In October 2018, the Italian National Olympic Committee officially confirmed plans for a bid by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo to host the Games.

[1] The bid was presented at the general assembly of the Association of National Olympic Committees on 28 November 2018 in Tokyo.

[2] The two cities were elected as hosts of both the 2026 Paralympics and Olympics on 24 June 2019 at the 134th IOC Session in Lausanne, Switzerland, defeating Sweden's joint bid of Stockholm and Åre.

[9] The torch relay is scheduled to take place from 24 February to 6 March 2026, with 501 torchbearers covering 2,000 kilometres (1,200 mi).

The closing ceremony is scheduled to take place on 15 March 2026 at the Stadio olimpico del ghiaccio in Cortina d'Ampezzo, with production by G2 Eventi – Casta Diva Group.

[26] The brand elements for both the 2026 Paralympic and Olympic Games were unveiled on 7 November 2024, drawing inspiration from gestures, which are commonly used in Italian communication.

[27][28] Five graphic elements named "vibes" were designed, with contemporary Italian figures selected to represent them on social media: musician Dario Faini (creativity), athlete Bebe Vio (energy), comedian Federico Basso [it] (imagination), chef Davide Oldani [it] (passion), and dancer Nicoletta Manni (style).

[30] Up to 300 hours of live coverage will be provided to media rights holders, similar to what was done with the Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games.