17 November 2025 – The full route of the Olympic Torch Relay has been revealed, with the Olympic flame travelling from Ancient Olympia to Rome before embarking on an epic 63-day journey around Italy ahead of the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Winter Games.
Key facts
- The relay will be preceded by the ceremonial lightning of the Olympic flame in Olympia, Greece, on 26 November 2025.
- The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay will set off from Rome on 6 December 2025.
- The torch will travel through more than 300 municipalities in all 110 Italian provinces on its 12,000km journey around the country.
The Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay has been designed to showcase Italy in all its glorious and breathtaking diversity, while providing an opportunity for local communities to unite around the Olympic values and the Italian spirit. The route will cross every region of Italy, illuminating cities of art, beautiful villages, places of shared memories, and landscapes recognised around the world – and sparking a two-month national celebration leading up to the Opening Ceremony on 6 February 2026.
The Olympic flame is one of the most important symbols of the Olympic Movement, and the torch relay that precedes each edition of the Games transmits a message of peace and friendship throughout the whole of its journey.
“Every step of the Relay through our cities will remind the world of the power of sport to build bridges and break down barriers,” said Milano Cortina 2026 President Giovanni Malagò. “It will be a journey that weaves roots and future, hospitality and innovation, celebrating the essence of Italy.”
Where will the Olympic Torch Relay go?
The Olympic Torch Relay is set to travel the length and breadth of Italy – visiting more than 300 municipalities in all 110 Italian provinces and stopping in 60 cities for major end of the day celebrations on its 12,000km journey from Rome to Milan.
The journey will begin on 26 November with a ceremonial lighting in Olympia. This ceremony signals the start of the flame’s journey through Greece and on to the Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, which hosted the first Olympic Games of the modern era. It will be here, on 4 December 2025, that the Olympic flame will be symbolically passed from the Hellenic Olympic Committee to the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee for its transfer to Italy.
The torch will then set off on 6 December from the historic Stadio dei Marmi in Rome. From there, it will visit famous destinations such as Tuscany, Sardinia, Sicily and Pompei, before spending Christmas in Naples and New Year’s Eve in Bari.
The journey will continue throughout January, with the torch arriving in Cortina d’Ampezzo on 26 January – exactly 70 years after the Opening Ceremony of the Cortina d’Ampezzo 1956 Olympic Winter Games. The Relay will reach a thrilling conclusion on 5 and 6 February, when the torch arrives in Milan ahead of the Opening Ceremony at the San Siro.
What are some of the iconic landmarks on the route?
The Olympic Torch Relay will visit many of Italy’s most famous and important sites, including:
- the Colosseum and the Trevi Fountain in the nation’s capital of Rome;
- the Piazza del Campo in Siena, one of many World Heritage Sites along the route;
- the spectacular Marmore Falls in Umbria;
- the Grand Canal in Venice;
- the beautiful Amalfi Coast; and
- the 4,554m Punta Gnifetti in the Monte Rosa massif, one of the highest peaks in the Alps.
The Olympic Torch Relay will be supported by Worldwide Olympic Partner Coca-Cola, which will enhance each stage with special activations for the public across Italy. The Coca-Cola Company is the longest-standing partner of the Olympic Movement, having supported every edition of the Olympic Games since 1928. Coca-Cola has also been a proud partner of the Olympic Torch Relay for more than two decades.
How can I follow the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay?
The full Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Torch Relay route is available to explore on a dedicated page of the Milano Cortina 2026 website.
