(Photo by Denise Truscello/Getty Images for Live Nation Las Vegas)
Mariah Carey is officially headed to the Olympic stage, adding another historic chapter to a career already filled with landmark moments. The Grammy-winning superstar has been announced as the first leading performer for the Opening Ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milano Cortina, a reveal that arrived on the same day as a major new chart record for her most famous holiday song.
Olympic organizers confirmed on Monday, December 15, that Carey will take part in the Opening Ceremony on February 6, 2026. The announcement was shared through the official Olympics Instagram account, which teased the moment as “a performance set to define an unforgettable Opening Ceremony performance.” While details about the set remain under wraps, the description alone signaled that Carey’s appearance is expected to be one of the ceremony’s defining highlights.
The news places Carey among an elite group of global artists who have helped set the tone for past Olympic Games. Opening Ceremonies are designed to showcase not just athletic excellence but also cultural and musical icons with worldwide appeal, and Carey’s selection underscores her enduring international reach more than three decades into her career.
Just hours after the Olympic announcement, Carey reached another milestone that further cemented her cultural dominance. Her 1994 holiday classic All I Want for Christmas Is You returned to No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 dated December 20, extending its record-breaking run at the top of the chart to 20 total weeks. No other song in the history of the Hot 100 has spent as long at No. 1.
Carey acknowledged the achievement with a celebratory post on Instagram, subtly tying the chart success to her newly announced Olympic role. “Humbly taking back the torch!! 20 weeks at #1. I’m so grateful,” she wrote, alongside a red heart emoji.
The image accompanying the post showed Carey in a sparkly red bodysuit trimmed with white fur, standing in front of a decorated Christmas tree while holding a golden flaming torch. The visual was widely interpreted as a playful nod to the Olympics, blending her holiday persona with the symbolism of the Games.
Originally released nearly three decades ago, All I Want for Christmas Is You has evolved into one of the most powerful recurring hits in music history. The song resurfaces on the charts every holiday season, but its continued ability to reclaim the top spot year after year has been unprecedented. With this latest return to No. 1, Carey now holds two major longevity records on the Hot 100.
She first set a long-standing benchmark in 1996 with One Sweet Day, her collaboration with Boyz II Men, which spent 16 weeks at No. 1. At the time, that run was considered nearly untouchable. Today, All I Want for Christmas Is You has gone even further, firmly establishing itself as the most dominant chart-topper the Hot 100 has ever seen.
The Christmas anthem now stands alone, surpassing the previous record held by Lil Nas X and Billy Ray Cyrus’ Old Town Road, which spent 19 weeks at No. 1 in 2019. That mark was later tied by Shaboozey’s Tipsy (A Bar Song) in 2024, but Carey’s holiday hit has now moved ahead of both.
The convergence of these two announcements highlights Carey’s rare position in popular culture. Few artists can claim both chart dominance and a starring role at one of the world’s most-watched global events. Her upcoming Olympic performance arrives at a moment when her legacy continues to grow, not fade.
As anticipation builds for the Milano Cortina Games, Carey’s involvement adds star power and global attention to the Opening Ceremony. Whether she leans into her holiday catalog, delivers a career-spanning performance, or unveils something entirely new, one thing is clear: Mariah Carey’s presence at the 2026 Winter Olympics is already shaping up to be a moment worthy of the history books.
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