb. 9 – Sunday, Feb. 22 (Days 3–16): How to Follow the Rest of the Games

Rather than risk mis-printing 116+ event times (and because schedules shift with weather, ice conditions, and broadcast changes), here’s the most accurate way to stay locked in day by day:

The reliable “daily plan”

Use the NBC Sports day-by-day schedule (start times Eastern; medal sessions noted).
Cross-check with the official competition schedule PDF (session-by-session master schedule).
On game day, filter by TV-only on NBC Olympics’ listings (so you know what’s on NBC vs streaming).

That trio is the closest thing to a “perfect guide” for the rest of the Olympics.

Sport-by-Sport Guide (Every Sport) — What to Watch and When It Matters

Below are the 16 Olympic sports you’ll be tracking at Milano Cortina, plus how the schedule generally flows early-to-late Games, and what you should watch for.

Alpine Skiing

Starts immediately with downhill training/early races and builds toward multiple discipline finals. (Men’s downhill hits Feb. 7; women’s downhill Feb. 8.)

Biathlon

Begins with the mixed relay early (Feb. 8) and runs through multiple individual/relay medal opportunities.

Bobsled

Sliding events build later in the Games; sessions and finals are clearly listed in the official schedule PDFs.

Cross-Country Skiing

Skiathlon medals arrive early (Feb. 7 women, Feb. 8 men), then sprints/relays/long distance follow.

Curling

Mixed doubles started before the Opening Ceremony (Feb. 4–6 round-robins continue).
Men’s/women’s curling ramps later in the calendar (see daily schedule/PDF by session).

Figure Skating

Team event begins right away (Feb. 6 blocks) and then the individual disciplines roll.

Freestyle Skiing

Qualifying starts early (Feb. 7 slopestyle qualifying listed), with finals spread across the Games.

Ice Hockey

Women’s pool play began Feb. 5 and continues right into the full tournament arc (pool → knockouts → medals).
Men’s tournament phases and medal games are in the official schedule by session.

Luge

Starts early (men’s singles runs Feb. 7) and continues through multiple runs/medals.

Nordic Combined

Runs across multiple days (ski jump + cross-country components), with medal events listed in schedule resources.

Short Track Speed Skating

Fast, stacked sessions that usually hit hard in primetime windows; finals are scheduled in session blocks.

Skeleton

Typically mid-Games; exact heats/finals listed by session.

Ski Jumping

Women’s normal hill is scheduled Feb. 7, with men’s and team events later.

Ski Mountaineering

The newest/most buzzed-about addition for many casual fans; sessions/finals are listed in the master schedule.

Snowboarding

Men’s big air qualifying happened Feb. 5; men’s big air competition is listed Feb. 7.
Halfpipe, slopestyle, cross, parallel events run across the Games (session schedule shows exact days).

Speed Skating

Women’s 3000m is on Feb. 7, with many major distances/teams later (session-by-session schedule is the most precise reference).

Quick “Tonight + Weekend” Viewing Plan (If You Just Want the Good Stuff)

Tonight (Feb. 6)

Watch the Opening Ceremony live at 2 p.m. ET or in primetime at 8 p.m. ET.

Saturday (Feb. 7)

Men’s downhill + skiathlon + big air + speed skating = the first “stacked” day.

Sunday (Feb. 8)

Women’s downhill + biathlon mixed relay + men’s skiathlon.