As one of the most famous classical singers in the world, Andrea Bocelli is often invited to perform at grand public events from the late Queen’s Platinum Jubilee to the King’s Coronation concert.
And now the maestro has done it again in his native Italy, for last night’s 2026 Winter Olympics Opening Ceremony.
The 67-year-old singer performed his encore favourite, Nessun dorma, to close the show with great gusto, as fireworks went off above Milan’s San Siro Stadium.
You can watch the incredible footage in the BBC Sport video above, from around 8 minutes in.
Meanwhile, Bocelli has posted on Instagram what it felt like to give such a performance.
Bocelli wrote: “It has been a profound honour for me to share such a solemn moment of celebration and to be able to offer my contribution to a sporting event of truly global significance, all the more so as it is hosted on Italian soil. Sport and its values have accompanied me throughout my life: I have followed the Olympic Games, both Summer and Winter, since I was a child. I believe that events of this magnitude, rooted in international competition, are good for all our hearts — they remind us of what unites us and present challenge in its finest form: a concert of energy and talent, governed by fairness. After Turin 2006, it is a privilege for me to return today, twenty years later, alongside extraordinary colleagues, to once again inaugurate this magnificent celebration. Sport is always beautiful, because it carries with it commitment, passion and a spirit of community. But when it is expressed at the highest level, when it reaches excellence, it becomes a pure form of art.”