Milano Cortina 2026: CEO Andrea Varnier and his team gain a “boost of enthusiasm” from Paris

Featured Image: Milan Cortina 2026

As the 2024 Summer Games conclude, we shift our attention to the Winter Games set for February and March 2026. In an exclusive interview, Andrea Varnier, the Chief Executive Officer of Milano Cortina, shared his insights. With extensive Olympic experience dating back to Turin 2006, Varnier traveled to Paris with a large Italian delegation to participate in the IOC and IPC’s observer program.

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After closely observing the organization of Paris 2024, what valuable lessons will you apply to your planning and strategy for the Milan Cortina Games?

The Paris Games have given us a boost of enthusiasm and energy that will be very useful in this final push of a year and a half. Each team member in their field of expertise has benefited from the work and collaboration with colleagues from Paris 2024, IOC, and IPC. It was essential to be here because the Olympics and Paralympics have lacked audiences twice, one summer and one winter, so it was necessary to see how global audiences reacted.

We are ready to tackle some “important climbs” in the coming months, but we have a great team and believe we can face these final 18 months with the right level of tension and concern, but also with a lot of confidence in our ability to do well.

What measures are you taking to ensure an exceptional experience for athletes and spectators?

The Olympics and Paralympics are among the most complex events in the world in terms of organization: arrivals and departures of athletes and the Olympic and Paralympic family, the villages, meals, logistics, and transportation are just some of the issues we work on daily. Additionally, all aspects of competitive and non-competitive sports venues are challenging. Over the past year and a half, we have made significant progress. We are confident that in the remaining year and a half leading up to the Games, we can deliver a memorable Olympic and Paralympic experience.

Milan Cortina 2026 brings together the best that Italy offers in winter sports in a breathtaking venue spanning from Milan to Cortina, Valtellina to Val di Fiemme, and Anterselva to the iconic Verona Arena. Think of alpine skiing, with women’s events on Cortina’s Olympia delle Tofane and men’s events on Bormio’s Stelvio.  These are two of the most unique slopes in the world. We believe this expansive stage will captivate the 2026 Winter Games and give everyone — athletes, spectators, and viewers — an extraordinary experience.

What unique elements are you incorporating into the Games to reflect Italy’s unique spirit, and how do you plan to showcase Italy’s cultural and regional diversity to a global audience?

We are working to highlight the excellence of each region that will be part of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics. While we cannot reveal much yet, for the first time in the Games’ history, we will celebrate a distributed Opening Ceremony across the wonderful locations of Milan Cortina 2026. The heart of the Opening Ceremony will return to a stadium, and we envision a ceremony that involves everyone through those elements that make Italy unique.

Could you give us an overview of the current status of preparations for the Winter Olympics? 

For the first time, the Games will span cities, regions, and provinces covering an area of 22,000 square kilometers (about 85,000 square miles): Milan and Cortina, as well as Valtellina, Val di Fiemme, Anterselva, and Verona, with all the logistical complexities one can imagine. This new organizational model is a significant challenge. Still, it allows using many existing or temporary venues, which are being improved and modernized for the Games, leaving a lasting legacy for these regions.

Approximately €20 million (about $22 million) is being invested in the Verona Arena to make one of the world’s most iconic monuments increasingly accessible.

Cortina to Host Women’s Alpine Skiing, Curling, and Sliding Sports

With the decision by the authorities to build the Sliding Centre in Cortina, the original master plan has been confirmed for the sports facilities, designating Cortina as the site for curling, women’s alpine skiing and sliding sports, such as bobsleigh, skeleton and luge. The construction schedule — managed by Simico — is adhering to the timelines in preparation for the pre-certification in March 2025, and as the organizing committee, we constantly monitor its progress.

They have already completed the roof of the Olympic and Paralympic Village in Milan. After the Games, it will become student housing, offering an innovative and inclusive solution for the large community of 200,000 students. They have scheduled the delivery of the Santa Giulia Arena in the last months of 2025. As with beach volleyball in Paris at the base of the Eiffel Tower, many mountain venues in 2026 will be temporary, so their construction will start with the stands. 

Bormio and Beyond: Building Alpine Infrastructure for the Future

A few months ago, they began constructing the new Bormio Alpine finish stadium, and the new Olympic Village building in Predazzo started last June. The builders will complete it by autumn 2025. The Ski Stadium will be an important legacy for the area. The area also hosts annual international events and supports sports and tourism. They have started building an underground parking lot in nearby Livigno and completed the design phase for new competition tracks.

Also the Construction on the new Olympic Village building in Predazzo started last June, and builders will complete it by autumn 2025.

Progress at the Biathlon Arena in Anterselva

They’ll continue working on the Biathlon Arena in Anterselva, which began in July 2023. Organizers paused the work during the winter to allow for the regular competition season and resumed it in the summer. They expect to complete the work by the end of the year.

What key milestones have they scheduled for the near future?

The next milestones to achieve in preparation for the Games include the official launch of the Volunteer Campaign in mid-September; in October, the Ticketing Campaign will continue with new announcements, and in November, we will meet with representatives from the world’s leading news outlets in Milan and Valtellina. In April 2025, we will unveil the Torch for the 2026 Olympics and Paralympics simultaneously in Milan and at the Italy Pavilion at Expo 2025 Osaka. This event will be a unique opportunity to project Italian identity in all its diversity and uniqueness in an international and future-oriented context.