A show like no other is returning to Italy, two decades on from the success of Turin 2006. The Winter Olympics are coming back to the Bel Paese, with Milano and Cortina at the heart of an edition that will also stretch across Lombardy, Veneto and Trentino-Alto Adige. Athletes and fans from around the globe will gather on the Alps and in some of the most iconic settings in winter sport.

The 25th Winter Games are fast approaching, promising an extraordinary spectacle that blends tradition and innovation. Alongside the historic disciplines, new events and formats will make their debut, aiming to captivate a worldwide audience. Here are the key changes compared with Beijing 2022:

Ski mountaineering – The only brand-new sport on the 2026 programme. Having first featured at the Lausanne 2020 Youth Olympics, ski mountaineering was granted full Olympic status in July 2021. Combining uphill climbing and downhill skiing, athletes compete with skins, specialised boots and bindings. At the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio there will be three medal events: men’s and women’s sprints plus a mixed relay, with each nation fielding one man and one woman. Italy, long a powerhouse in the discipline, will be among the favourites.

Alpine skiing – The number of events is reduced from 11 to 10, with the mixed team parallel dropped. In its place comes the debut of single-sex team combineds (pairing a downhill skier with a slalom specialist). Women’s events will be held at the Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre in Cortina, while the men’s races take place in Bormio.

Cross-country skiing – Twelve events remain, but with changes to techniques and distances. Sprint, team sprint, mass start and interval races rotate between classical and freestyle compared to Beijing. Distances are now fully equalised between men and women: both skiathlons are 10km+10km, both relays 4x7.5km, interval starts 10km, and mass starts 50km.

Luge – Five events instead of four, thanks to the addition of the women’s doubles. That change also reshapes the mixed team relay, which will now feature four legs: women’s singles, men’s doubles, men’s singles and women’s doubles.

Skeleton – A third event is added at the Cortina Sliding Centre: the mixed team competition, with one man and one woman per nation, joins the existing men’s and women’s singles.

Ski jumping – The programme rises to six events with the addition of the women’s large hill. The men’s team event will also shift from four athletes to two, in the new “super team” format.

Nordic combined – Two traditional Gundersen events remain, but the team event is replaced by the new team sprint (large hill/2x7.5km), featuring pairs rather than quartets.

Freestyle skiing – Events increase from 14 to 15 with the debut of men’s and women’s dual moguls. Athletes race head-to-head on parallel courses in a knockout format, promising fast-paced action at Livigno’s Aerials & Moguls Park.

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