Milan Cortina Olympics to close at Verona Arena with Italian music and dance

The Milan Cortina Winter Games conclude Sunday with a 2½-hour closing ceremony inside Verona's ancient Arena featuring Italian music, dance and performances by Roberto Bolle, Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte; organizers expect about 1,500 athletes from 92 nations and the Olympic flag will be handed to France.

The Milan Cortina Winter Games conclude Sunday with a closing ceremony held inside Verona's ancient Arena. The 2½-hour event will celebrate Italian music and dance with both classical and contemporary performances. Organizers expect about 1,500 Olympians from 92 nations to parade into the first-century amphitheatre. The ceremony also includes the formal handover of the Olympic flag to France. Key details: - Location and length: The ceremony takes place inside Verona's Roman-era Arena and runs about 2½ hours. - Participants: Organizers expect roughly 1,500 athletes, entering behind two flag bearers from each of the 92 participating nations. - Performers and themes: The program highlights Italian lyric opera and contemporary Italian music and dance, featuring ballet dancer Roberto Bolle, singer Achille Lauro and DJ Gaby Ponte. - Officials: International Olympic Committee president Kirsty Coventry will oversee the ceremony alongside Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. - Ceremony elements: The Olympic flag will be handed to France, the two Olympic cauldrons in Milan and Cortina will be extinguished by video link, and a light show will replace fireworks to protect animals. - Scope of the Games: The Milan Cortina Games covered about 22,000 square kilometres, staged 116 medal events across eight sports and 16 disciplines, and included the debut of ski mountaineering. Summary: The closing ceremony will mark the end of widely dispersed Winter Games and will emphasize Italian cultural heritage in an intimate historic setting. The Milan Cortina Paralympics are scheduled to open at the Verona Arena on March 6 and run through March 15.