Actresses perform during the Olympic flame lighting ceremony for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games in Ancient Olympia, Greece, on Nov. 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

The Olympic flame for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Games was ignited at the birthplace of the Games in Ancient Olympia, in western Greece on Wednesday.

Due to adverse weather conditions, the ceremony was staged inside the Archaeological Museum near the ancient stadium.

The flame will travel across Greece before being handed over to Italy at Athens' Panathenaic Stadium on December 4.