Plenty of art and culture: The closing ceremony of the Olympic Games took place, among other venues, in the Verona amphitheater. © ANSA / ROBERT GHEMENT

“Truly magical” Games: Italy celebrates its Olympic farewell

The Olympic flame at the Winter Games in Italy has been extinguished. Earlier, IOC President Kirsty Coventry had declared the Games over at the closing ceremony in Verona.

February 22, 2026

From: do

Goodbye Italy: The 25th Winter Olympic Games came to a close with a colorful show in Verona's nearly 2000-year-old arena. After 16 days of spectacle on snow and ice, the athletes were once again the center of attention before the Olympic flame was extinguished at 10:41 p.m.

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They were “truly, truly magical” Games, said the new president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), Kirsty Coventry. The former Olympic swimming champion praised the hosts: “You have staged a new kind of Winter Games and set a new standard for the future.”

The Arena in Verona

For the first time, the closing ceremony took place in a location where no competitions had been held at all: neither at the official host cities of Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, nor at any of the other host venues, but in the Arena di Verona. The amphitheater is known for its major opera performances during the summer.

The amphitheater in Verona was the venue for the celebration. © ANSA / TERESA SUAREZ

The closing ceremony began with an ode to Italian opera: After a film entitled "A Night at the Opera" featuring characters from operas such as "Aida" and "Rigoletto," these characters suddenly appeared live on stage. The show, performed before more than 8.000 spectators, was broadcast to many countries.

The final gold medals were awarded in the arena to Sweden's Ebba Andersson and Norway's ski star Johannes Hoeslot Klaebo, who each triumphed in the 50-kilometer cross-country skiing event. The 29-year-old was by far the most successful athlete of the Games with six Olympic victories.

Much applause for host Italy

Although the competitions were spread across more venues than ever before, Italy received much international acclaim. According to the organizers, a total of 1,3 million tickets were sold, with approximately 150.000 remaining unused. Within Italy itself, satisfaction is also high because "Team Italia" won 30 medals, more than ever before at the Winter Games – including ten golds.

The Azzurri received a particularly warm welcome. © ANSA / TERESA SUAREZ

The Winter Olympics in Italy weren't met with universal approval. On Sunday, several hundred people demonstrated against them in Verona. Criticism focused, among other things, on the fact that, despite initial plans to the contrary, sports venues like the ice track in Cortina were completely rebuilt or significantly expanded, such as the biathlon stadium in Antholz, South Tyrol. The organizers had originally promised to ensure the "most sustainable Games ever." Whether they succeeded will only become clear later.