Milano Cortina 2026 Cultural Olympiad Unveils Program

The Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will be accompanied by a Cultural Olympiad, a growing calendar of artistic and cultural initiatives inspired by Olympic values. Domenico De Maio, Education and Culture Director of the Organizing Committee, outlined the program's five main axes: Sport between art, history and culture (including the Milano Home of Design campaign during Design Week 2025, the Circles show by Kataklò in Livigno, and the exhibition Performance – Anelli di congiunzione at Le Gallerie in Trento from February 6, 2025 to January 6, 2026); Active Communities (such as Scuola Futura involving students from 12 Italian mountain regions); Diversity and inclusion; Territory and lifestyle; and Peace. The Cultural Olympiad, a historic component of the Olympic Movement since Barcelona 1992, differs from previous editions (London 2012, Tokyo 2020) by adopting a widespread programming model beyond host cities, a participatory adhesion model based on expressions of interest rather than top-down selection, and a focus on cultural and social legacy. Institutions can apply via an online form on the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 website. The initiative's claim is "Culture is movement," promoting peace as daily practice of inclusion and dialogue.