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The Opening Ceremony marks the official start of the Games and precedes most competitions. In recent decades, for logistical reasons, some preliminary events have occasionally taken place before the Ceremony (as was the case at Paris 2024). However, this has never affected the symbolic importance of the Parade of Nations and the inaugural ritual.
At the Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026, some qualification events will begin beforehand, but the Games will continue to honour tradition while involving athletes, spectators and local communities in a widespread celebration. The parade of delegations and the lighting of the Olympic cauldron will remain the highlights, complemented by new initiatives promoting inclusivity and participation across the competition venues.
The Olympic rings consist of five interlocking rings, coloured blue, yellow, black, green, and red on a white field. The symbol was originally created in 1913 by Coubertin. Although the colors of the rings were later said to be representations of individual continents, Coubertin originally only meant the number of rings to "represent the five parts of the world now won over to Olympism." According to Coubertin, the colours of the rings, along with the white background, represented the colours of every competing country's flag at the time. Here are some examples:
