Winter Olympics 2026 First Event Interrupted by Power Outage

The 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina got off to an unexpected start when the first event of competition was briefly interrupted by a power outage at the curling arena in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy. Mixed doubles curling had only just begun when the lights flickered and went out, forcing officials to halt play.

Play was stopped roughly five minutes into the first matches, with both athletes and fans caught off guard. Power was restored quickly, and reports indicate the outage lasted about three minutes. Organisers said the interruption was due to an energy-related issue, though the exact cause has not been disclosed.

No Matches Were Overly Impacted

The curling matches were being contested at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, a historic venue updated for these Games. Shortly after the first few stones were thrown, both the lighting and scoreboards dimmed and went off. Players reacted with confusion, but no more, with matches proceeding as they should.

Fans in the stadium cheered once the lights came back on, and officials confirmed that the event was able to continue as planned. Mixed doubles teams from several countries, including Sweden, Canada, Great Britain and others, picked up where they left off once the interruption ended.

Although the Opening Ceremony is scheduled for Friday, 6 February, curling typically begins earlier in Olympic competition to accommodate its round-robin format. This power outage marks one of the first organisational snags of the Games.