What is the story behind the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay?
Each Olympic torch relay has its own narrative, with a theme and route that celebrate the host nation’s culture, history and people — bringing the spirit of the Games to life long before the first event begins.
Labelled “The Greatest Journey” by the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, this Olympic Torch Relay will travel the length of Italy — illuminating the nation’s spirit, uniting communities and celebrating Italian culture and the Olympic values.
Over 63 days, the Relay will cover 12,000 kilometres, visiting all of Italy’s 20 regions and 110 provinces, and passing 60 World Heritage Sites before reaching Milan for the Opening Ceremony on 6 February 2026. In line with Milano Cortina 2026’s sustainability commitments, the Olympic torch will burn bioLPG made from renewable sources such as used cooking oil, and each torch can be reused and refilled up to 10 times.
Where does the Olympic Torch Relay go next?
The Olympic flame will now travel across Greece towards Athens, where the official handover ceremony will take place at the Panathenaic Stadium on 4 December. It will then leave for Italy, spending 5 December in Rome before the Italian section of the Olympic Torch Relay begins on 6 December.
What are the origins of the Olympic torch relay?
The first flame for the Olympic Winter Games was lit in Norway, for Oslo 1952, followed by Rome, for Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956, and again in Norway for Squaw Valley 1960. While the flames for the summer editions of the Olympic Games have been lit in Olympia since 1936, it was only in 1964, for Innsbruck, that the lighting of the Olympic Winter Games flame began in Ancient Olympia — a tradition that has continued ever since.
The lighting of the flame embodies the Olympic values of peace, friendship and unity – qualities deeply felt in Italy as the country prepares to welcome the world once again. Today’s ceremony marks the beginning of the final countdown to the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games, which will take place from 6 to 22 February 2026. Tickets are available here.
