2026 Winter Olympics: Schedule, Events & How to Watch from the US

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, are well underway, having commenced with a spectacular opening ceremony on February 6th. As competition intensifies, athletes are vying for medals across a diverse range of winter sports, while viewers worldwide are navigating the time difference to follow the action. The Games, which began with preliminary matches on February 4th, are scheduled to conclude with the closing ceremony on February 22nd, followed by the Paralympic Games from March 6th to March 15th.

For viewers in the United States, the time difference presents a logistical consideration. The venues in Italy are six hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time and nine hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time. This means events taking place in the afternoon in Italy will be broadcast live in the early morning hours in the US.

Wednesday’s Schedule: A Day of Alpine and Ice Competition

Wednesday, February 11th, promises a full slate of medal events. Alpine skiers will compete in the men’s super-G, while Nordic combined athletes will tackle a 10km cross-country event. Biathlon enthusiasts can look forward to the women’s 15km individual race. Freestyle skiing will see the culmination of the women’s moguls finals. On the ice, speed skaters will contest the men’s 1,000m race, and figure skating pairs will perform their free dance. The day’s events also include both the men’s and women’s doubles run in luge.

Beyond the medal events, Wednesday’s schedule includes ongoing round robin matches in curling, with a notable fixture between the United States and the Czech Republic. Qualification rounds are also scheduled for both men’s and women’s snowboard halfpipe, alongside further women’s moguls qualifications in freestyle skiing.

Looking Ahead: Thursday’s Olympic Lineup

Thursday, February 12th, will see Team USA back on the ice for continued men’s and women’s curling round robin sessions. Ice hockey fans will be able to watch the U.S. Men’s team face Latvia in a Group C match.

The medal events on Thursday are equally compelling, featuring women’s super-G Alpine skiing, men’s moguls freestyle skiing, women’s 10km cross-country skiing, men’s snowboard cross, women’s 5,000-meter speed skating, and a team relay in luge. The schedule also includes the women’s snowboard halfpipe final and short track speed skating events for both men and women.

Preparation for future events will also be underway, with skeleton heats, qualification rounds for freestyle skiing, snowboard seeding runs, and training runs for both bobsleigh and ski jumping all taking place.

Opening and Closing Ceremonies: Bookending the Games

The opening ceremony, held on February 6th, was a lavish affair featuring performances by international stars Mariah Carey, Laura Pausini, and Andrea Bocelli. The traditional Parade of Nations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron marked the official commencement of the Games. The ceremony, produced by Balich Wonder Studio, was staged primarily at the Milano San Siro Olympic Stadium, with additional events held throughout Milan and athlete parades in Predazzo, Livigno, and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The Verona Arena will host the closing ceremony on February 22nd, bringing the Winter Olympics to a close.

Figure Skating and Snowboarding Schedules

Figure skating competitions began on February 6th and are continuing daily through February 11th. A break is scheduled for February 12th, but events will resume on February 13th, and continue on February 15th, February 16th, February 17th, and February 19th. Detailed schedules for team, pair, and singles events are available on the official Olympics website.

Snowboarding events commenced on February 5th and will continue from February 7th to February 9th, February 11th to February 13th, and February 15th to February 18th. Qualifying events and final runs for both men’s and women’s competitions are also detailed on the official Olympics website.

Broadcast Information for U.S. Viewers

For viewers in the United States, the Winter Olympics are being broadcast on NBC and Peacock. NBC is providing a minimum of five hours of live event coverage each day, starting in the morning and continuing into the afternoon. Local listings are available on the NBC Olympics website.