Countdown to Milano Cortina 2026: in less than a year and a half, Verona will become an Olympic city. The Arena Amphitheater will play a central role, hosting the closing ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina on February 22 and the opening ceremony of the Paralympics on March 6, 2026. The Olympic and Paralympic Games and their respective ceremonies should be a unique experience for all participants.
To ensure that Verona is welcoming and inclusive, the city’s monuments and transportation infrastructure must be accessible.
In line with this goal, today the city council approved a resolution adding another step toward the completion of public works related to the ceremonies. This resolution ties the works at the Arena Amphitheater to what will be the most significant legacy of the Milan-Cortina 2026 Olympic and Paralympic Games: the construction of an elevator inside Verona’s Arena. This project, while respecting the immense historical and cultural value and uniqueness of the monument, will make it accessible to all, bringing it up to modern standards.
Mayor Damiano Tommasi hopes the elevator will be completed in time for the 2026 ceremonies. To achieve this critical goal, a series of archaeological, structural, compositional, safety, and methodological surveys, assessments, and investigations will soon begin.
The resolution endorses the favorable opinions expressed by the relevant municipal departments during a service conference convened by SIMICO S.p.A. (Milan Cortina Infrastructure Company) to review the technical and economic feasibility project for improving the accessibility of the Arena Amphitheater. These works are part of the Comprehensive Plan for Olympic Works approved by D.P.C.M. on September 8, 2023.
The favorable opinions, especially regarding the Arena, are contingent on the construction of the elevator within the Amphitheater. The Final Report also includes a series of technical observations on the projects submitted by SIMICO, which concern the accessibility of the routes leading to the Arena from Porta Nuova station and the main city parking areas.
Additionally, there are plans for adjustments within the Amphitheater, including the completion of restroom renovations, improvements to walkways inside the galleries and seating areas, and enhancements to the entrances from Piazza Brà and Via Dietro Anfiteatro. In a broader effort to ensure the monument’s maximum accessibility, the Arena will also undergo functional and safety upgrades, particularly at the top parapet and the protections of the vomitoria (entrance tunnels).
