Mariah Carey to Perform at Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony

Mariah Carey will take the stage at the opening ceremony for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics. The event happens Feb. 6 at Milan's San Siro Stadium. Officials announced Monday that the 56-year-old singer has become the first international star confirmed for the show.

"Mariah Carey fully represents the emotional atmosphere that accompanies the run-up to the Games," the committee said, per AP News. "Music is a universal language that attracts different stories and sensibilities, and intertwines with the opening ceremony's theme of harmony."

Balich Wonder Studio will produce the ceremony. It features acts from around the world mixed with pieces that celebrate Italian history and new ideas. Carey's appearance connects to the "Harmony" theme, shining a light on ideas like inclusion, respect, and sharing between different groups.

The Games will spread across northern Italy. Events happen in Milan, Cortina d'Ampezzo, Lombardy, Veneto, and Trentino-Alto Adige. Three mountain areas will hold smaller opening ceremonies at the same time.

The five-time GRAMMY winner dropped her first album in 1990. That record included three No. 1 hits: "Someday," "Love Takes Time," and "Vision of Love." She's sold over 200 million albums since, and nineteen of her singles have reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

Her hit "All I Want for Christmas Is You" just topped German music charts for the 22nd week total, a feat no other song has accomplished in Germany. As of this writing, the track sits at No. 1 in the current Top 10 in the USA.

This isn't the performer's first large sporting event. In 2002, she sang "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the NFL Super Bowl. In 2003, she did it again at the NBA All-Star game. In 2020, she debuted "Save the Day" before the U.S. Open women's final.

The Winter Olympics kick off Feb. 4, with 116 medal events spread across 19 days in Italy.