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Donned in a stunning sparkling silver dress, Mariah Carey joined sports enthusiasts at the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony with a performance that has faced some major backlash.
Despite the glamour and anticipation, the All I Want for Christmas Is You hitmaker's performance failed to impress fans, who accused the 55-year-old of lip-syncing.
Mariah sang a version of Domenico Modugno's popular 1950s classic Nel blu, dipinto di blu, also known as "Volare".
Besides the Italian track, she also sang one of her hit songs, Nothing Is Impossible.
Following the opening ceremony's performance, fans flooded the social media platforms, expressing their dissatisfaction over her stage and questioning why an American singer was chosen to open games in Italy.
"Witnessing Mariah Carey at the #Olympics2026 Opening Ceremony…she is stiff, lip syncing and looks like she’s reading off a teleprompter," one user penned on X.
Another netizen noted, "Mariah Carey lip syncing is frying me bruh. She looks so confused up there."
"Mariah Carey lip syncing at the Italian opening ceremonies is a disgrace to the Italian culture," a third user chimed in.
Mariah Carey was not the only singer to perform at the ceremony, as Andrea Bocelli performed his version of Nessum Dorma while the Chinese pianist Lang Lang performed the Olympic Anthem.
After the backlash, on Saturday, February 7, the International Olympic Committee and Organising Committee top official Maria Laura Lascone addressed the lip-syncing claims.
She shared that during ceremonies such as the Olympics, "we always record," adding, "Yesterday's performance was really extraordinary, and the images can prove it to you all, because there was magic."
"We are very honoured...we were extremely satisfied with her performance," said Maria Laura.
Notably, the 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony was held at Milan's iconic San Siro Stadium and went on for almost three hours.
The Olympic Games in Milano Cortina are set to last 16 days, from February 6 to February 22, 2026.
