The Lighting of the Olympic Flame for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games will take place in Ancient Olympia on November 26 (11.30) and the Handover at the Panathenaic Stadium on December 4 (11.00) with free admission for the public.

OLYMPIC FLAME LIGHTING CEREMONY

Ancient Olympia, November 26, 2025

11:15

• Closing time for VIP admission
• Entry of the Presidential Guard
• Arrival of H.E. the President of the Hellenic Republic, Mr. Constantine An. Tassoulas

11:30 – Opening of the Olympic Flame Lighting Ceremony

• Olympic Rings formed by the children of the Ancient Olympia School
• Olympic Anthem & Hoisting of the Olympic Flag
  (performed by soprano coloratura Christina Poulitsi)
• National Anthem of Italy & Hoisting of the Italian Flag
• National Anthem of Greece & Hoisting of the Greek Flag
  (both anthems performed by the children’s choir of the Italian School of Athens)
• Recitation of the poem “The Light of Olympia” by Takis Doxas
  (recited by actor Ioannis Stankoglou)

Addresses

• Mayor of Ancient Olympia, Mr. Aristidis Panagiotopoulos
• President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, Mr. Giovanni Malagò
• President of the International Olympic Committee, Mrs. Kirsty Coventry
• President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Mr. Isidoros Kouvelos

Ceremonial Proceedings

• Entry of designated officials into the Temple of Hera
• Ritual of the Olympic Flame Lighting at the Temple of Hera
• Dance performance by the Priestesses and Kouroi:
  “The Eternal Awakening of Kores and Kouroi”
  (Direction & Choreography: Artemis Ignatiou / Music: Dimitris Papadimitriou)

Procession to the Ancient Stadium

• Entry of High Priestess Mary Mina and the Priestesses with the Olympic Flame
• Handing over of the Olympic Flame by the High Priestess to the first Torchbearer, AJ Ginnis
• Departure of the first Torchbearer

12:25 – Opening of the Olympic Torch Relay

End of Ceremony

OLYMPIC FLAME HANDOVER CEREMONY

Panathenaic Stadium – December 4, 2025

10:50

• Closing time for VIP admission

11:00 – Opening of the Olympic Flame Handover Ceremony

• Greek cultural performance by Klavdia and the Gymnastics for All – Wolves Team
  (Wolves Team choreography by Olimpia Dragouni)
• Italian cultural performance by the Italian School of Athens
• Entry of the Presidential Guard

Flag Entrance

• Entry of the Olympic, Italian and Greek flags
  (accompanied by “Pythionikos”, music by Dimitris Papadimitriou, performed by soprano Myrsini Margariti and the ERT National Symphony Orchestra conducted by Michalis Oikonomou)

Anthems & Flag Hoisting

• Olympic Anthem – Hoisting of the Olympic Flag
  (performed by soprano coloratura Christina Poulitsi with the ERT National Symphony Orchestra under Michalis Oikonomou, supported by the Athenian Conservatory Youth Choir conducted by Alexandra Mitsopoulou)
• National Anthem of Italy – Hoisting of the Italian Flag
  (performed by baritone Tassis Christoyannis, the ERT Choir and the ERT National Symphony Orchestra under Michalis Oikonomou)
• National Anthem of Greece – Hoisting of the Greek Flag
  (performed by tenor Yannis Christopoulos, the ERT Choir and the ERT National Symphony Orchestra under Michalis Oikonomou)

Ceremonial Proceedings

• Entry of the High Priestess and Priestesses
  (music by Dimitris Papadimitriou)
• Entry of the Olympic Flame – Torch Relay inside the Stadium
• Lighting of the Olympic Flame Cauldron
  (the last Torchbearer, Elena Xenaki, will light the cauldron together with the Greek Women’s National Water Polo Team)

Dance Performance

• “Dancing in the Light” by Priestesses and Kouroi
  (Direction & Choreography: Artemis Ignatiou – Music: Dimitris Papadimitriou – performed by Veronika Davaki)

Addresses

• President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Mr. Isidoros Kouvelos
• President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee for the Olympic & Paralympic Games, Mr. Giovanni Malagò

Handover Ceremony

• Lighting of the Torch by High Priestess Mary Mina
• Handover of the Torch to HOC President Mr. Isidoros Kouvelos
• Handover of the Olympic Flame to President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee, Mr. Giovanni Malagò, by Mr. Kouvelos

12:05 – Departure of the Olympic Flame

End of Ceremony