(NEXSTAR) - The opening ceremony for the 2026 Winter Olympic Games is set to take place Friday in what's expected to be quite the sports spectacle in Italy. With so much happening at once when the opening ceremony kicks off, here are a few things you should look out for. It's the most spaced-out ceremony in the history of the Olympics; Friday's opening ceremony will be held at four separate locations simultaneously. The main area of the ceremony will be held at San Siro Stadium in Milan, the home of the city's soccer team, AC Milan. The other locations can be found in Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno, all found in the mountains of Italy. The total size of all of these connected areas is roughly 8,500 square miles (about the same size as the state of New Jersey). The main reason for this decision is so that sports that are set to take place in the mountains, such as skiing, bobsled, curling and snowboarding, don't have to make the several-hour-long trip down to Milan and back. With the ceremony so spread out, instead of the usual one cauldron that is lit and burns throughout the Olympics, there will be two, and they'll be lit at the same time. One is located in Milan, about 2 miles from San Siro Stadium, while the other will be 250 miles away in Cortina. Who will light the cauldrons with the Olympic torch is unknown at this time and is usually kept secret until the actual lighting. With Italy being the host country for the Winter Games this year, you can expect to see two well-known Italian athletes. The last time Italy played host to the Winter Olympics, Italian cross-country skier Stefania Belmondo was given the honor of lighting the cauldron. At each Olympic Games, nations have uniforms designed specifically to represent their athletes and their country. It's a game within the games as to who can be the most fashionable when their country steps out for the opening ceremony. For example, this year, the US had Ralph Lauren design its opening ceremony outfit. Naturally, it’s red, white and blue, exemplified by the Fair Isle knitwear with a U.S. flag and Olympic rings, matching tasseled hat and mittens. Other nation partnerships include Canada and lululemon, Germany and Adidas, and Great Britain and Ben Sherman. Host country Italy's uniform is actually the last ever designed by Italian fashion icon Giorgio Armani, who passed away this past September at the age of 91. Armani will be honored in a tribute during the opening ceremony for his long ties to Milan as well as his legacy as one of the founders of Italian fashion. Being chosen as a flagbearer for your country is an honor, with speedskater Erin Jackson and bobsledder Frank Del Duca chosen to represent the U.S. But one country has made a tradition of choosing the same man to represent them as their flag bearer in each of the Olympics that he's qualified for, and he does it...shirtless. The country is Tonga and the man is Pita Taufatofua, who has qualified for sports in both the Winter and Summer Olympics. In the Winter, Taufatofua is a cross-country skier. In Summer, taekwondo and canoeing. There are rumors this year however, that he will wear a shirt to match his fellow Olympians. We'll just have to wait and see if he'll continue his tradition of waving the Tongan flag without a shirt. A huge event wouldn't be the same without some headliners in attendance. Mariah Carey is set to headline the ceremony alongside several other performers, such as Italian singers Andrea Bocelli and Laura Pausini, world-renowned pianist Lang Lang, and several others. Other celebrities set to be in attendance include Snoop Dogg, Tom Cruise and Shaun White. Also expected to be at the ceremony is Vice President JD Vance, along with several other representatives of the United States. The opening ceremony is set to begin at 2 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock. The Associated Press contributed to this story