Mariah Carey Dazzles Milan With Olympic Opening Performance

On February 6, 2026, as the world’s attention turned to the opening ceremony of the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics, a hush fell over Milan’s storied San Siro Stadium. The darkness was pierced by a single spotlight, and in its glow stood Mariah Carey, the American pop legend known for her five-octave range and indelible hits. Dressed in a shimmering white gown with sparkling embellishments and a dramatic feathered stole, Carey was about to deliver a performance that would reverberate far beyond the stadium’s walls.

The choice of Carey as a headliner for the ceremony raised eyebrows and anticipation alike. While her Italian roots are nonexistent—her mother is of Irish descent and her father is African American and Afro-Venezuelan—her connection to Italian music is surprisingly deep. As reported by The New York Times, Carey’s mother, Patricia, was a Juilliard-trained opera singer who often practiced arias in Italian at home. Carey, in her autobiography, recalled a childhood moment singing a passage from Verdi’s Rigoletto back to her mother in perfect Italian at just three years old. That, she wrote, was the moment her mother recognized her as a true musician.

Carey’s performance began with the iconic 1958 Italian song “Nel blu, dipinto di blu”—universally known as “Volare”—originally composed and sung by Domenico Modugno. As People and USA Today noted, the crowd erupted in cheers as Carey’s voice soared through the Italian lyrics, her operatic training evident in every note. In Cortina d’Ampezzo, the co-hosting ski town, hundreds of fans joined in, singing the famous “Volare” refrain in unison. The applause reached a crescendo as Carey hit a sky-high whistle note, a signature of her vocal prowess.

“She will enchant many of us,” predicted Marco Balich, creative director of the opening ceremonies, back in January—a promise that Carey delivered on with aplomb. The Olympic organizers, in a statement released in December, had explained their choice: “Recognized worldwide for her unmistakable voice and for a musical legacy that spans generations and cultures, Mariah Carey perfectly embodies the emotional spirit of the Games.”

The ceremony’s overarching theme was “Armonia”—the Italian word for harmony—reflecting unity among nations, between humanity and nature, and between tradition and innovation. Before Carey’s entrance, the ceremony paid tribute to Italy’s artistic heritage. Dancers dressed as angels honored sculptor Antonio Canova, and a whimsical pantomime saw performers with papier-mâché heads portray legendary composers Giuseppe Verdi, Gioachino Rossini, and Giacomo Puccini. As Olympics.com reported, the ceremony began with a cinematic sequence of Italy as a winter wonderland, followed by a countdown from 20, featuring dazzling images of Milan and Cortina.

Carey’s set continued with her own 2025 single “Nothing Is Impossible,” from her album Here for It All. The song’s lyrics—“’Cause I dream a greater dream / I fight a greater fight / I overcome it all”—felt like an anthem for the athletes assembled below, each one striving for their own impossible dream. As Billboard and The Associated Press observed, the emotional resonance of the song was unmistakable, its message of perseverance echoing through the stadium and across television screens worldwide.

This was not Carey’s first foray into the world of major sporting events. She previously performed the national anthem at the 2002 Super Bowl and sang at the 2020 U.S. Open women’s tennis final. Her connection to the Olympics even predates Milan: in 2010, her song “100%” was featured on the AT&T Team USA Soundtrack for the Vancouver Winter Games. As she expressed in a press release at the time, “The Olympic Winter Games create once-in-a-lifetime moments for the entire world to see. It is truly amazing to watch these first-rate athletes compete and give everything they have to reach new levels of achievement. Their actions provide hope and inspiration for everyone. As artists, we strive to encourage others through our music.”

Carey’s appearance at the Milano Cortina opening ceremony was announced months in advance, building anticipation both in Italy and abroad. In December 2025, she greeted fans on Instagram with a cheerful “See you in Milan!”—delivered in Italian, no less. While she’s not a fluent speaker, Carey credits her mother’s opera rehearsals for her familiarity with the language. “My mom was an opera singer, so she was always practicing singing in German, Italian, all kinds of languages,” Carey explained on “Live! With Kelly and Mark.” “One time, she was rehearsing and made a mistake. She stopped, and I just continued the line she was singing. I was about 4 years old. That’s when she said, ‘OK, I guess she’s got an ear!’”

Her performance was just one highlight in a ceremony that sought to blend Italy’s rich artistic tradition with the universal language of sport. Alongside Carey, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, singer Laura Pausini, actor Pierfrancesco Favino, and The White Lotus star Sabrina Impacciatore graced the stage, each adding their own flair to the spectacle. For the first time in Olympic history, two cauldrons were lit—one in Milan, one in Cortina—symbolizing the dual spirit of the Games and the partnership between the host cities.

As Town & Country pointed out, the 2026 opening ceremony was a more intimate affair than some recent Olympic spectacles, such as the Paris Games’ river parade. Yet, its emotional impact was undeniable. The organizing committee’s decision to center the ceremony around music and harmony resonated with viewers and participants alike. “Music is a universal language that attracts different stories and sensibilities, and intertwines with the opening ceremony’s theme of harmony,” they stated.

In the end, Mariah Carey’s performance was more than a star turn—it was a moment of connection, bridging cultures and generations. Her rendition of “Volare” and “Nothing Is Impossible” captured the spirit of the Olympics: hope, unity, and the belief that, with enough heart, nothing truly is impossible.