The men's alpine skiing downhill event of the 1956 Winter Olympics at Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, was held on Friday, 3 February, at 11:00 a.m.

The starting elevation on the Olimpia - Tofana run was 2,282 m (7,487 ft) above sea level and the course length was 3.461 km (2.15 mi), with a vertical drop of 902 m (2,959 ft) and just fifteen control gates.

It was the final alpine event of the games and the third straight victory for Toni Sailer of Austria.

It was the third appearance of the downhill event at the Winter Games, which debuted in 1948.

Seventy-five alpine skiers from 27 nations competed.