Taylor Swift Shares a Heartfelt Message with Olympic Athletes at the 2026 Opening Ceremony
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Taylor Swift made a splash during the Opening Ceremony of the Winter Olympics on Friday, February 6, with a special message for Olympic athletes.
The ceremony, which streamed live on NBC and Peacock starting at 1:40 p.m. ET, featured Swift’s chart-topping song “The Fate of Ophelia.” As iconic figures like Usher and Jeff Goldblum arrived in Milan to kick off the Winter Games, Swift appeared in a pre-recorded video, donning a sweatshirt emblazoned with a teddy bear.
“This is a message to all the athletes,” Swift expressed to the camera. “Getting to learn your stories, and seeing everything you sacrificed and all your determination and hard work and passion … it’s just really inspiring.”
She continued, “I am very grateful for everything you’ve done to get to this point in your life and grateful that you’ve brought all of us along on this journey. Wishing you all the best of luck and a safe journey, and I hope this is an experience you cherish for the rest of your life.”
The ceremony also included performances by Andrea Bocelli and Mariah Carey, culminating in the lighting of the Olympic cauldron after a torch relay featuring ENHYPEN’s SUNGHOON.
Running from February 6 to 22, the Winter Olympics will showcase competitions in skiing, skating, and more. This isn’t Swift’s first foray into the Olympics; she previously narrated a Team USA commercial for the summer Games in 2024.
Coinciding with the ceremony, Swift released a music video for her single “Opalite” from the album The Life of a Showgirl, featuring appearances by Domhnall Gleeson, Graham Norton, and Greta Lee. The video is currently available exclusively on Apple Music and Spotify and will be released on YouTube starting February 8.
“I had more fun than I ever imagined — Made new friends, metaphors and fashion choices,” Swift remarked on Instagram following the video’s debut. “It was an absolute thrill to create this story and these characters.”
