Mariah Carey wows crowds with Italian song at Winter Olympics opening ceremony

By Carla Feric, Press Association Entertainment Reporter

US singer Mariah Carey has stunned crowds with a performance of an Italian song during the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony.

The star, 56, took to the stage at the San Siro Stadium in Milan to kick off the sporting event.

Carey sung a rendition of one of Italy’s most famous songs, singer-songwriter Domenico Modugno’s Nel Blu, Dipinto Di Blu, popularly known as Volare.

Carey stood onstage wearing a dazzling wintry ensemble, consisting of a white and sparkly silver striped gown, with a white feather coat draped over her.

She kicked off her performance with the Italian song, which is best known for landing the country third place in the 1958 Eurovision song contest before going on to become a worldwide hit.

The song went on to win two Grammys at its first-ever awards ceremony in 1959 and peaked at number 10 on the UK official singles chart.

Carey’s rendition of Nel Blu, Dipinto Di Blu was the first part of a mash-up with her R&B single, Nothing Is Impossible, from her 2025 album Here For It All.

Other musicians set to perform during the opening ceremony include Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli and Chinese pianist Lang Lang.

Carey started her career in the late 1980s and has since gone on to achieve a string of awards including five Grammys.

The American pop superstar has also had three UK number one singles and two UK number one albums, and is perhaps best known for her festive track All I Want For Christmas Is You.