Milan officially enters the Milano Cortina 2026 atmosphere with the opening of the OMEGA Pavilion, an immersive space dedicated to the timekeeping of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games. Located in the heart of the city, in Piazza San Babila, the Pavilion showcases OMEGA's long history as the Official Timekeeper of the Games, a role the brand has held continuously since 1932.
Designed as a dynamic and interactive experience, the Pavilion offers visitors the opportunity to experience firsthand how technology, precision, and innovation contribute to making Olympic sport a unique experience. The official opening was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony by Raynald Aeschlimann, President and CEO of OMEGA, Kirsty Coventry, President of the International Olympic Committee, and Alain Zobrist, CEO of OMEGA Timing.
"The OMEGA Pavilion is the most effective way to fully understand our role as Official Timekeeper," said Raynald Aeschlimann. "It takes visitors to the heart of the various sports and showcases the technologies and processes that make our work possible. It's an unmissable stop in Milan and an opportunity to immerse yourself in the atmosphere of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games."
The journey begins outside the facility, where OMEGA's Olympic and Paralympic legacy comes to life through historic images and captions that trace 94 years of timekeeping tradition, highlighting the key innovations the brand has developed over the decades.
Inside, the exhibit features multimedia stories, films, athlete profiles, and technological displays, alongside experiential installations designed to engage the public. Among the most spectacular attractions is the chance to sit inside a real Olympic bobsled and experience a high-speed descent thanks to virtual reality, an experience that captures all the adrenaline rush of the discipline and demonstrates how every fraction of a second is measured with absolute precision.
Freestyle entertainment is also on display, with an installation dedicated to ski jumping: by positioning themselves in front of a camera, AI-based software generates a personalized image that allows visitors to identify with the protagonists of this extreme sport, creating a memory to share on social media. For figure skating enthusiasts, a dedicated area illustrates how OMEGA technology now collects advanced data on jumps, flight times, rotations, and landing speeds, offering an increasingly in-depth understanding of athletic performance.
The experience is completed by an exhibition of some of the most iconic instruments of modern timekeeping, from the electronic starting pistol to the Scan'O'Vision ULTIMATE photofinish, which represent the state of the art in sports timekeeping.
The OMEGA Pavilion will be open to the public daily from 10:00 a.m. to 22:00 p.m. throughout the Olympic Winter Games, from February 6 to 22, and the Paralympic Games, from March 6 to 15. Admission is free, offering residents and visitors a unique opportunity to experience the magic of Milano Cortina 2026 up close.