On Saturday, the city celebration was held with entertainment and ski mountaineering, culminating in the arrival of the last torchbearer and the lighting of the Olympic flame

Five thousand festive people filled the square with enthusiasm at its highest: never before had Sondrio seen such a crowded Piazza Garibaldi. The Olympic eve ignited along with the flame, which arrived around 7:30 PM yesterday, brought by an exceptional torchbearer, the former head coach of the national cross-country skiing team Sandro Vanoi, who, in front of the Olympic flame, let his emotions shine through. The 'city celebration' organized in the capital, one of the 60 stopover cities in the long journey of the torch, attracted thousands of people along with hundreds of young athletes from local sports clubs who accompanied the final torchbearers, the local resident Martino Sala and the president of the Valtellina Wine Trail Simone Bertini, who covered 500 meters in the city center between two lines of cheering crowds.

«The enthusiasm for this extraordinary sporting event is growing even in Sondrio, we felt it in the past days with citizens asking about the arrival of the flame - commented today the mayor Marco Scaramellini -, but what happened yesterday went beyond our wildest expectations. There are no words to describe the enthusiasm and participation of the public: the entire Valtellina, with the competition venues Bormio and Livigno, is at the center of the sports world, and it will be for the coming weeks. Everyone is talking about us, and the impact, in terms of notoriety, is difficult to predict in its dimensions. From the square, we felt the pride of being here: the world is watching us, and we have already shown, even on this eve, how the most important sporting event can unite and engage. We are ready, and I am sure we will make a great impression».

During the entertainment managed by Fondazione Milano Cortina, with sponsors Coca Cola and Eni, starting at 5 PM and ending at 7:30 PM, a moment organized by the Municipality of Sondrio, by the Councilor for Tourism, Sport, and the 2026 Olympics Michele Diasio, dedicated to ski mountaineering, a discipline debuting at the Olympics, featured two athletes from Albosaggia, Giulia Murada and Michele Boscacci, and one adopted athlete, the latter's wife, Alba De Silvestro. On stage, with journalist Maurizio Torri, champion Robert Antonioli shared the beauty of this snow sport and presented the competitions that will take place in Bormio, on the Stelvio slope, on February 19 and 21. Before that, mayor Scaramellini, prefect Anna Pavone, president of the Province Davide Menegola, and councilor of Fondazione Milano Cortina 2026 Sergio Schena spoke: they were also enthusiastic about the large turnout. «Everything went perfectly - said Councilor Diasio -: managing a square with thousands of people is not simple, both from an organizational and security standpoint, but we passed the test, giving participants a celebration they will remember for a lifetime. Those who were there will have stories to tell and are already flooding social media with photographs and selfies. I thank the municipal employees, the law enforcement, the civil protection, the Red Cross, the City Angels, and all the people involved in the organization, as well as Fondazione Milano Cortina, which set up an electrifying show». Just a few days left until February 6, the day of the opening ceremony of the Olympics, which will take place in Milan, and until the 22nd, Piazza Garibaldi and Sondrio will be immersed in the five rings with Winter Events, shows, entertainment, and live medal competitions.