San Siro mystery: Did Mariah Carey perform live at the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics?
Mariah Carey at the opening ceremony of the 2026 Olympic Games. Photo source: Heiko Becker, HMB Media / Alamy / Profimedia
The performance of the American star Mariah Carey at the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina was widely commented. While some were happy to see her on stage, others began to question the fact that she performed live.
The five-time Grammy Award winner performed the famous Italian song “Nel Blu Dipinto di Blu”, which is better known as “Volare”, by Domenico Modugno, followed by one of her own songs, “Nothing Is Impossible”.
“It's a dream come true to sing (in Italian!) at the opening ceremony of the Milan Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics,” the American star later wrote in an Instagram post.
Controversy after the interpretation at the 2026 Olympics
Some fans praised her performance, calling it “wonderful” and praising the artist's vocal qualities. But Friday night's show also sparked a wave of criticism. According to the AP, some noted a large teleprompter with phonetic writing of the lyrics in Italian, while others wondered if he did playback.
And part of the Romanian audience that watched the ceremony on TVR suspected that the soloist was not singing live.
As the internet roared over the performance of the singer best known for her hit 'All I Want for Christmas is You', the San Siro crowd cheered and gave her a standing ovation when she realized she was performing a song in Italian.
Several journalists asked the International Olympic Committee and local organizers the next day about the suspicions hanging over the singer.
What the organizers say
Organizers of the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony have refused to deny speculation that the American pop diva lip-synced, according to The Guardian.
The show's director, Maria Laura Iascone, confirmed there was a pre-recording, but declined to say whether it was used or whether the American artist performed live.
“During all ceremonies, to be sure, we always record,” she said. “But this is international practice for major broadcast events.”
However, Iasconea insisted he has no complaints about Carey's performance. “Yesterday's performance was truly extraordinary,” she said. “It was fantastic for everyone and we're all delighted with the results. And the pictures can prove it to you, because it was magical.”
Ceremonial production, “complex”
Iascone confirmed that Carey was not paid to perform at the ceremony.
A spokesman for the organizers later told The Guardian that certain elements of the opening ceremony were pre-recorded “to ensure accurate timing, sound quality and a seamless broadcast”.
“The technical, logistical and organizational complexity of an Olympic ceremony is not comparable to a live performance by a single artist,” they said. “The ceremony involves coordinated choreography between multiple artists, speakers, performers and musicians that must line up precisely for a live global broadcast,” the spokesperson said, adding that the entire show was a complex production.
