Where athletes will live and prepare during the Games
A village spread across the mountains
Milano Cortina 2026 won’t have one giant, city‑style Olympic Village. Instead, organisers have set up several smaller Villages close to competition sites: Cortina, Bormio, Livigno, Anterselva and Predazzo. Each location works like a short‑term community — shared rooms, dining halls, medical services and communal spaces — but because they sit near event venues, transfers are shorter and athletes can keep training routines steady.
Comforts and small surprises
Organisers have added thoughtful touches to make life easier and more pleasant: a complimentary glam suite from Kiko Milano, a Coca‑Cola–backed recreation zone with games and photo booths, and the Cero Stress Plant Shop — a programme that gives athletes a plant to care for during their stay. When competitors leave, plants are donated to local recipients and athletes take home seeds if they want to continue growing them.
Who can stay and for how long
Who’s allowed in
Primary access is reserved for competing athletes. Support personnel — coaches, medical staff, physiotherapists and other accredited team members — can stay only if listed on a team’s accreditation for that sport. Movement into and within the Villages depends on the Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card, which assigns access by role and by event schedule.
Arrival and departure windows
The IOC recommends arriving about five days before your first competition so you can use training venues and settle in. Teams that want to arrive more than a week early will usually need special approval. Accreditation generally lapses around 48 hours after an athlete’s final event, so it’s wise to plan departures promptly to avoid being denied entry or incurring extra costs. Event organisers are increasingly favouring tighter residence windows to cut transport demands and operational costs.
Rules on conduct and expression
Neutrality and safety
The Village maintains a strict code of conduct focused on safety and neutrality: public displays of political, religious or racially charged messages are not allowed in living areas, venues or ceremonies. The aim is to keep the competition environment free of demonstrations, although how that policy is interpreted and enforced can be controversial.
Privacy, media and social posting
Who can speak to media or film in the Village depends on accreditation. Media zones and mixed zones require credentials; private and residential areas are off‑limits to unauthorised recording. Surveillance for safety is present and managed under data‑protection rules.
Social media is permitted but regulated. Commercial posts, obscene or discriminatory content and certain automated material are banned in Village spaces. Live‑streaming will be limited — expect short clips rather than long, continuous feeds — and you should always get explicit consent before posting images or videos that include teammates or other residents. Violations can lead to warnings, loss of accreditation or removal from the Village; national federations may also apply their own penalties.
Health, safety and lifestyle
A balance between focus and downtime
To protect athletes’ health and performance, many competition‑adjacent and residential zones prohibit smoking, excessive partying and open alcohol consumption. At the same time, the Village offers supervised, alcohol‑free social spaces — lounges and sports bars where athletes can unwind in a controlled, sociable setting.
Practical snapshot — what to expect
- – Location: Multiple Villages in Cortina, Bormio, Livigno, Anterselva and Predazzo, chosen to cut travel times and support training.
- Who stays: Competing athletes plus accredited support staff tied to specific sports.
- Arrival: Aim to arrive ~5 days before first event; early arrivals beyond a week need approval.
- Accreditation: Olympic Identity and Accreditation Card controls access; typically deactivates ~48 hours after an athlete’s last event.
- Amenities: Dining halls, medical care, communal spaces, glam suite, recreation zone, Cero Stress Plant Shop.
- Conduct: No public political/religious/racial messaging; media and recording restricted; social posts require consent and follow content rules.
- Penalties: Range from warnings to accreditation revocation and removal from the Village.
If you want, I can turn this into a printable one‑page checklist for athletes and team staff (arrival deadlines, accreditation reminders, dos and don’ts for social media, contact points).
