The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games officially begin today, and the biggest moment on the calendar is happening tonight: the Opening Ceremony at the Arena di Verona. If you’re in Italy (or travelling in), this is one of the rare weeks when multiple cities and mountain hubs share one major event—so planning is as important as passion.
This article is written as a “real life” guide: where things happen, what time to be where, how to move between hubs, and how to follow the Paralympics even if you’re not attending competitions in person.
If you want broader context on the overall Milano Cortina event footprint, you can also start from our main guide here: Milano Cortina Olympics Guide.
Contents
Opening Ceremony: tonight in Verona
The Opening Ceremony takes place today, 6 March 2026, at the Arena di Verona, with the official ceremony slot running 20:00–22:00. For spectators, treat it like a major concert night: arrive early, expect crowd-control around the perimeter, and plan your return route in advance (especially if you are not staying in central Verona).
If you are coming from Milan, Bologna, Venice, or other hubs, Verona is one of the simplest “ceremony cities” in Italy because it is well connected by rail. If you are new to Italian transport routines (ticket validation, platform changes, and last-mile movement), these quick explainers will save you time: How Public Transport Works in Italy and Buses, Trains, Subways: Getting Around Cities.
Dates, sports, and the “hub” logic
The Paralympic Winter Games run from 6–15 March 2026. Instead of one single host city, events are split across multiple clusters, which is why choosing a base is the best first decision you can make.
Sports on the programme: Para alpine skiing, Para snowboard, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, and wheelchair curling. Across these six sports, the Games include 79 medal events and are expected to feature about 665 athletes.
Where things happen: the Opening Ceremony is in Verona; the “snow sports” hub is in and around Cortina and mountain venues; wheelchair curling and Para ice hockey are concentrated in Milan; and Nordic events (cross-country and Para biathlon) sit in the Val di Fiemme area (with venues around Tesero/Predazzo). The Closing Ceremony is scheduled for 15 March at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium.
The key planning principle is simple: if you want to attend multiple days, you will enjoy the Games more if you stay within one cluster (Milan or one mountain area) instead of trying to move between clusters every morning.
How to reach venues without wasting a day
The Paralympics are “Italy travel” by design, so your biggest risk is underestimating the last mile. A venue might look close on a map but still require a shuttle, a park-and-ride scheme, or a long walk because private car access is restricted on event days.
Verona (Opening Ceremony): if you’re arriving by train, you’ll likely move from the station to the Arena via city buses, walking routes, or taxis depending on crowd density. If you’re staying outside the centre, check your return timing before you leave the hotel—late-night transport can be less frequent.
Milan (Para ice hockey & wheelchair curling): Milan is the simplest cluster for spectators because it has the densest public transport network. If you’re staying anywhere on a metro line, you can usually avoid the “event traffic” effect that slows taxis and cars close to arenas on peak days.
Cortina and mountain venues: mountain days are different. Road corridors can bottleneck, weather can slow everything, and parking near venues can be managed or limited. If you have tickets for snow events, consider sleeping in or near the mountain hub rather than commuting from a city every day. It’s the most reliable way to avoid missing the first runs because of transport friction.
Val di Fiemme (Nordic venues): these venues are usually handled through coordinated bus lines and shuttle systems, especially on high-demand competition days. If you’re attending Nordic sessions, pick accommodation that makes the shuttle node easy, not just “pretty on a map.”
Tickets, pricing expectations, and accessibility
One of the best things about the Paralympics is that access is typically more achievable than the Olympic peak weeks—both in ticket pricing and in availability. The official Games information has stated that tickets for the six sports start from €15 (subject to availability), and that a large share of tickets were priced below typical major-event levels.
The Arena di Verona has also undergone works aimed at improving accessibility for spectators with disabilities ahead of the ceremony. If you are attending with accessibility needs, do not rely on assumptions: confirm the access route, seating sector instructions, and arrival time guidance using the official ticket and venue notes.
If you are not attending in person, you can still follow the Games easily. Broadcasters across Europe are carrying coverage, and there are official digital platforms streaming events across all six sports. For the simplest “single page” reference, the official Paralympic schedule hub is the fastest way to find what’s on today and what starts tomorrow.
What to watch in the first weekend
If you’re coming in fresh to Paralympic winter sport, the first days are a great time to “learn the rhythm” of each discipline. The viewing experience is different from the Olympics in the best way: the stories are intense, the margins can be tiny, and the atmosphere at venue level is often more direct and engaging.
Two viewing tips help new spectators:
First: pick one sport and follow it across multiple sessions. Seeing heats/qualification and then medals makes the competition narrative far more enjoyable than hopping between unrelated events.
Second: if you’re watching on-site, plan your day like a mountain day, not like a city event—bring a power bank, warm layers, and food/water so you are not forced into long queues during peak breaks.
A simple checklist for today
If you’re going to the Opening Ceremony tonight (or starting your Paralympics week today), keep it simple and efficient:
- Arrive early and expect security and crowd-management time.
- Plan the return route (train times, last buses, or taxi strategy) before you enter the Arena perimeter.
- Save tickets and IDs offline in case mobile networks slow under crowd load.
- Choose your base cluster for the next days (Milan or a mountain hub) to avoid exhausting transfers.
- Use the official schedule to confirm start times and venue locations each morning.
The Paralympics are often described as “the Games you fall in love with once you actually watch them.” With Milano Cortina spread across iconic cities and mountains, they also become a uniquely Italian travel experience. If you plan by cluster and keep transport realistic, you’ll get the best version of both: sport at the highest level and a once-in-a-decade atmosphere across Northern Italy.
