In February 2026, Milan, Italy and the surrounding Po Valley will host the Winter Olympics, a global celebration of athletic excellence set against one of Europe’s most persistent winter air quality challenges.
The Po Valley in northern Italy routinely experiences winter smog. This intersection of Olympic athletic competition and poor air quality raises concerns for the health and performance of both athletes and spectators.
Where will the 2026 Olympic games be held?
The 2026 Milan-Cortina Winter Olympic games will be held in three northern provinces of Italy – Lombardy, South Tyrol, and Veneto from February 6 through 22 (1). While most of the stadiums, arenas, and parks are in the surrounding Alps, the two largest participating cities – Milan and Verona – lie in the Po Valley. Five arenas and stadiums in Milan will host indoor-only events and the opening ceremony, while Verona Olympic Arena will host the closing ceremonies.
Other venue locations include:
- Anterselva / Antholz, South Tyrol
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Bormio, Lombardy
- Cortina d’Ampezzo, Veneto
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Livigno, Lombardy
- Predazzo, Trentino
- Tesero, Trentino
All locations, with the exceptions of Tesero and Verona, will house Olympic Villages where athletes will reside during the games.
Why is the Po Valley’s air quality poor in winter?
The Po Valley’s unique geography plays a central role in trapping pollutants: the valley is hemmed in by the Alps to the north and the Apennine Mountains to the south, creating a natural basin that traps cold air and pollutants.
This "bowl effect" is compounded by meteorological conditions, particularly in winter, when temperature inversions occur. During these inversions, a layer of warm air settles above the cooler air near the ground, acting like a lid that prevents pollutants from dispersing upward or outward. As a result, pollutants can linger over the valley for days or even weeks.
Human activity affects the region’s air quality. The Po Valley is home to some of Italy’s most industrialized areas, where factories release PM2.5 – particulate matter measuring 2.5 micrometers in diameter or smaller – and nitrogen oxides (NO2) (2).
Agriculture also contributes pollutants, as livestock farming produces ammonia, which reacts with industrial and vehicle emissions to create secondary particulate matter. According to a 2024 study, livestock farming may be responsible for as much as a quarter of Lombardy’s air pollution (3).
Smoke from residential wood burning impacts winter air quality in the Po Valley (4). Vehicle emissions, particularly in major cities like Milan and Turin, are also sources of nitrogen dioxide and PM2.5 (5). These geographic and emissions-related factors are reflected in Milan’s long-term air quality data—but annual averages can mask the severity of winter pollution.
In 2024, Milan's annual average PM2.5 concentration was 17 µg/m3. This was 3.4 times the WHO annual guideline of 5 µg/m3. However, this figure blends relatively cleaner summer conditions with much higher winter concentrations.
During peak winter months, pollution levels rise sharply. In February 2025, Milan’s average monthly PM2.5 concentration was 32.1 µg/m3.
These winter pollution episodes are often driven by stagnant air and temperature inversions rather than predictable daily emission cycles. Air quality in surrounding Alpine valleys may also be affected by residential wood burning combined with inversion conditions (6).
Air quality lessons from past Olympics
Previous Olympic host countries have struggled with poor air quality and have had to take measures to ensure health and safety.
Beijing, China faced the potential for severe air pollution while hosting the 2008 Summer Olympics – and officials took proactive measures. In the months leading up to the Games, the U.S. Embassy in Beijing installed a regulatory-grade air quality monitor that exposed hazardous air quality in the city. Chinese authorities enacted sweeping temporary measures, including shutting down factories, and restricting vehicle traffic.
Chinese officials implemented a robust policy shift in 2013, a year of terrible air quality for the country. The official policy response focused on long term air quality improvements – tougher coal-fired plant emissions standards, further vehicle restrictions, and initiatives to cut coal-fired home heating with electric or gas heaters (7). By the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, air pollution in the city was half that of both 2008 and 2013 (8).
Rio de Janeiro was confronted with its own environmental crisis during the 2016 Olympics. While polluted water dominated the headlines, air quality also remained a persistent concern due to rapid development and 2.7 million vehicles in the city (9). To test those concerns, the Reuters news agency tested air quality at several Olympic sites across the city, finding a peak 24-hour average PM2.5 concentration of 65 µg/m3 at the Olympic Stadium (10). The WHO air quality guideline for an average 24-hour PM2.5 is 15 µg/m3.
How winter smog can affect athletes
Air pollution impacts the health and performance of those at the heart of the Olympics: the athletes.
For endurance sports like cross-country skiing and biathlon, where athletes push their bodies to the limit for extended periods, polluted air reduces oxygen uptake and impairs lung function (11).
Rapidly breathing in particulate matter can carry health risks. PM2.5 pollution penetrates deep into the lungs, triggering inflammation and narrowing airways, which can decrease stamina and slow recovery. Even short-term exposure during competition can lead to coughing, wheezing, and reduced athletic performance.
High-intensity sports, such as ice hockey and speed skating, are also affected, as the increased respiratory rate during exertion means athletes inhale more pollutants, further straining their cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
How winter smog affects spectators
Vulnerable spectators—children, the elderly, and individuals with pre-existing conditions like asthma—face heightened risks of respiratory distress when exposed to air quality in the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range.
Outdoor venues, where events like ski jumps, open-air ceremonies, and marathon-style races take place, present the greatest exposure, as there is no barrier between the crowd and air pollution. Even indoor events may not offer full protection, as pollutants can seep inside or accumulate in poorly ventilated spaces.
Po Valley residents have been demonstrably susceptible to winter air quality health risks. A study found that the highest mortality burden for European cities in 2015 was in the Po Valley, Poland, and the Czech Republic (12).
And a 2025 study uncovered that infants in Northern Italy with medium-term exposure to high concentrations of pollutants experienced a greater risk of acute bronchiolitis (13).
How to reduce exposure during winter smog
Winter smog is a recurring reality in the Po Valley, but its health impacts can be meaningfully reduced with the right safeguards in place.
What governments are doing
With the 2026 Olympics looming, authorities are working to improve air quality through a mix of policy and contingency planning.
- At the national level, Italy has adopted air quality plans aimed at reducing traffic-related emissions, including incentives for electric vehicles and restrictions on older, high-emissions cars (14).
- Lombardy has expanded these efforts with additional financial incentives for electric vehicle purchases and vehicle scrappage programs.
- Milan has implemented low-emission zones between 2019 and 2026, covering most of the city’s traffic-related emissions (15).
- Local and national governments, as well as Olympics organizers, have leaned into a transportation plan that emphasizes more sustainable mass public transit improvements – in particular through rail service (16).
What athletes can do
Athletes may need to consider several options for protecting their health during the event.
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Monitor air quality. Download a free, real-time air quality app to monitor pollution levels.
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Wear a mask. Athletes may choose to put on a K95/FFP2 face mask on poor air quality days.
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Choose low-pollution routes. Steer clear of busy roads and urban areas where vehicle emissions concentrate.
- Train indoors. Whenever possible, move workouts indoors, particularly in spaces equipped with high-performance air purifiers.
What spectators and residents can do
Olympic Game tourists and residents also have some options for protecting themselves from air pollution during their visit.
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Download a free air quality app to stay informed about air pollution in real time.
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Wear a K95/FFP2 face mask when venturing out on poor air quality days.
- Use an air purifier to reduce the concentration of PM2.5 indoors.
Conclusion
The 2026 Winter Olympics place Milan and the Po Valley under a global spotlight at a time when air pollution remains a persistent challenge. Protecting athlete performance and public health will depend on continued coordination between government authorities, Olympic organizers, and local stakeholders.
Measures already underway—ranging from vehicle restrictions to expanded public transit and contingency planning—demonstrate that large international events can coexist with environmental risk management. How effectively these efforts are implemented may help shape expectations for how future host cities address air quality during major global gatherings.
