After 16 days of unforgettable competition, the 2026 Winter Olympics are coming to an end.
In addition to celebrating all of the accomplishments of the thousands of athletes who competed over the past weeks, Milano-Cortina will also present a spectacle of dance, music, and more titled “Beauty in Action,” before the Olympic flag is handed over to the mayor of Nice, France, as Nice is one of four cities hosting the 2030 Olympics in the French Alps.
After opening the Olympics in Milano, the games will close at the historic Verona Arena in Verona, Italy.
Olympics 2026 closing ceremony: what to know
- When: Feb. 22, 2:30 p.m. ET
- Where: Verona Arena (Verona, Italy)
- Channel: NBC
- Streaming: DIRECTV (try it free)
The ceremonies will air live on NBC with commentary from the figure skating announcer team of Terry Gannon, Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski.
If you want to tune into the closing spectacle live, be it on Peacock or a live TV streaming service, here’s what you need to know.
Winter Olympics closing ceremony time
The Winter Olympics closing ceremony begins today, Feb. 22, at 2:30 p.m. ET, and is expected to last roughly two and a half hours.
How to watch the Winter Olympics 2026 closing ceremony for free
If you don’t have cable, you’ll need a live TV streaming service to stream the closing ceremonies live for free.
DIRECTV is our top pick for watching TV live for free — its five-day free trial includes NBC (plus every other channel you’ll need for the rest of the Winter Olympics). When the trial is over, you’ll pay as low as $49.99/month and gain access to over 90 live channels.
Sling TV is another affordable way to stream the Winter Olympics; its Select plan includes NBC and starts at $19.99/month.
2026 Winter Olympics closing ceremony performers
Italian ballet dancer Roberto Bolle will perform during the closing ceremony, along with DJ Gabry Ponte, electronic group Major Lazer, singer Achille Lauro and actress Benedetta Porcaroli.
Who are Team USA’s flag bearers for the closing ceremony?
Hilary Knight and Evan Bates, both gold medalists at the Milano-Cortina games, were chosen to represent Team USA and carry the flag into the closing ceremony.
Knight served as captain of the USA women’s ice hockey team. In her fifth Olympics, she made U.S. Olympic history as the highest goals (15) and points (33) scorer in the Winter Olympics. She also helped lead Team USA to gold in what will likely be her final Olympic Games.
Bates, also a five-time Olympian, is an ice dancer with his partner and wife Madison Chock. Together, they contributed to the United States’ gold medal victory in the figure skating team event and won silver in the individual ice dance event.
Where is the Winter Olympics closing ceremony taking place?
The Winter Olympics closing ceremony is taking place at Verona Arena in Verona, Italy, which is roughly a halfway point between Milano and the Dolomites, where skiing events took place.
Verona Arena is among the most well-preserved arenas from ancient times; it was completed in the year 30 AD and restoration efforts that began in the 16th century are attributed to its remarkable state of preservation.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.