After weeks of competition, gold medal wins, and emotional moments, the 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina are coming to an end.
Team USA secured multiple gold medals during the Games, including victories in figure skating, ice hockey, and alpine skiing. Now, athletes will gather one final time for the Closing Ceremony on Sunday, February 22.
The ceremony will take place at the Verona Arena, a Roman amphitheater built in 30 AD nearly 2,000 years ago. The historic venue will serve as the backdrop for the official conclusion of the Winter Games.
2026 Olympics Closing Ceremony Start Time and How to Watch
The 2026 Winter Olympics Closing Ceremony begins at 2:30 p.m. ET and 11:30 a.m. PT on Sunday, February 22.
Viewers can watch the ceremony live on NBC. It will also stream on Peacock and NBCOlympics.com.
The broadcast will include the traditional parade of athletes, the extinguishing of the Olympic torch and the formal handoff to the next Winter Olympic host nation.
Maria Laura Iascone, the local organizing committee’s head of ceremonies, said the Closing Ceremony will be smaller in scale than the Opening Ceremony, according to the Associated Press.
Approximately 12,000 spectators will fill the Verona Arena’s stone seats, compared to the 60,000 attendees at the Opening Ceremony.
2026 Olympics Closing Ceremony Performers
Several acclaimed Italian artists are set to perform during the ceremony.
Ballet dancer Roberto Bolle will appear as part of the cultural program. Singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gabry Ponte are also scheduled to perform.
Organizers selected the Arena of Verona intentionally for the event. The amphitheater represents Italy’s cultural heritage and will also host the Paralympic Opening Ceremony.
Team USA Flag Bearers: Hilary Knight and Evan Bates
Hilary Knight and Evan Bates were selected as Team USA’s flag bearers for the Closing Ceremony.
Flag bearers are chosen through a vote among Team USA athletes.
Knight learned she was selected while appearing on “TODAY” with her U.S. women’s hockey teammates. She played a key role in Team USA’s gold medal win over Canada, scoring a pivotal game-tying goal. During the first week of the Winter Games, Knight also got engaged to speed skater Brittany Bowe.
Bates found out he would carry the flag when his wife and skating partner, Madison Chock, announced the news in front of their fellow Olympic figure skaters.
Why the Olympic Torch Is Going to France — Not Los Angeles
At the Closing Ceremony, Italy will pass the Olympic torch to France.
The next Winter Olympic Games will take place in the French Alps from February 1 to February 17, 2030. The Winter Paralympics will take place from March 1 to March 10, 2030.
Because the torch tradition passes to the next host of the same season’s Games, France will receive the Winter Olympic torch.
Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Summer Olympics, previously accepted the Summer Olympic torch when the 2024 Summer Olympics concluded in Paris.
