Mariah Carey goes Italian for Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics opening

Mariah Carey brought a touch of global star power to Milan’s historic San Siro Stadium on Friday night, opening the Milano-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics with a performance that surprised fans and locals alike. 

For the first time in her legendary career, the singer performed entirely in Italian, choosing a song that holds a special place in the country’s heart.

The 56-year-old icon sang Domenico Modugno’s classic Nel Blu, dipinto di Blu, famously known as Volare”, as a symbolic gesture to the host nation.

The choice was designed to highlight the event’s central theme of “harmony” while giving the opening ceremony a distinctively local flavour.

Following her tribute to Italian music history, Carey shifted into her own hit, Nothing is Impossible, a track from her 2025 album Here For It All.

The ceremony served as a blend of sport, culture, and national heritage, mirroring the style seen at the Paris Olympics in 2024. 

A significant moment of the evening included a tribute to the late Giorgio Armani, the legendary fashion designer and Milanese ambassador who passed away last September at the age of 91.

While the mood inside the stadium was celebratory, the event took place amidst notable geopolitical tensions. 

Security was exceptionally high, with US officials confirming that ICE agents were deployed in Italy to protect Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, both of whom were expected to attend.

For fans watching globally, the Games are being covered extensively; Warner Bros. Discovery is providing 865 hours of live action across Europe via Eurosport and HBO Max, while NBC and Peacock lead the broadcast in the United States.

This massive performance arrives at a time when Carey’s long career is being celebrated for more than just her 19 Billboard No. 1 singles. 

On 30th January, the six-time Grammy winner was honoured as the 2026 MusiCares Person of the Year. 

MusiCares executive director Theresa Wolters praised the singer’s commitment to helping others, stating, “She has used her platform consistently to provide tangible support to communities, whether through disaster relief, youth empowerment or programs that help those facing barriers to opportunity. 

Her work exemplifies the values at the heart of MusiCares: creating systems of care that lift people up and ensure music professionals and communities can thrive.”

Carey herself has noted that her motivation has remained the same for nearly forty years, to love, heal, and uplift her audience. 

Reflecting on her work during a break from her Las Vegas residency, she explained that coming from a background without wealth makes the ability to give back even more meaningful. 

“I’ve always tried to incorporate messages into my songs like ‘Make It Happen’ and ‘Hero,’ ” Carey said. 

“It’s just an interesting thing to be able to give back in that way. I didn’t grow up with money. And if you grew up like me, it means even more to be able to give back.”