GENEVA, Sept. 17 (Xinhua) -- Eighty five percent of venues for the Milano Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics and Paralympics are ready, said the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Coordination Commission on Wednesday.

"Some 85 percent of the venues already exist. If we want to be precise on the numbers, these Games are also creating an impact - five million euros in contracts have supported social and micro enterprises so far," said Kristin Kloster, Chair of the Coordination Commission, at a press conference in Milan after the Commission finished its sixth and final visit.

The Winter Olympics will take place from Feb. 6 to 22, 2026, followed by the Paralympics from March 6 to 15, with events spread across Milan, Cortina, Valtellina, the Fiemme valleys, and Verona.

Kloster added: "The excitement is building and the work so far gives us so much to be proud of. The sliding center in Cortina has surpassed expectations. The Milan Olympic Village is structurally ready, and over 800,000 tickets sold show national and global anticipation."

The organizing committee released more tickets for the Opening Ceremony at Milan's San Siro Stadium on Tuesday, and a new official website was launched Wednesday. In November, the Olympic flame will be lit in Greece, followed by the start of the torch relay in December.

"The focus for the next month will be on building awareness, engaging fans and promoting key milestones and events leading up to the Games," Kloster said. "We are now entering a critical phase of operational readiness, with test events and simulations scheduled to ensure smooth Games-time operations. The complexity of integration across regions, teams and partners is immense, and teamwork will make the true difference."

Giovanni Malago, President of the Milano Cortina 2026 Organizing Committee, promised that all stadiums would be ready before the Games begin and that more tickets would be released next month.

The concepts for the Opening Ceremony will be revealed on Oct. 7, while official Olympic posters will be released on Oct. 28. The torch relay route, covering almost 110 Italian provinces, will be announced on Oct. 15, ahead of the flame lighting on Nov. 26 and the handover to the organizing committee on Dec. 4.

"It will be a wonderful journey which we hope will convey the Olympic values and the passion for the Games," said Andrea Varnier, Chief Executive Officer of Milano Cortina 2026. ■