Dakar 2026: Everything You Need to Know About Africa's First-Ever Olympic Event

Senegal will host the 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games, making it the first Olympic sporting event ever held on African soil. Running from 31 October to 13 November 2026, the Games will take place across three host cities, Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly, and will feature around 2,700 athletes competing across 25 sports.

The Summer Youth Olympic Games 2026 in Dakar, Senegal, are the first Games ever organised in Africa and the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympic Games overall.

Dakar was confirmed as host at the 133rd IOC Session in 2018, chosen ahead of Botswana, Nigeria, and Tunisia.

The Games were originally planned for 2022 but were postponed after the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the Tokyo Olympics.

The official motto is "Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates" , rendered in French as L'Afrique accueille, Dakar célèbre and in Wolof as Afrig Dalal, Ndakaaru Jëmël.

The Games aim to unite youth and sport in peaceful competition while driving the transformation of Senegal and inspiring the whole of Africa.

Key moments in the schedule include:

The Youth Olympic flame will be lit in Athens on 10 September 2026 and arrive in Dakar on 12 September to kick off a 30-stop tour across all regions of Senegal.

The competition programme features 25 sports: athletics, coastal rowing, badminton, Baseball5, 3x3 basketball, boxing, breaking, road cycling, fencing, futsal, artistic gymnastics, beach handball, judo, beach wrestling, rugby sevens, street skateboarding, swimming, show jumping, taekwondo, table tennis, archery, triathlon, sailing, beach volleyball, and wushu.

A total of 153 medal events are programmed, including 73 men's events, 73 women's events, and 7 mixed events.

In addition, Dakar 2026 will include 10 engagement sports designed to introduce young people in Senegal and across Africa to new sporting experiences. These sports, which will not award medals, are paddlesport, climbing, golf, weightlifting, hockey, karate, modern pentathlon, surfing, tennis, and shooting.

The Youth Olympic Games have always been a stage for outstanding young athletes at the beginning of their international careers. Previous editions have featured athletes who later became household names: Noah Lyles, Yaroslava Mahuchikh, Chad Le Clos, Kristof Milak, and Emma McKeon are among the Olympic champions who first put the world on notice at YOG events.

Competition and celebrations will be spread across three clusters: Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly.

The capital will be home to three competition venues: the Tour de l'Oeuf, where 3x3 basketball, Baseball5, breaking, skateboarding, and swimming events will take place; the Stade Iba Mar Diop for athletics, boxing, futsal, and rugby sevens; and Corniche West, the location for all 10 engagement sports and the road cycling events.

The swimming competition will run from 1–6 November at the Egg Tower Complex in Dakar, a facility rebuilt specifically for the Games.

Diamniadio, around 30 kilometres east of Dakar, boasts four venues: the Equestrian Centre (jumping), Dakar Arena (badminton and futsal), Abdoulaye Wade Stadium (archery), and Dakar Expo Centre (artistic gymnastics, fencing, judo, table tennis, taekwondo, and wushu).

Diamniadio's four venues are ready for use, and the Youth Olympic Village is located on a university campus.

Saly, around 80 kilometres south of the Senegalese capital, will host events at one sole venue, Saly Beach West, home to beach handball, beach volleyball, beach wrestling, coastal rowing, sailing, and triathlon events.

Tour de l'Oeuf, Stade Iba Mar Diop, Corniche West

Swimming, Athletics, Breaking, Skateboarding, Rugby Sevens

Dakar Arena, Dakar Expo Centre, Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, Equestrian Centre

Futsal, Gymnastics, Judo, Taekwondo, Equestrian

Beach Volleyball, Beach Handball, Sailing, Triathlon

Athletes competing in Dakar will be 17 years old or younger at the time of the Games, with eligibility strictly for boys and girls born between 1 January 2009 and 31 December 2011.

The athlete quota for the Games has been set at 2,700 athletes.

Ticket sales opened on 6 August 2026, with a presale phase running exclusively for Visa cardholders from 6 to 9 August.

Book your tickets at tickets.dakar2026.org. Standard sporting event tickets are highly accessible, with prices set between CFA 1,000 and CFA 3,000. For the Opening Ceremony at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, seats range from CFA 2,000 up to CFA 45,000. Additionally, toddlers under three years old can attend for free with a paying adult, and discounted accessibility tickets are available for disabled fans (which includes complimentary entry for a caregiver).

Children under the age of three may enter venues free of charge when accompanied by a ticket-holding adult. A special reduced rate is available for persons with disabilities, with free admission for one accompanying person.

For certain low-capacity sessions, the ticket limit may be reduced to 10 tickets per person. Each account may purchase no more than 60 tickets in total.

The Organising Committee launched its volunteer programme, Jambaar26, recruiting over 6,000 volunteers to help deliver the Games.

The initiative was named 'Jambaar26', borrowing the Wolof word for 'hero', to honour the crucial contributions of the volunteers. The programme is open to the public, and selected individuals will assist with critical behind-the-scenes operations, including spectator guidance, media relations, transportation, and event logistics.

To be considered, applicants must be at least 18 years old and have a basic command of French and English.

Applications are submitted exclusively online via the official registration platform — candidates must create an account and complete their application directly on the site.

Visit the official IOC volunteer page for the latest updates on future recruitment rounds.

The official mascot for Dakar 2026 is Ayo, a spirited young lion who reflects the vibrant energy of Senegalese youth. Translating to 'joy' in Yoruba, a prominent West African language, Ayo sports a traditional Fulani Tingandé hat. Overall, the character was designed to symbolise regional pride, welcoming hospitality, and unity.

The Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympics represent a landmark moment, not just for Senegal, but for the entire African continent. Beyond sport, Dakar 2026 represents a significant milestone for African economic development, youth engagement, and global visibility. With 25 sports, eight venues across three cities, and nearly 2,700 athletes, the Games open on 31 October 2026.

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Simon Ayub (Project Manager) Simon Ayub is a Content Manager, Strategist, and writer who joined Legit.ng in 2020. He graduated in 2014 with a BSc in Agricultural Economics and is a CPA. Simon has over a decade of experience creating content for Tuko, Yen.com.gh, and other platforms. He works on content encompassing biographies, entertainment, lifestyle, and more. Simon was Tuko’s “Writer of the Year” three years running, 2023–2025. In 2023, Simon finished the AFP course on Digital Investigation Techniques and, in 2024, expanded his skills through Google News Initiative training. You can reach him via [email protected]