Taylor Swift cheers on athletes with surprise message at 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony
Taylor Swift made a surprise appearance during the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics, offering words of encouragement to athletes as the Games officially got underway in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
In a pre-recorded video that aired during the ceremony, Swift addressed competitors from around the world, thanking them for the dedication that brought them to the Olympic stage.
The video was posted to X on Friday with the caption, "Milan Cortina was on Taylor Swift's mind and she has a message for all #WinterOlympics athletes! The music video for Taylor Swift's hit Opalite dropped TODAY!"
Swift appeared wearing a Ralph Lauren Team USA Polo Bear long-sleeve shirt.
"I just wanted to say thank you," Swift said in the message.
She went on to praise the athletes' sacrifices and perseverance, calling their journeys "really inspiring." Swift added that she was grateful fans get to "watch you do this" after following their stories and hard work.
"I am very grateful for everything you've done to get to this point in your life and grateful you brought us all along with you on this journey," she said, before wishing athletes luck, safe travels and an Olympic experience they would "cherish for the rest of your life."
Swift’s Olympic cameo came just hours after she released a new, star-studded music video for her song "Opalite," which dropped on Spotify and Apple Music.
The video opens as a satirical commercial for an "Opalite" spray that promises instant happiness, before shifting into a love story centered on unexpected connections.
