With just weeks to go before the start of the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games—scheduled from 6 to 22 February—the preparation of sporting, support and urban infrastructure has entered its final phase. With venues spread across Milan, Cortina d’Ampezzo and several Alpine locations, the project combines newly built facilities, renovations of historic venues and the modernisation of existing sites that will host official competitions.
From an economic perspective, the operating budget for staging the Games is estimated at between 1.7 and 1.9 billion euros, covering production and event delivery costs and representing an increase on earlier projections. Beyond direct spending, studies estimate that the total economic impact of the Games on Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige could exceed 5.3 billion euros, factoring in tourism, urban investment and broader economic activity. The organisational strategy relies on the use of pre-existing infrastructure in around 85% of cases, in line with the efficiency and sustainability guidelines promoted by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
“Perfect ice” in Milano
One of the most closely watched venues has been the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena, built specifically for the Olympic ice hockey tournament. The arena hosted a test event in January 2026, including Serie A matches and the Coppa Italia final, attracting thousands of spectators and designed to assess ice quality, access points and crowd management.
Following the test, Andrea Varnier, CEO of the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026, said the organisers were “very satisfied” with the results, highlighting that the event made it possible to evaluate “the field of play and the management of spectators and transport” in cooperation with local authorities. Luc Tardif, president of the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF), echoed that assessment, stating that “the ice was perfect” and describing the test as “excellent preparation for the Games”. Cristophe Dubi, executive director of the Games at the IOC, described the recent work at the venue as “exceptional”, particularly in terms of ice management.
Despite these positive milestones, some auxiliary areas such as hospitality zones, services and final finishes inside the arena still need to be completed, although organisers insist everything will be ready before the official start of competition.
Olympic tracks and mountain venues, tested and ready
The Cortina Sliding Centre represents a complete rebuild of the former Eugenio Monti track, designed to host bobsleigh, skeleton and luge competitions. With an associated cost of approximately 118 million euros, the course has been developed to meet modern safety standards and the technical requirements of the relevant international federations. The new sliding centre has completed pre-homologation and has already been tested by international athletes during trial events, confirming that the venue is technically prepared to stage Olympic competition.
Across the mountain venues, several sites have reached this final stage of preparation with a high level of readiness, thanks to their experience hosting international events. Livigno, which will stage snowboard and freestyle skiing competitions, completed construction of its Aerials & Moguls Park in 2024. The facility has already been used as an official test event on the FIS World Cup circuit. Venues that have already hosted test competitions significantly reduce operational risk and now focus primarily on logistical fine-tuning and spectator services.
A similar approach has been applied at historic venues such as Val di Fiemme, Anterselva, Bormio and Livigno, all regular stops on the international calendar for alpine skiing, biathlon and Nordic disciplines. In these locations, investment has focused on upgrading access routes, systems for injected snow production, technical zones and media facilities, without the need for major structural rebuilding.
Urban legacy and the final stretch
In terms of legacy and support infrastructure, the Milano Olympic Village, located in the Scalo Romana district, is one of the most advanced projects. The residential complex was handed over to the organising committee in June 2025, allowing time for operational, security and logistical adjustments. During the Games, it will accommodate around 1,300 athletes and delegation members, before being converted into a university residence and mixed-use urban space, with more than 1,700 student beds and public services, in line with the legacy model promoted by the IOC.
At present, the overall picture shows an advanced state of readiness. Critical venues such as the Santagiulia Ice Hockey Arena have successfully completed test events with positive evaluations from organisers, federations and athletes, while the Cortina Sliding Centre has passed its initial homologation phases and athlete testing. The focus in the coming weeks will be on completing auxiliary spaces, making final operational adjustments and coordinating across venues, within a tight schedule but with the main infrastructure already active ahead of the Olympic appointment in February.
