Milano Cortina 2026 launches public poll to help design official mascots of next Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games

The organisers of Milano Cortina 2026 used the Sanremo Music Festival on Wednesday (8 February) to promote a public poll into what the next Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games mascots should be.

During the second night of Italy’s most famous song contest, Milano Cortina 2026 launched an online poll to see which of two pairs of characters the public preferred: two flowers (an edelweiss and a snowdrop on their journey from the mountain to the city), or two siblings (two super-sporty twin stouts who set off for the Winter Games with the idea of competing).

Fans can vote for their favourite set of designs and explain what motivated their choice: whether they felt that a particular duo better represented the values of the Games and the location, or perhaps they simply felt one choice was more likeable and fun than the other.

The results of the poll will help the organisers choose the official mascots, which will be revealed by the end of the year.

The final two pairs were shortlisted by a committee of experts after a nation-wide school competition, promoted by Milano Cortina 2026 in collaboration with the Italian Ministry of Education. Drawings were provided by 681 primary school classes from 82 institutes, with a total of 1600 proposals and approximately 400 applications being submitted.

The stoats were drawn by students from Taverna, in the southern region of Calabria, while the flowers were created in a primary school in Segrate, near Milan.

The poll starts a new phase of the mascot project and the winning pair will form the basis of the the design that will become the iconic symbol of the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026.

To take part in the poll you just have sign up for the Fam Team of Milano Cortina 2026.