How many days until the Olympics?

What this countdown does

The Winter and Summer Games alternate on a two-year rhythm, so there is always an Olympics somewhere within two years. This page interleaves both and counts to whichever opening ceremony comes first, rolling forward on its own once a Games has finished. That is the part people usually get wrong when counting manually — the next Olympics is often not the type you were thinking of.

How to use it

1. Open the page — the countdown is already running from today.
2. Read the days remaining and the exact date.
3. Check the weeks-and-days breakdown and the weekday it falls on.
4. Use Share to send the live countdown to anyone.

When it's useful

Far out it is background curiosity. Inside a year it starts to matter: ticket ballots open, host cities publish travel guidance, and the competition schedule appears about six months before. If you are planning to be there rather than watch, the weeks-and-days figure is the one to plan flights and accommodation around.

The Games this counts to

• Milan–Cortina 2026 (Winter) — opened 6 February 2026, in northern Italy.
• Los Angeles 2028 (Summer) — opening 14 July 2028, the third time the city has hosted.
• French Alps 2030 (Winter) — awarded to France; exact dates not yet finalised.
• Brisbane 2032 (Summer) — awarded to Australia; exact dates not yet finalised.

Winter or summer — which is next

Until 1992 both Games were held in the same year. They were then staggered so that one falls every two years, which is why a Winter Games in an even year is followed by a Summer Games two years later. The countdown does not assume a type; it simply targets the nearest opening ceremony on the list above.

What happens on the way there

• About two years out: qualifying events and continental championships begin to decide the field.
• About a year out: ticket ballots open, usually in national phases rather than one global sale.
• About six months out: the detailed competition schedule is published, so you can see which day your sport is on.
• The final months: national teams are selected, and the torch relay runs through the host country.
• The Games: roughly two and a half weeks, with the Paralympics following a few weeks later.

How the days are counted

The count is in whole calendar days from today to the date you pick, calculated in UTC so it never drifts with time zones or daylight saving. If the date has already passed, the count shows how many days ago it was.