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The Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Games is kicking off in early 2026, but Olympic celebrations begin long before the Opening Ceremony. The run-up to the event involves a symbolic lighting ceremony of the Olympic torch, which was transferred from Greece to Italy on December 4, so the 60-stage relay could begin. Intrigued to see where it will venture, who will be carrying it, and when the cauldron will be lit? Read on. 

Where did the Olympic torch start?

It all kicked off with a symbolic lighting ceremony in front of the Temple of Hera in Ancient Olympia, the birthplace of the original Olympic Games, on November 26. After stops in Greek destinations Kalavryta, Karpenisi, Metsovo, Kastoria, Naousa, Thessaloniki, Lamia, the Acropolis, and Athens, there was a handover ceremony to Italy on December 4. 

Milan 2026 Olympic torch bearers

More than 10,000 torchbearers will have taken part in the torch relay, but this includes a group of ‘extraordinary individuals’ announced back in October, who are ‘united by values of passion, commitment, and inclusion’, according to InsideTheGames. 

Giuseppe Tornatore, an Oscar-winning Italian director and screenwriter, and Italian actress Alessandra Mastronardi, are both on the roster, as are head coach of the Italian women’s national football team Andrea Soncin and captain Cristiana Girelli, as well as tennis player Jasmine Paolini and Chiara Vingione, European and world basketball champion with the FISDIR national team. 

Valentina Placida, a young girl with a rare syndrome, and her dad Vincenzo, who’s a marathon runner and will push her stroller, are also Milan torchbearers. 

What’s the route?

After the lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia, the torch landed in Italy on December 4 and is currently en route through 60 different stages, which zig-zag all over the country – through 300 municipalities and across 110 provinces, specifically. 

The first stage was in Rome on December 5, before gradually journeying towards Florence for stage 6 on December 10. The torch then headed south towards Palermo for stage 10, and today (December 18) it will pass through Reggio Calabria in stage 14. Pompeii and Naples will be reached early next week, and on New Year’s Day it will have journeyed all the way to Pescara for stage 26. 

In early January, the torch will weave from Bologna to Genoa, before reaching Verona on January 17 and Venice on January 21 (for stages 42 and 46). On February 1, the torch will reach Bergamo, and go via Como and Monza before reaching Milan for the 60th stage on February 4 ahead of the Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony. Have a look at the official map. 

Where is the Olympic cauldron lit?

In line with Olympic tradition, the torch relay will end with the lighting of the cauldron in Milan’s San Siro Stadium, carried out by the final torchbearer on February 6, 2026. 

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