Greece ignites Olympic Flame for 2026 Winter Games

The world turns its attention to Greece, specifically to Ancient Olympia, where, nearly 2.5 months before the opening ceremony of the Milano/Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games, the Olympic Flame will be lit.

The Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony for the Milano/Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics will take place indoors at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia due to adverse weather conditions expected on Tuesday, November 25, and Wednesday, November 26, CE Report quotes ANA-MPA.

The ceremony will be broadcast live from Ancient Olympia on ERT2 Sports, the public broadcaster’s sports channel, from 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesday (26/11).

This change was deemed necessary to ensure everyone’s safety and to maintain the ceremony’s dignity, the Hellenic Olympic Committee (HOC) announced.

Due to the limited capacity of the venue, public attendance is no longer possible. Guests will be informed about who is allowed to enter the museum.

“We sincerely regret this change and any inconvenience it may cause. The Hellenic Olympic Committee is making every effort to ensure that the sacredness, tradition, and spirit of the ceremony are fully honored despite the necessary adjustments,” the HOC said.

Nevertheless, under sunny conditions, a rehearsal was held today, during which a reserve flame was kept for lighting the torch on November 26.

The same procedure occurred for the Paris 2024 Olympics. At that ceremony, the Olympic Flame did not ignite in the traditional way from sunlight due to cloudy conditions. Instead, the torch was lit using the reserve flame preserved at the end of the previous day’s general rehearsal.

As in the Paris 2024 ceremony, the High Priestess is Greek actress Mary Mina, who will light the flame in the sacred area of Ancient Olympia, the cradle of the ancient Olympic Games, in front of the ruins of the 2,600-year-old Temple of Hera.

The entire sanctuary of Ancient Olympia, damaged over time by earthquakes and floods, was dedicated to Zeus, and the Games were meant to honor him. At the site, a statue of the “king of the gods,” now lost, was considered one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World.

At that time, women were prohibited from participating, a restriction that remained until the abolition of the ancient Games in 393 AD.

Mary Mina will pass the flame to the first torchbearer for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, Paris rowing bronze medalist Petros Gaidatzis.

The change was necessary because Alexandros Ginnis, initially selected, was injured during training and could not perform as torchbearer, to avoid missing participation in the Winter Olympics.

From December 6, 2025, until February 6, 2026, the day of the Opening Ceremony at the “San Siro” Olympic Stadium in Milan, the Olympic Flame will begin a long and exciting journey across Italy.

The journey begins in Greece on Thursday, December 4, before traveling to Italy. Once it arrives in Rome, the flame will be carried by 10,001 torchbearers, including numerous Olympians, Paralympians, and famous figures from the world of entertainment.

After hosting in Cortina 1956, Rome 1960, and Turin 2006, Italy is ready to host the world’s largest sporting event for the fourth time in its history.

The Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony program may be modified due to its indoor setting at the Archaeological Museum of Olympia.

Ancient Olympia – Wednesday, November 26

• 11:00 – End of official guest arrival / Entry of Presidential Guard

• Arrival of H.E. President of the Republic, Konstantinos Tasoulas, IOC President Kirsty Coventry, and HOC President Isidoros Kouvelos

• 11:30 – Ceremony begins

• Formation of Olympic rings by students from the Municipality of Ancient Olympia

• Olympic Anthem / Hoisting of the Olympic Flag (performed by soprano Christina Poulitsi)

• National Anthem of Italy – Hoisting of Italian Flag

• National Anthem of Greece – Hoisting of Greek Flag (performed by children’s choir of the Italian School of Athens)

• Greetings from Mayor of Ancient Olympia, Aristeidis Panagiotopoulos

• Greetings from President of the Organizing Committee of Milano Cortina 2026, Giovanni Malagò

• Greetings from IOC President Kirsty Coventry

• Greetings from HOC President Isidoros Kouvelos

• Entry of officials into the Temple of Hera

• Ritual lighting of the Olympic Flame in the Temple of Hera

• Entry of High Priestess Mary Mina, priestesses, and kouroi with the Olympic Flame into the Ancient Stadium

• Choreography of priestesses and kouroi

• Artistic Direction / Choreography: Artemis Ignatiou; Music Composition: Dimitris Papadimitriou

• Delivery of the Olympic Flame from High Priestess Mary Mina to the first torchbearer

• Departure of the first torchbearer to the Pierre de Coubertin Monument

• Start of the Olympic Torch Relay

• Departure of H.E. President Konstantinos Tasoulas

• 12:34 – End of event

Panathenaic Stadium – December 4

• 10:50 – End of official guest arrival

• 11:02 – Greek cultural and athletic performance, “Wolves Team | Gymnastics Club” of the Hellenic Gymnastics Federation, choreography by Olympia Dragoumi, 80 dancers participating

• “Asteromata” performance by Klavdia

• Italian cultural and athletic performance, 250 students from Italian School of Athens

• Flag entrance

• Music composition: Dimitris Papadimitriou

• Performance: Myrsini Margariti

• Olympic Anthem / Hoisting of Olympic Flag (performed by soprano Christina Poulitsi with Youth Choir of Athens Conservatory and National Symphony Orchestra of ERT)

• Music: Spyros Samaras; Poetry: Kostis Palamas; Musical direction: Michalis Oikonomou; Choir instruction: Alexandra Mitsopoulou

• National Anthem of Italy – Hoisting of Italian Flag (performed by baritone Tasis Christogiannopoulos, accompanied by ERT Choir and National Symphony Orchestra of ERT; Choir Director: Michalis Papapetrou)

• National Anthem of Greece – Hoisting of Greek Flag (performed by tenor Giannis Christopoulos, accompanied by ERT Choir and National Symphony Orchestra of ERT)

• Entry of High Priestess Mary Mina, priestesses, and kouroi

• Entry of Olympic Flame – Torch Relay inside stadium

• Altar Lighting (final torchbearer, women’s water polo representative and World Champion Eleni Xenaki, will light the altar accompanied by National Team)

• Choreography of priestesses and kouroi

• Artistic Direction / Choreography: Artemis Ignatiou; Music Composition: Dimitris Papadimitriou; Performance: National Symphony Orchestra of ERT conducted by Dimitris Papadimitriou; Vocals: Veronika Davaki; Costumes: Mary Katrantzou

• Greeting from HOC President Isidoros Kouvelos

• Greeting from Giovanni Malagò, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee

• Torch Lighting by High Priestess

• Delivery of Torch from High Priestess to HOC President Isidoros Kouvelos

• Delivery of Olympic Flame from HOC President to Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee President Giovanni Malagò

• Departure of Olympic Flame

• 12:13 – End of Ceremony