Paralympics

Where are the Paralympic Games taking place?

The Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games will be hosted by the Italian cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.

The Games will mark the 50th anniversary of the first Paralympic Winter Games and also see the Games return to Italy for the second time in history, 20 years after Torino 2006.

When are the Paralympic Games taking place?

The Paralympics will take place from 6 to 15 March 2026.

Paralympic Games Schedule

Around 600 athletes will compete in 79 medal events across six sports – Para alpine skiing, Para biathlon, Para cross-country skiing, Para ice hockey, Para snowboard and wheelchair curling. One new medal event, the wheelchair curling mixed doubles will be featured for the first time.

The Opening Ceremony will take place on 6 March 2026 in the Arena di Verona and The Closing Ceremony will take place on 15 March 2026 in the renovated Cortina Curling Stadium, former venue of the 1956 Olympic Winter Games.

View the full schedule here.

History of the Paralympics

On the 29 July 1948, the day the Olympic Games opened in London, Dr Ludwig Guttmann organised the Stoke Mandeville Games on the lawns of Stoke Mandeville Hospital.

Two teams of former servicemen and women who had spinal cord injuries competed in wheelchair archery as part of their rehabilitation programme.

The Games continued and in 1952, the first international Games took place when a team of athletes from the Netherlands travelled to the UK. In 1960, over 400 athletes travelled to Rome, Italy to take part in what would become known as the first Paralympic Games.

Since then they have grown in size and scope, with athletes from around the world competing in a wide range of sports. Today, the Paralympic Games are recognized as one of the world’s largest sporting events and an important platform for promoting disability rights and inclusion.

Want to know more? Visit the National Paralympic Heritage Trust website