This isn’t just a sweet fantasy: iconic singer-songwriter Mariah Carey will headline the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, Italy.
The local Olympic Committee announced on Monday that the 56-year-old “Always Be My Baby” singer is the first international artist who will participate in the Opening Ceremony, which will take place on February 6 at the San Siro soccer stadium in Milan.
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“Ci vediamo a Milano!” Carey wrote in an Instagram post, which means “See you in Milan!” in English.
“Mariah Carey fully represents the emotional atmosphere that accompanies the run-up to the Games,” the committee said in a statement. “Music is a universal language that attracts different stories and sensibilities, and intertwines with the opening ceremony’s theme of harmony.”
The previous Olympics, which took place in Paris in 2024, saw Lady Gaga and Celine Dion perform at the Opening Ceremony.
Next year’s Olympics will be spread across multiple areas of northern Italy. The internationally renowned ballet star Roberto Bolle is already confirmed to lead the Closing Ceremony, which will occur on February 22 in Verona’s ancient Roman Arena.
It’s not the first time Carey has headlined a major sporting event, with performances at the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star Game in years past. Most recently, she performed her own music at the 2020 U.S. Open final.
In other news, Carey’s legendary holiday hit “All I Want for Christmas is You” just broke the all-time Billboard record for the longest time on top of the charts—the classic song has now sat at #1 for 20 weeks now.
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