With only a few weeks remaining before the flame begins its journey, organisers on Monday unveiled the complete itinerary for the Olympic Torch Relay. The flame will pass through 60 cities and more than 300 municipalities, welcomed by torchbearers who will carry this symbol linking the ancient and modern Games across a 12,000 km route.
The relay for the 2026 Winter Games has been crafted to highlight Italy’s rich and breathtaking diversity, offering local communities the chance to come together in celebration of Olympic values and the Italian spirit. Travelling through every region of the country, the route will shine a light on artistic cities, picturesque villages, cherished landmarks, and globally recognised landscapes—igniting a nationwide celebration in the two months leading up to the opening ceremony on 6 February at Milano’s San Siro Stadium.
“Each step of the relay through our cities will remind the world of sport’s power to build bridges and break down barriers,” said Milano Cortina 2026 President Giovanni Malagò. “It will be a journey that blends heritage and innovation, warmth and progress—celebrating the true essence of Italy.”
The flame’s journey will begin on 26 November with a ceremonial lighting in Olympia. This ceremony signals the start of its passing through Greece and on to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, which hosted the first Olympic Games of the modern era. It will be here, on 4 December 2025, the Olympic flame will be symbolically passed from the Hellenic Olympic Committee to the Milano Cortina Organising Committee for its transfer to Italy.
The torch will then set off on 6 December from the historic Stadio dei Marmi in Rome. From there, it will visit famous destinations such as Tuscany, Sardinia, Sicily and Pompei, before spending Christmas in Naples and New Year’s Eve in Bari. It will visit many of Italy’s most famous and important sites, including the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain, the Venetian Grand Canal and one of the highest peaks in the Alps, the 4,554m Punta Gnifetti in the Monte Rosa massif.
The journey will continue throughout January, with the torch arriving in Cortina d’Ampezzo on 26 January, exactly 70 years after the Opening Ceremony of the Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956 Olympic Winter Games. The relay will reach a thrilling conclusion on 5-6 February, when the torch arrives in Milan ahead of the opening ceremony.
The flame will be carried by thousands of individuals, including Francesco Bagnaia, two-time MotoGP world champion, tennis star Flavia Pennetta, chef Lucia Tellone and Dario Pivirotto, who also carried the torch at both Cortina 1956 and Turin 2006. Torchbearers will wear white uniforms with a red and yellow pattern reminiscent of the Olympic flame, representing “a light that travels, linking every step towards Milano Cortina 2026,” said Scott Mellin, global chief brand officer at Salomon, at the unveiling.
