WATCH: Mariah Carey Performs Italian Classic Wearing 300 Carats in Diamonds at Olympics Opening

Jason Sargent Saturday, February 7, 2026

- - WATCH: Mariah Carey Performs Italian Classic Wearing 300 Carats in Diamonds at Olympics Opening

Miu von Furstenberg February 7, 2026 at 8:19 PM

Leave it to Mariah Carey to turn a Winter Olympics opening ceremony into a high-jewelry showcase. The legendary diva kicked off the Milano Cortina 2026 games on Friday night (February 6, 2026), dripping in over 300 carats of diamonds — because apparently, athletic excellence wasn’t sparkly enough on its own.

Taking the stage at Milan’s San Siro Stadium, Carey delivered a dual-song performance that had fans simultaneously mesmerized and confused. The singer tackled “Volare,” an Italian classic that was Italy’s entrant into the 1958 Eurovision song contest, before segueing into her own “Nothing Is Impossible” from her 2025 album, Here for It All.

The only catch? Mariah Carey doesn’t actually speak Italian. Born in Huntington, New York, the Grammy winner is of mixed African American, Afro-Venezuelan, and Irish American heritage — decidedly not Italian. But when you’re Mariah Carey, minor details like language barriers take a backseat to sheer glamour.

Speaking of glamour, let’s talk about those diamonds. According to Page Six, the singer accessorized with over 300 carats of diamonds from the Belgian high-jewelry label Levuma, valued at a total of $15 million. Her necklace alone was a “whopping 185 carats,” the outlet reported. The pieces featured all emerald-cut natural diamonds set in platinum, accompanied by matching earrings and bracelets.

Ali Khalil, founder and creative director of Levuma, seemed appropriately starstruck. “Seeing Mariah wear our work on such a historic stage is deeply meaningful,” he noted. Historic indeed — when else has anyone worn the GDP of a small nation on their neck while singing in a language they don’t speak?

The jewelry wasn’t Carey’s only nod to Italian excellence. She wore a custom white-and-silver floor-length gown by Roberto Cavalli, designed by the brand’s creative director, Fausto Puglisi. The column dress featured a satin bustier and hundreds of Swarovski crystal embellishments, topped off with a flowing white feather shawl that draped dramatically off her shoulders.

Still, the performance didn’t escape scrutiny. Social media lit up with viewers questioning whether the 55-year-old singer was lip-syncing. One viewer jokingly branded her a “lip-syncing gold medalist,” while another wrote: “The worst part is that Mariah Carey isn’t even trying to hide the fact she’s lip syncing.”

Naturally, fans rushed to her defense. “I was happy to see Mariah Carey in the opening Olympic ceremonies. She looked beautiful and she sang beautifully,” one supporter penned on X.

The Olympic committee announced Carey’s participation in December, stating that “Mariah Carey fully represents the emotional atmosphere that accompanies the run-up to the Games.” They added, “Music is a universal language that attracts different stories and sensibilities, and intertwines with the opening ceremony’s theme of harmony.”

Carey’s set was the opening act for a lineup of Italian musical royalty, including Andrea Bocelli, Ghali, Laura Pausini, Sabrina Impacciatore, and Cecilia Bartolli. But let’s be honest — none of them showed up wearing $15 million in diamonds.

Whether you loved it or lip-sync-shamed it, Carey’s appearance proved one undeniable truth: When it comes to making an entrance, Mimi still reigns supreme. Even at the Olympics, where the dress code is typically athletic wear and national pride, Mariah Carey managed to out-sparkle every medal that will be awarded over the next two weeks.

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