Bold new 2026 Winter Olympics logo is the first of its kind

Few things get the graphic design world talking as much as a new Olympic logo. But when it comes to the brand new symbol for the 2026 Winter Olympics, it isn't just the design itself that's proving a talking point. The selection process was also unconventional this time around, with the public choosing the final design.

For the first time in history, the the decision was put to the people, with over 871,000 votes cast between two shortlisted designs. Over 75 per cent of the audience selected the winning design, 'Futura' (below), featuring a stylised '26'. (If you're looking for more inspiration, check out our logo design guide.)

Milano Cortina 2026 logo

The new design for the Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (Image credit: Milano Cortina 2026)

According to a blog post on the Olympic website, the emblem traces a single ice-white line on the number to reflect "Milano Cortina 2026's ambition to place sustainability and legacy at its core".

"Influenced by the themes of sport, solidarity and sustainability, 'Futura' illustrates a dynamic and modern design that reflects some the fundamental values of its Olympic and the Paralympic Winter Games," says the games' coordination commission chair, Sari Essayah. 

Milano Cortina 2026

The design beat another shortlisted logo called 'Dado' (left) (Image credit: Milano Cortina 2026)

While hardly one of the best logos of all time, we're fans of the clean and crisp design. It works particularly well in motion – a new advert for the games (below) reveals how the design can be traced with a finger, which should lend itself to fun applications in subsequent ads (such as being traced on an icy window, perhaps?).

The design has received a mixed response online. Some are fans of the simplicity, whereas others are finding it a little dull. Curiously, many have commented that it reminds them of the logo for London 2012 (which is, of course, one of the most hated logos of all time). 

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Of course, Olympic logos seem to face more scrutiny than most. From the brutally mocked Paris 2024 logo to the polarising LA28 design, criticising Olympic logos appears to be a sport in itself. If you're inspired to create your own design, check out today's best Adobe Creative Cloud offers below, and see our selection of the best Olympic poster designs for more inspiration.

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Daniel Piper
Senior News Editor

Daniel Piper is Creative Bloq’s Senior News Editor. As the brand’s Apple authority, he covers all things Mac, iPhone, iPad and the rest. He also reports on the worlds of design, branding and tech. Daniel joined Future in 2020 (an eventful year, to say the least) after working in copywriting and digital marketing with brands including ITV, NBC, Channel 4 and more. Outside of Future, Daniel is a global poetry slam champion and has performed at festivals including Latitude, Bestival and more. He is the author of Arbitrary and Unnecessary: The Selected Works of Daniel Piper (Selected by Daniel Piper).