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The atmosphere at San Siro was electric Sunday night, long after Inter Milan secured a victory over Bologna, as fans celebrated their team’s performance. Olympic organizers are hoping for a similar level of enthusiasm when the iconic stadium hosts the Opening Ceremony on February 6 for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics.
However, a month out from the Games, a sense of muted anticipation hangs over the event. With venues scattered across four different areas in northern Italy and ticket sales lagging among local residents, concerns are growing about the overall impact of the Olympics.
Currently, the Games feel largely invisible in Milan, aside from the attention drawn to the still-under-construction Milano Santagiulia hockey arena. A temporary store in the city’s Piazza del Duomo offers Olympic merchandise, but visitors are more captivated by the towering Christmas tree still on display.
Other venues are located further afield. Figure skating and long track speed skating will be held in Assago, south of Milan, while a second hockey rink and short track speed skating will be housed at Fiera Milano, a sprawling exhibit hall complex in Rho, west of the city. The Fiera Milano complex was quiet Sunday, punctuated only by the passing of trains.
The lack of centralized venues means athletes competing in different disciplines will likely have little interaction. Curlers won’t cross paths with hockey players, and freestyle skiers won’t share training stories with lugers.
Milan’s athletes’ village, one of six across northern Italy, has drawn mixed reactions from locals. While some appreciate the modern design of the apartment blocks, others have described them as cold and reminiscent of Soviet-era architecture. One Google review simply calls it “Milanograd.”
Despite the ongoing construction, the village is nearing completion. A man was seen Sunday morning checking off items on a clipboard, while white curtains now fill the windows of the apartments.
Smaller host cities like Cortina and Livigno are expected to offer a more traditional Olympic atmosphere, benefiting from stunning mountain backdrops and a more intimate scale. The mountain venues are complete and offer breathtaking views.
But in Milan, where soccer dominates the sporting landscape with Inter and AC Milan battling for the Serie A title, the Olympics feel secondary.
Milano Cortina may represent the future of mega-events: a more economical and environmentally sustainable approach for host cities. Previous Games, like the 2010 World Cup in South Africa and the 2016 Olympics in Brazil, left behind costly, abandoned infrastructure.
Organizers are relying almost entirely on existing facilities, with plans for their continued use after the closing ceremony in Verona. Milan’s Olympic village will become housing for 1,300 students, and the privately financed hockey arena will serve as a major indoor sports and entertainment venue.
The crowds at San Siro on Sunday night offered a glimmer of hope. The stadium, a concrete structure slated for demolition, came alive with the passion of tens of thousands of fans.
Plywood hoarding surrounding the Olympic village features murals of athletes, with one message standing out: “PROVE THEM WRONG.” It’s a call to action for the athletes, and perhaps, a challenge to the city of Milan itself.
