From Val Fiemme to Anterselva, all the theatres of the Winter Games

Without the ascent to the Alpe del Cermis, the Tour de Ski cannot stand, so for the first time in the Cup calendar there is also a place on the Olympic Games calendar for the same season. The only exception granted by the FIS is Val di Fiemme, which at the beginning of 2026 - Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th January - will host the last two efforts of the circuit in stages with skis on, a kermis that like last season will unfold entirely in Italy, celebrating the first four acts in Dobbiaco between 28th December and New Year's Eve.

For the tracks of Lago di Tesero it will therefore be a pre-Olympic test to test, moreover with the same race format as the Games (the classic technique with skis in the tracks), the new 1,200 metre track for the sprints. The Five Circles occasion has allowed the Fiemmese organisers to fix the Lake facility, redesigning the tracks, enhancing the lighting and snow-making systems, rebuilding the federal centre building and the stands where up to 9,000 people will be able to sit, the changing rooms for the athletes and, for the post-Olympics period, also a skiroll track: total cost of 18.7 million euro, three quarters financed by the Autonomous Province of Trento and the rest with state funds.

In Predazzo, on the other hand, the ski jumps have been completely rebuilt, after the demolition of the previous ones, extending their range to 109 metres for the small one and 143 metres for the large one. The facilities were tested on grass in the autumn and for the first time will host a competition on snow tomorrow and the day after tomorrow during the Italian Championships, which are also open to foreign jumpers wishing to test the facility. The Giuseppe Dal Ben stadium has been remodelled, with new lighting and snowmaking systems and the construction of an inclined lift to ascend to the tooth, in place of the previous chairlift. In addition, at the top of the ski jump, a small room has been set up that tourists could use in the future for receptions or meetings. Also new are the terraces, which can now accommodate 4,500 people. Total investment of 44.4 million euro. Half came from the Province of Trento and the other half from state funds.

Another five-ring destination will be South Tyrol's Anterselva, the theatre of the biathlon. In the last corner of Val Pusteria, the shooting range has been modified (with an LED lighting system that has cancelled out the shadowy areas, in the past a problem for biathletes in the segment with rifle in hand) and the course to be completed on skis inside the Alto Adige Arena. Taking inspiration from what the Norwegians did on the Holmenkollen hill, the course now climbs around the shooting area, with a bullet-proof glass window allowing the athletes to pass through safely. Three objectives have been achieved: the athletes spend more time inside the stadium for the enjoyment of the paying spectators (the main grandstand accommodates 14,500); the straight is longer; the final part of the track has been widened with the possibility of overtaking at the finish line. In order to zero the crosswind when shooting, a building was built that also serves as a home for the commentators. In the catacombs below the track a new ammunition depot, a training range and an ice section for testing skis. Total cost of 47 million euro, equally divided between the autonomous province of Bolzano and the Italian state. In Anterselva, no World Cup this season, because the Ibu did not grant exemptions.

To close the picture on the other snow specialities, the Valtellina valleys of Livigno, theatre of snowboarding and freestyle, and Bormio, home not only to men's alpine skiing but also to ski mountaineering, at its first presence on the Olympic programme, will be involved during the Games. In Cortina, next to women's skiing, curling (inside the renovated ice palace) and the three gliding disciplines (bobsleigh, skeleton and luge) will be celebrated on the new Eugenio Monti track. Finally, in Milan, figure skating and short track will be staged at the Forum di Assago, speed skating and hockey at the Fiera di Rho, whose main facility will be the Pala Italia in Santa Giulia, the last piece to be added to complete the mosaic. Work is still in progress and will be completed by 9 January, when the test-event will be staged. The initial investment was 180 million euro, entirely covered by Eventim, a private German company that manages events of all kinds and will use the arena mainly for concerts (on 6 May 2026, Ligabue will inaugurate it). Along the way, a further 21 million extra costs were added, covered by public funds allocated by the August Sport Decree. Finally, October's Decreto Antici added another 30 million, but to finance conventions for sports events.