Winter Olympics opening ceremony highlights from Milan : NPR
The women who escorted athletes from each country during the Parade of Nations wore floor-length puffy coats and oversized sunglasses, in the dark of night.
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MILAN — Fireworks. Mariah Carey. A dancing espresso machine on the stove.
The Winter Olympics kicked off Friday in Italy with all that and more.
The San Siro stadium in Milan played the role of main host. But, in the spirit of these Games of unusual scale, simultaneous celebrations also took place in the hubs of Livigno, Predazzo and Cortina d’Ampezzo, which, for the first time, lit a second Olympic cauldron.
These NPR reporters were in the stands in Milan, opening their hand warmers and bag of chips to settle in for the big show. Three and a half hours, 92 countries and some 1,400 costumes later, here’s what struck us:
1. There are things you don’t see on TV (surprise!)
To watch from the stands is to get a glimpse of the magic behind the scenes, like the cameras passing on the cables above and the talent – whether dressed as Italian opera masters, architectural marvels, chefs or Pinocchio – waiting in the wings between acts. Some of the hundreds of volunteers wheeled prop carts and helped carry the hem of Mariah Carey’s dress. And many of them were sidestepping and swaying to a set by DJ Mace, who was also moving non-stop, even when the cameras weren’t on him.
2. But you still had to watch TV
Stadium spectators had plenty of reasons to pay attention to the television screens (there were six of them). For one thing, much of the action – including whole sections of the Parade of Nations – took place elsewhere. It was the only way to see the country delegations doing somersaults and petty attacks from places like Cortina and Livigno, somehow alternating with the Milan parade. Televisions also showed the pre-recorded segments and sometimes the names of the people (such as the flag and torch bearers) on stage.
Milan’s athletes finished their Parade of Nations route in rows of seats just outside the stage.
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3. It was cold
The San Siro roof was partially open and more than three hours of sitting on plastic seats made the air much colder than the low 40s (according to the forecast). There’s a reason all of the teams’ uniforms include jackets, hats, and gloves — and a lot of it has to do with the fact that they also spend a lot of time sitting. They walk to the rows of seats and watch the rest of the ceremony as they sit there, much like a high school graduation procession. Everyone in the press area was bundled up too, but not in color-coded parkas.
4. There were Italian icons…
Frothy-headed opera greats – Rossini, Verde and Puccini – mingled with dancing coffee pots on the stove. The performances began with a winged Cupid and Psyche coming to life among Roman busts and neoclassical sculptures. The models walked on a catwalk in the colors of the Italian flag – a tribute to the late designer Giorgio Armani. The Mona Lisa, Italian chefs and guys dressed up as a collage of famous buildings: the Colosseum! And Brunelleschi’s dome! – published in technicolor.
5. …and not just Italian icons
Mariah Carey performed early in the night, delighting the crowd by singing in Italian.
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Andrea Bocelli gave the crowd chills, as his strong tenor voice carried the Olympic flame into the arena. Italian pop star Laura Pausini sang the national anthem. And Mariah Carey – who is Irish, black, Venezuelan, American (not Italian) – made an unforgettable impression in her four minutes. She arrived at the front of the stage decked out in sequins and fur, began singing in Italian and received huge cheers when she hit a high note.
6. Politics wasn’t center stage
For all the concern over anti-ICE protests and anti-American sentiment disrupting the opening ceremony, real-world conflicts remained largely on the periphery. Applause for Team USA turned to boos when Vice President JD Vance appeared on screen. There was enthusiastic applause for Ukrainian athletes and boos for Israel, as there was in 2024. Speeches from Olympic officials seemed to circle the issue without specifically naming it. They preached unity in divisive times and hailed the athletes as examples that a better world is possible, which the crowd seemed to approve of.
The wording of the Olympic rings – and the fireworks that burst from them – drew loud cheers from the crowd.
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7. The athletes were excited (and Brazil rocked)
A Brazilian athlete did a backflip in the snow. The Austrian flag bearer was carried on the shoulders of a teammate. Czechia rocked its patterned outfits. The Greek contingent came out with a coordinated dance. The last Winter Olympics, held in Beijing during the COVID-19 pandemic, were low-key. These athletes were clearly excited to perform in front of a live audience, with their family and friends cheering them on.
And thanks to the snow queens in shiny silver puffer jackets, who donned large sunglasses indoors to lead each country’s team into the Milan stadium, holding a sign to introduce them.
8. The crowd clearly had favorites
It’s difficult to measure the applause, but there were some moments that struck the audience as harsh, such as the fireworks bursting from the Olympic rings, the arrival of the Italian athletes and Boccelli’s belt pull, sparking some of the loudest cheers of the night. Yes, they were splashy – but they were easy to see even from the nosebleeds.
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