Exactly one year from now the curtain will rise on the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, which is set to place from 6-15 March 2026. Here we offer five good reasons why Milano Cortina 2026 will be very special.
Stunning Venues
Billed as the most beautiful Paralympic Winter Games ever staged, the scenic Dolomites will provide the backdrop to competition at both Cortina and Val di Fiemme. Cortina has a long and rich winter sport history staging the 1956 Olympic Winter Games and numerous World Championship events. For the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games, Cortina’s Tofane Alpine Skiing Centre will be home to the Para alpine skiing, Para snowboard will be held at the Cortina Para Snowboard Park and Wheelchair curling and the Closing Ceremony will be hosted at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium. Surrounded by stunning mountain peaks and natural parks the iconic Tesero, Val di Femme hosts the Para cross country skiing and Para biathlon with Milano home to the Para ice hockey. Verona’s world-renowned Olympic Arena – a Roman amphitheatre dating from the 1st Century – will provide an historic venue for the Opening Ceremony.
Historic Paralympic Winter Games
Milano Cortina 2026 will mark the 50th anniversary of the first Paralympic Winter Games which took place in Ornskoldsvik, Sweden. The inaugural event in 1976 attracted 198 athletes from 16 countries and featured two sports – Para alpine skiing and Para cross country skiing – and sledge racing, a demonstration event. In the past half-a-century there has been a huge growth in Paralympic winter sport. More than 600 athletes – a 20 percent increase on the number of athletes which competed at the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games – from around 50 countries are expected to compete across six sports at Milano Cortina 2026. There will be 79 medal events at Milano Cortina – 39 for men, 35 for women, plus five mixed events.
Rich New Zealand tradition
Despite its small population size, Aotearoa New Zealand has consistently punched above its weight at the Paralympic Winter Games. Since making its debut appearance at Geilo 1980, New Zealand Paralympians have secured an impressive 35 medals including 17 golds. Vision impaired Para alpine skier Paralympian #45 Viv Gapes at Innsbruck 1984 was the first ever Kiwi to strike gold at a Paralympic Winter Games with Paralympian #188 Corey Peters MNZM the most recent, climbing the top of the podium in the Men’s Downhill Sitting event at Beijing 2022. Paralympian #55 Patrick Cooper is the most decorated New Zealand Winter Paralympian with six medals including four gold, with Paralympian #114 Rachael Battersby the most successful female New Zealand Winter Paralympian with three gold medals. Paralympian #158 Adam Hall MNZM is another New Zealand winter sport legend having secured five medals (two gold and three bronze) across the previous five Paralympic Winter Games. Don’t miss how the NZ Paralympic Team can build on this rich tradition at Milano Cortina 2026.
Accessibility for the disabled
Following the announcement of any host city for the Paralympic Games it often has a hugely positive impact in terms of investment into accessibility for the disabled in the region, and Milano Cortina 2026 is no different.
The Games are acting as a catalyst to significant accessibility improvements across cities and regions. The municipality of Milan is spending EUR€55m (NZD$99m) to further improve accessibility to the Metro (where currently 83 per cent of stations are accessible) and the City of Verona is spending EUR€20m (NZD$36m) on accessibility ahead of the Opening Ceremony. The regions of Trento and Milano will also receive a massive increase in spending on accessibility for the disabled.
Budget ticket prices
Tickets for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games go on sale today and with approximately 89 per cent of tickets – more than 200,000 – costing less than EUR€35 (NZD$63) supporters can experience the world’s best at unbelievably good value. Snow sports tickets are available between EUR€15-40 (NZD$27-$72), Wheelchair curling EUR€25-60 (NZD$45-$108) and Para ice hockey EUR€15-80 (NZD$27-$144). Prices for spectators aged 14 years start from EUR€10 (NZD$18). More details here.
