Italian actress Sabrina Impacciatore led a major segment of the Opening Ceremony at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics on Friday night, guiding viewers through a century of Winter Games history. Her performance combined music, movement, and costume changes to reflect the evolution of Olympic sport, style, and culture from the 1920s to the present day.
The segment unfolded as a time-spanning medley, featuring visual callbacks to vintage winter equipment and period fashion, alongside contemporary choreography. Impacciatore appeared in a series of outfits, including a metallic silver-and-gold ensemble, anchoring the sequence with a performance that paid tribute to both the Olympic legacy and her Italian heritage.
Impacciatore is widely known internationally for her Emmy-nominated role as Valentina in the second season of ‘The White Lotus’. More recently, she has appeared as Esmeralda Grand in the mockumentary series ‘The Paper’. Her background in dance, music, and live performance dates back to Italian television in the late 1980s, where she first gained recognition as a variety show performer.
The Opening Ceremony performance marked a high-profile cultural moment within the Games, blending entertainment with historical reflection. By placing Impacciatore at the center of the segment, the ceremony highlighted Italy’s contributions to performance and storytelling while setting an artistic tone for the Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.