2026 Winter Olympics torch relay
The torch relay for the 2026 Winter Olympics began on 26 November 2025 in Olympia, Greece, and will conclude on 6 February 2026 in Milan, Italy, coinciding with the opening ceremony at San Siro. The routes for both the Olympic and Paralympic torch relays were unveiled by the Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 on 26 November 2024, one year before the start of the former.
Following the lighting of the Olympic flame in Olympia, a handover ceremony will happen in Athens on 4 December 2025, where the flame will then arrive in Rome and visit all 110 provinces of Italy, making 60 stops over 63 days across and involving 10,001 torchbearers. The torch will be in Naples for Christmas, in Bari for New Year's Eve, and in Cortina d'Ampezzo on 26 January to commemorate 70 years since it hosted the 1956 Winter Olympics. While the torch is in Piedmont, a tribute is planned for skier Matilde Lorenzi, who died while training in October 2024. The torch relay plans to visit every World Heritage Site in the country. On 29 November 2024, Italian comedy trio were announced as official narrators for the torch relay.
Torch and torchbearers
The design of the torch was unveiled on 14 April at Expo 2025 in Osaka, Japan, as well as simultaneously at Milan's Triennale; Osaka and Milan are twin cities. The Olympic torch, which was designed by Carlo Ratti Associati, is light blue, shaped like a flute, and weighs. Made from recycled aluminium, it was designed to be refillable and runs on a renewable liquefied petroleum gas primarily made from waste.For the torch relay, 10,001 torchbearers are expected to be involved. Applications for torchbearers opened on 12 February 2025 for the Italian leg, and on 10 September 2025 for the Greek leg. Rower Petros Gkaidatzis was the first torchbearer once the flame was lit in Olympia; alpine skier AJ Ginnis had originally been selected by the Hellenic Olympic Committee, but was unable to participate due to injury. Water polo player Eleni Xenaki was the last torchbearer for the Greek leg.
Torchbearers who have been announced for the Italian leg include singer sport shooter Abhinav Bindra and footballers Cristiana Girelli and Zlatan Ibrahimović. In addition, the digital ambassadors for the Games will also serve as torchbearers, including actress.
Stops in Greece
The Greek leg was announced on 9 May 2025, involving over 450 torchbearers covering more than through 23 regional units. The Greek leg will also pass by the country's twelve largest ski resorts for the first time. A total of 36 welcoming ceremonies took place over the nine days before the flame's arrival at the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens for the handover ceremony on 4 December 2025.The Olympic torch relay began on 26 November 2025 with a ceremony at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia. Original plans to host the ceremony at the Stadium at Olympia, as with previous torch relays, were changed due to forecasts of poor weather during the week. The actual lighting took place two days prior on 24 November at the Temple of Hera, using a parabolic mirror to concentrate the rays of the sun. The flame was then preserved in a safety lamp until the ceremony, where it was used to light the Olympic torch in the museum. In Patras, the torch made a stop for a ceremony at the former home of Kostis Palamas, lyricist of the Olympic Hymn.
Also due to inclement weather, it was announced that the handover ceremony would be greatly reduced, with the artistic component being cut, and the number of participants limited. The ceremony saw performances by singing the Olympic Hymn, Tassis Christoyannis singing the national anthem of Italy, and singing the national anthem of Greece. Water polo player Eleni Xenaki and her teammates lit the cauldron at the Panathenaic Stadium, after which Hellenic Olympic Committee president handed the torch to Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 president Giovanni Malagò. Tennis player Jasmine Paolini was selected as a torchbearer during the ceremony and accompanied the flame on an ITA Airways flight, arriving at Rome Fiumicino Airport.
| Day | Date | Stops | Notable torchbearers |
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Stops in Italy
The flame arrived at Rome's Quirinal Palace on 4 December 2025, with the relay through the country starting two days later from the Stadio dei Marmi. It travelled through several regions including Tuscany before visiting the islands of Sardinia and Sicily and then returning to the mainland. The route plans to visit all 20 regions of Italy and 110 provinces before ending at San Siro for the opening ceremony of the Games.On 16 December, the torch reached Lampedusa, the southernmost part of Italy, transported aboard an AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter flown by the Italian Air Force.
| Stage | No. | Date | Region | Stops | Notable torchbearers |
| Rome | 1 | Lazio |
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| Viterbo | 2 | Lazio | |||
| Terni | 3 | Umbria | |||
| Perugia | 4 | Umbria | |||
| Siena | 5 | Tuscany | |||
| Florence | 6 | Tuscany | |||
| Livorno | 7 | Tuscany | |||
| Nuoro | 8 | Sardinia | |||
| Cagliari | 9 | Sardinia | |||
| Palermo | 10 | Sicily | |||
| Agrigento | 11 | Sicily |
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| Syracuse | 12 | Sicily | |||
| Catania | 13 | Sicily | |||
| Reggio Calabria | 14 | Calabria | |||
| Catanzaro | 15 | Calabria | |||
| Salerno | 16 | Campania | |||
| Pompei | 17 | Campania | Salerno, Sorrento, Amalfi, Positano, Gragnano, Castellammare di Stabia, Pompei | ||
| Naples | 18 | Campania | Pompei, Torre Annunziata, Torre del Greco, Ercolano, Portici, Marcianise, Caivano, San Giorgio a Cremano, Caivano, Scampia, Naples | ||
| Naples | 18 | Campania | Remains in Naples during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day | rowspan="2" | |
| Naples | 18 | Campania | Remains in Naples during Christmas Eve and Christmas Day | - | |
| Latina | 19 | Lazio | Naples, Caserta, Minturno, Formia, Gaeta, Sabaudia, San Felice Circeo, Latina | ||
| Benevento | 20 | Campania | Latina, Sermoneta, Frosinone, Montecassino, Cassino, Pomigliano d'Arco, Telese Terme, Benevento | ||
| Potenza | 21 | Basilicata | Benevento, Avellino, Melfi, Castel Lagopesole, Rionero in Vulture, Venosa, Filiano, Pietragalla, Potenza | ||
| Taranto | 22 | Apulia | Potenza, Castelmezzano, Pisticci, Matera, Altamura, Gioia del Colle, Massafra, Crispiano, Taranto | ||
| Lecce | 23 | Apulia | Taranto, Nardò, Gallipoli, Presicce-Acquarica, Maglie, Otranto, Lecce | ||
| Bari | 24 | Apulia | Lecce, Brindisi, Ostuni, Cisternino, Alberobello, Monopoli, Polignano a Mare, Bari | ||
| Campobasso | 25 | Molise | Bari, Trani, Castel del Monte, Barletta, Foggia, Termoli, Campobasso | ||
| Pescara | 26 | Abruzzo | Campobasso, Isernia, Castel di Sangro, Roccaraso, Pescara | ||
| L'Aquila | 27 | Abruzzo | Pescara, Chieti, Montesilvano, Silvi, Roseto degli Abruzzi, Giulianova, Teramo, Amatrice, L'Aquila | ||
| Ancona | 28 | Marche | L'Aquila, Rocca Calascio, Ascoli Piceno, San Benedetto del Tronto, Fermo, Civitanova Marche, Macerata, Ancona | ||
| Rimini | 29 | Emilia-Romagna | Ancona, Jesi, Senigallia, Fano, Gradara, Pesaro, Urbino, Riccione, Rimini | ||
| Bologna | 30 | Emilia-Romagna | Rimini, Cesena, Forlì, Faenza, Imola, Bologna | ||
| Ferrara | 31 | Emilia-Romagna | Bologna, Cesenatico, Cervia, Ravenna, Comacchio, Ferrara | ||
| Parma | 32 | Emilia-Romagna | Ferrara, Maranello, Fiorano Modenese, Sassuolo, Sestola, Modena, Reggio Emilia, Parma | ||
| Genoa | 33 | Liguria | Parma, Carrara, Massa, Riomaggiore, Manarola, La Spezia, Lavagna, Chiavari, Rapallo, Portofino, Genoa | ||
| Cuneo | 34 | Piedmont | Genoa, Savona, Imperia, Sanremo, Dolceacqua, Ventimiglia, Cuneo | ||
| Turin | 35 | Piedmont | Cuneo, Bra, La Morra, Alba, Sestriere, Asti, Moncalieri, Stupinigi, Turin | ||
| Aosta | 36 | Aosta Valley | Turin, Rivoli, Settimo Torinese, Chivasso, Chatillon, Aosta | ||
| Novara | 37 | Piedmont | Aosta, Monte Rosa, Ivrea, Biella, Oropa, Vercelli, Casale Monferrato, Novara | ||
| Varese | 38 | Lombardy | Novara, Borgomanero, Gozzano, Verbania, Borromean Islands, Baveno, Stresa, Arona, Varese | ||
| Pavia | 39 | Lombardy | Varese, Magenta, Abbiategrasso, Vigevano, Mortara, Torre d'Isola, San Martino Siccomario, Voghera, Pavia | ||
| Piacenza | 40 | Emilia-Romagna | Pavia, Voghera, Lodi, Casalpusterlengo, Codogno, Alessandria, Tortona, Piacenza | ||
| Brescia | 41 | Lombardy | Piacenza, Cremona, Crema, Sarnico, Paratico, Iseo, Brescia | ||
| Verona | 42 | Veneto | Brescia, Castiglione delle Stiviere, Desenzano del Garda, Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella, Verona | ||
| Mantua | 43 | Lombardy | Verona, Villafranca di Verona, Valeggio sul Mincio, Custoza, Isola della Scala, Soave, Asola, Viadana, Suzzara, Mantua, Brescello, Mantua | ||
| Vicenza | 44 | Veneto | Mantua, Nogara, Legnago, Rovigo, Adria, Monselice, Este, Abano Terme, Vicenza | ||
| Padua | 45 | Veneto | Vicenza, Schio, Asiago, Bassano del Grappa, Asolo, Montebelluna, Castelfranco Veneto, Cittadella, Padua | ||
| Venice | 46 | Veneto | Padua, Chioggia, Stra, Treviso, Mestre, Venice | ||
| Trieste | 47 | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Venice, Musile di Piave, San Donà di Piave, Jesolo, Concordia Sagittaria, Portogruaro, Caorle, Aquileia, Ronchi dei Legionari, Monfalcone, Trieste | ||
| Udine | 48 | Friuli-Venezia Giulia | Trieste, Tarvisio, Gorizia, Gradisca d'Isonzo, Sagrado, Fogliano Redipuglia, Palmanova, Cividale del Friuli, Udine | ||
| Belluno | 49 | Veneto | Udine, Pordenone, Borgo Palù, Conegliano, Vittorio Veneto, Valdobbiadene, Feltre, Trichiana, Belluno | ||
| Cortina d'Ampezzo | 50 | Veneto | Belluno, Farra d'Alpago, Ponte nelle Alpi, Vajont, Longarone, Pieve d'Alpago, Valle di Cadore, San Vito di Cadore, Cortina d'Ampezzo | ||
| Bolzano | 51 | Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | Cortina d'Ampezzo, Tre Cime di Lavaredo, Lake Misurina, Dobbiaco, Villabassa, South Tyrol Arena, Brunico, Rasun di Sotto, Plan de Corones, Bressanone, Bolzano | ||
| Cavalese | 52 | Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | Bolzano, Ortisei, Canazei, Campitello di Fassa, Lago di Carezza, Soraga di Fassa, Moena, Predazzo, Cavalese | ||
| Trento | 53 | Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol | Cavalese, Merano, Terlano, Appiano, Caldaro, Baselga di Piné, Mezzocorona, Termeno, Trento | ||
| Livigno | 54 | Lombardy | Trento, Cles, Lake Tovel, Malè, Croviana, Dimaro Folgarida, Passo del Tonale, Madonna di Campiglio,, Ponte di Legno, Aprica, Livigno | ||
| Sondrio | 55 | Lombardy | Livigno, Bormio, Valdisotto, Madesimo, Tirano, Sondrio | ||
| Lecco | 56 | Lombardy | Sondrio, Berbenno di Valtellina, Ronco, Ardenno, Varenna, Menaggio, Bellagio, Morbegno, Colico, Mandello del Lario, Abbadia Lariana, Lecco | ||
| Bergamo | 57 | Lombardy | Lecco, Grignetta, Villa d'Almè, Ponteranica, Alzano Lombardo, Nembro, Seriate, Bergamo | ||
| Como | 58 | Lombardy | Bergamo, Dalmine, Capriate San Gervasio, Trezzo sull'Adda, Paderno d'Adda, Robbiate, Merate, Crespi d'Adda, Vimercate, Arcore, Lesmo, Seregno, Meda, Cantù, Cernobbio, Como | ||
| Monza | 59 | Lombardy | Como, Gallarate, Rho, Busto Arsizio, Castellanza, Legnano, Saronno, Seveso, Desio, Nova Milanese, Muggiò, Lissone, Monza | ||
| Milan | 60 | Lombardy | Monza, Sesto San Giovanni, Cologno Monzese, Vimodrone, Segrate, Pioltello, San Donato Milanese, Milan | ||
| Milan | 60 | Lombardy | Milan |