Ballet star Roberto Bolle will headline 2026 Winter Olympics closing ceremony in Verona

Italian Ballet Star Roberto Bolle to Headline Olympic Closing Ceremony in Ancient Arena

Internationally acclaimed ballet star Roberto Bolle will take center stage at the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics closing ceremony, organizers announced Thursday. The ceremony, titled “Beauty in Motion,” will be held in Verona’s ancient Roman amphitheater, one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious performance venues.

The February 22 event will showcase the UNESCO World Heritage city of Verona and highlight the Arena’s historical significance as home to a renowned summer opera festival. According to Alfredo Accatino, artistic director for the closing ceremony, the event will celebrate athletic excellence while also addressing urgent environmental concerns.

“If the climate continues to change, there won’t be Winter Olympics anymore,” Accatino warned, underscoring the ceremony’s environmental message.

The ceremony’s design will feature a central stage shaped like a waterdrop, symbolically connecting the mountain venues with the fertile Po River Valley—where Milan and Verona are located—and extending to the Venetian lagoon. This geographical representation emphasizes the regional diversity encompassed by these Winter Games.

Bolle, a principal dancer with the American Ballet Theatre and frequent performer at Milan’s Teatro alla Scala, is no stranger to Olympic ceremonies, having performed at the opening of the 2006 Winter Games in Turin. He regularly appears at the Arena di Verona with his summer gala “Roberto Bolle and Friends,” making him a natural choice for this prestigious role. As of now, he is the only performer announced for the ceremony.

The 2026 Winter Olympics, running from February 6-22, will mark a significant first in Olympic history as the first Games with two official host cities: Milan in Lombardy and Cortina in the Dolomites of Veneto. This dual-city approach extends to the ceremonial events as well, with the opening ceremony set for Milan and the closing in Verona.

The inclusion of Verona as the closing ceremony venue has generated considerable excitement among Olympic delegations, according to Giovanni Malagò, president of the Milan Cortina Foundation local organizing committee.

“This will be a great advertisement for Verona,” Malagò stated. “It is quite obvious that the atmosphere will be completely different from a sports stadium. There is a lot of curiosity to come here.”

The city’s strategic location is proving advantageous beyond just hosting the closing ceremony. Verona Mayor Damiano Tommasi noted that hotel reservation patterns suggest the city will serve as a central base for many Olympic visitors throughout the Games. The city’s connectivity to various competition venues enhances its appeal—approximately 75 minutes by train from Milan (site of the ice sports competitions), just over three hours by car to both Bormio (men’s downhill skiing) and Cortina (women’s downhill, curling, and bobsled events).

While the Arena di Verona typically accommodates around 15,000 spectators during its summer opera season, capacity for the Olympic closing ceremony will be reduced. The expanded central stage required for the Olympic production, combined with reserved seating for athletes and official delegations, will limit public ticket availability. Organizers indicated they are still finalizing exact ticket numbers for the event.

The choice of Verona’s Arena—a structure dating back nearly 2,000 years—creates a dramatic juxtaposition between ancient Roman architecture and modern Olympic celebration, offering viewers a uniquely Italian blend of cultural heritage and contemporary sporting achievement.