Planet Funk Headlines Cortina's Paralympic Closing Ceremony on March 15

The Italian Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 will close on March 15 with an electronic music spectacle featuring some of the nation's most prominent musical exports, headlined by the veteran collective Planet Funk, whose performance will anchor a ceremony designed as a "shared memory album" of the 10-day sporting event.

Why This Matters

• Star-studded lineup: Planet Funk joins Arisa, Stewart Copeland (The Police), and Meduza on stage for the closing ceremony at the Cortina Curling Olympic Stadium, starting 20:30 CET.

• Public viewing party: Cortina d'Ampezzo authorities are organizing a free outdoor screening in Piazza Angelo Dibona, with bars and music venues along Corso Italia staying open for a town-wide celebration.

• Cultural export: The ceremony, titled "Italian Souvenir", is produced by G2 Eventi – Casta Diva Group and directed by Angelo Bonello and Francesco Conticello, aiming to project Italy's creative legacy to a global audience.

Planet Funk: Two Decades of Italian Electronic Music

Planet Funk emerged in 1999 from the merger of two Milan-based collectives, Souled Out and Kamasutra. Their breakthrough single "Chase the Sun" climbed to number 5 on the UK singles chart in early 2001—a rare international success for an Italian electronic act. Over 25 years, the group has maintained a presence across European festivals and global club circuits, with their track "Stop Me" soundtracking a Coca-Cola campaign and songs appearing in the FIFA 2008 video game. They released a 20th-anniversary compilation, 20:20, in 2020 and a reworked cover of the Moody Blues classic "Nights in White Satin" in 2024. A new album, Blooom, is scheduled for 2026.

The "Italian Souvenir" Concept

The ceremony imagines the closing night as a scrapbook—visual and sonic fragments drawn from the 10-day competition, blending alpine imagery with urban energy. The lineup spans generations and genres: Arisa, one of Italy's most recognizable pop voices; Stewart Copeland, the Grammy-winning drummer from The Police; Meduza, the Milan-based trio whose 2019 house anthem "Piece of Your Heart" topped charts in 22 countries; and Planet Funk. This mirrors the Opening Ceremony pairing of Dardust and Meduza, establishing a thematic bookend for the event. The choice to anchor both ceremonies with electronic music reflects Italy's northern club heritage and aligns with the Paralympic ethos of collective rhythm and shared endeavor.

Why Music Matters in Modern Paralympic Ceremonies

Recent Paralympic closing ceremonies have increasingly used music as a primary vehicle for celebrating inclusion and redefining ability. Paris 2024 framed its closing as a celebration of diverse artistic voices, while Tokyo 2020 built its finale around unity through varied sound. The Milano Cortina 2026 approach continues this trajectory, embedding Paralympic athletes within a broader narrative about Italian creativity rather than isolating them as inspirational outliers.

Practical Details for Attendees

Event timing: The ceremony begins at 20:30 CET on Sunday, March 15, with doors opening approximately 90 minutes earlier for ticketed guests.

Free public viewing: Those without tickets can arrive at Piazza Angelo Dibona from 19:00 onward, where the municipal setup includes portable seating and food vendors. Corso Italia will be closed to vehicle traffic from 18:00.

Tickets and information: For ticketed seating inside the Cortina Olympic Ice Stadium, visit the official Milano Cortina 2026 website or contact the Cortina d'Ampezzo municipal tourist office at the main piazza. Ticket availability and pricing details are available through official Olympic channels.

Parking and transportation: Temporary parking zones will open in fields southeast of the town center, marked with Paralympic signage. Public transportation from Venice Marco Polo Airport (160 km south) and Innsbruck Airport (150 km north) will run on extended schedules through midnight, with shuttle buses connecting Cortina to nearby villages including San Vito di Cadore and Dobbiaco.

Accommodation: Cortina's hotels, mountain lodges, and vacation rentals typically fill quickly during major events. Residents and visitors are advised to book lodging as soon as possible through the Cortina d'Ampezzo tourism website or major hotel booking platforms.

Broadcast: The ceremony will air live on RAI (Italian public television) and stream via the Olympic Channel, with commentary in Italian, English, and International Sign. The ceremony is expected to last approximately 90 minutes.

Broader Impact of the Games

Milano Cortina 2026 has committed to significant accessibility improvements, including new accessible transit links between Milano's city center and the Santa Giulia Olympic Village, and renovation of Cortina's historic bobsled track. The closing ceremony's emphasis on Italian artistic output signals an intent to frame the Games as a launchpad for broader cultural conversations about inclusion, using music as a universally accessible medium. The event will bring together 500 Paralympic athletes from 50 nations during 10 days of competition across alpine venues.