Mariah Carey: Is Mariah Carey lip-syncing at the Olympics? Winter Games opening ceremony sparks mixed reactions
What role did Mariah Carey play in the opening ceremony?
Mariah Carey was the first artist announced to appear at the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony, with a statement made in December. Organizers claimed his set was a combination of “Italian spirit, innovation (and) feeling” produced by Balich Wonder Studio. Performing at the Stadio San Siro, Carey opened the Games with a high-profile appearance designed to set the tone for the international event.
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The 55-year-old singer dominated the stage as the ceremony began, wearing an all-white suit complete with a feather coat. According to a report by USA Today and The Daily Mail, the production focused heavily on Italian themes, pairing Carey’s global star power with music deeply tied to Italy’s cultural history.
What songs did Mariah Carey sing at the Winter Olympics?
Carey’s performance featured two songs presented as an Italian-American medley. For the first time, she performed the iconic 1958 Italian classic “Nel blu, dipinto di blu”, commonly known as “Volare”. When he sang in Italian, the stadium responded with loud cheers, and hundreds of fans in Cortina could also be heard singing along, USA Today reports. He then segued into “Nothing Is Impossible,” a 2025 ballad from his last album, Here for it All. The song’s theme of perseverance was closely aligned with the Olympics’ message of overcoming obstacles, making it a symbolic choice for the ceremony’s opening moments.
Why did Mariah Carey lip-syncing accusations dominate social media?
Despite the applause in the room, reactions online were far less forgiving. According to a report from the Daily Mail, viewers at X almost immediately began accusing Carey of lip-syncing during her performance, especially when singing in Italian.
One user wrote: “I haven’t seen a worse lip sync performance in years.”
Another commented: “Some of Mariah Carey’s worst lip syncs [facepalm emoji] Come on Italy, you have your own singers!”
Other posts claimed Carey looked stiff, moved her lips out of sync with the voice, or appeared to be reading from a teleprompter. One viewer wrote: “The worst part is that Mariah Carey doesn’t even try to hide the fact that she’s lip syncing.” Another added: “Mariah Carey lip syncing at the Olympics.”
According to a report by the Daily Mail, the backlash quickly spread as the opening ceremony continued and Carey’s performance became a hot topic during the global broadcast.
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How did fans in Italy react to the performance?
While online criticism intensified, live audience reaction painted a different picture. In Cortina, when Carey started singing “Volare” the crowd almost immediately recognized the beloved Italian song. Fans chanted in Italian, creating one of the loudest moments of the ceremony.
Carey wore an Italian Fausto Puglisi dress, which reinforced the cultural respect in her performance. The contrast between stadium enthusiasm and online response revealed the divide between live crowd energy and social media scrutiny.
FAQ
Did Mariah Carey perform live at the Winter Olympics opening ceremony?
Online viewers accused Carey of lip-syncing, but fans in the stadium reacted with loud applause and singing.
What songs did Mariah Carey sing at the Olympics?
She performed the song “Volare” in Italian and followed it up with 2025’s “Nothing Is Impossible”.
