Olympic torch lit ahead of next year's Winter Olympics

The torch for 2026's Winter Olympics has been lit in an indoor ceremony in the Greek town of Olympia.

The ancient site is located in the south of the country and is the birthplace of the Olympic Games, which first took place there in 776 BC.

Traditionally the ceremony is held outside at the stadium where the Games were born, however recent heavy rain meant that the organisers decided to move the event.

The flame will now travel around Greece before heading to Italy next week for a two-month relay around the country.

What happens during the Olympic torch lighting event?

The torch lighting ceremony, pictured here in 2021, usually takes place outdoors using a mirror and the Sun's rays

The Olympic torch is traditionally lit during an outdoor ceremony, using rays from the Sun.

A concave - or parabolic - mirror is pointed at the Sun. All of its surfaces curve inwards and act as a giant magnifying glass.

The torch is then held in the centre of the mirror and the heat generated sets the fuel inside the torch alight, producing the famous flame.

However, the site of Olympia has recently seen days of heavy rain, which forced organisers to change their plans.

Instead, they used a backup flame to light the flame on the day.

It is not the first time that the weather has affected the torch lighting ceremony, but it is the first time in decades that the event has been moved to an indoor location.

The Winter Paralympic Games are also taking place next year, however the Paralympic flame will be lit at a separate event in a different location.

That ceremony will take place on 24 February in Stoke Mandeville in Buckinghamshire, which is widely considered as the birthplace of the Paralympic movement.

Where will the Olympic torch travel to next?

Football's famous San Siro stadium - home to AC and Inter Milan - will host the opening ceremony

The torch will now set off on a week-long relay in Greece, before being handed over to the 2026 Games organisers in Athens on 4 December.

The flame will then be flown to Italy for the domestic torch relay, stretching around 7,500 miles across the country.

It will pass by famous landmarks including the Colosseum in Rome and the Grand Canal in Venice, with stops in southern cities too such as Palermo and Naples.

The journey will finish in Milan, when the torch will enter the San Siro stadium on the evening of 6 February, ready for the opening ceremony of the Winter Games.

When will the next Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games take place?

The Winter Olympics take place every four years and the Winter and Summer Games are traditionally separated by two years.

The 2026 Winter Games will take place from 6 February until 22 February.

The Paralympic Winter Games will follow a month later, from 6 March until 15 March.

More than 3,500 athletes from 93 countries will be competing for 195 medals in 16 Olympic disciplines and six Paralympic sports.