Olympic flame handed over for 2026 Winter Games at Athens ceremony
December 04 at 08:50
Greece
December 04 at 08:50
December 4 at 08:50 GMT +00:00
Greece, Athens
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The Olympic Handover Ceremony for the 2026 Winter Games - known as Milano Cortina 2026 - takes place on Thursday, December 4, at the historic Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, the site of the first modern Olympic Games.
This traditional ceremony marks the end of the Olympic torch relay in Greece, with the flame formally passed to the host of the next Games.
The cauldron at the centre of the stadium is lit by the final torchbearer in the relay, after which the 'High Priestess' lights her torch and presents it to the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Isidoros Kouvelos. He then hands the flame to representatives of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organising Committee.
The 25th Winter Olympic Games will open on February 6, 2026.