The Olympic torch for the 2026 Winter Games has been lit in Olympia, Greece, during a special indoor ceremony.
This marked a rare change, as the event is usually held outside at the ancient stadium where the Games began over 2,000 years ago. Heavy rain forced organisers to move the ceremony indoors and use a backup flame.
Olympia, in southern Greece, is known as the birthplace of the Olympic Games, which started in 776 BC. Usually, the torch is lit using a special mirror that focuses sunlight onto the torch. This time, however, clouds and wet weather made that impossible.
The Olympic flame will now tour Greece for one week before being passed to Italian organisers in Athens on 4 December. From there, it will travel around 7,500 miles across Italy, visiting famous places like the Colosseum in Rome and the canals of Venice, before ending at Milan’s San Siro stadium on 6 February.
The 2026 Winter Olympics will run from 6 to 22 February. The Paralympic Winter Games will take place from 6 to 15 March, with the flame for that event being lit separately in Stoke Mandeville, England, on 24 February. Over 3,500 athletes from 93 nations will take part in events across 16 Olympic and six Paralympic sports.
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