Senegal will make sporting history when the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games begin on October 31, becoming the first Olympic sporting event ever staged on African soil. Here is everything you need to know about the dates, venues, sports, athletes, tickets, and significance of Dakar 2026.
DAKAR, SENEGAL — Africa is preparing for an Olympic first. From October 31 to November 13, 2026, Senegal will host the Dakar 2026 Summer Youth Olympic Games, bringing approximately 2,700 young athletes from around the world to compete across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
The Games will feature 25 competition sports, 151 medal events and 10 additional engagement sports, combining elite youth competition with cultural and educational activities.
More importantly for the continent, Dakar 2026 will make Senegal the first African country in history to host an Olympic sporting event.
Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics: Key Facts
The Dakar Games will be the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games, following Singapore 2010, Nanjing 2014 and Buenos Aires 2018.
The key numbers are:
- Dates: October 31 – November 13, 2026
- Host country: Senegal
- Host locations: Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly
- Athletes: Approximately 2,700
- Competition sports: 25
- Engagement sports: 10
- Medal events: 151
- Competition period: 14 days
- Youth Olympic Village: Amadou Mahtar Mbow University in Diamniadio
- Official mascot: Ayo
- Historical significance: First Olympic sporting event held in Africa
The Youth Olympic Games are designed for elite young athletes and combine international competition with program centered on education, culture and youth development.
Where Will the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics Take Place?
Although Dakar gives the Games their name, events will be spread across three main host areas: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Dakar
Senegal’s capital will contain several of the Games’ most visible venues.
The Iba Mar Diop sports complex will host athletics, boxing, futsal and rugby sevens.
The Tour de l’Oeuf complex will stage 3×3 basketball, Baseball5, breaking, skateboarding and swimming.
The Corniche Ouest, overlooking the Atlantic Ocean, will host the start and finish of road cycling as well as the Games’ engagement sports and festival activities.
Diamniadio
About 30 kilometers east of central Dakar, Diamniadio will be another major Olympic hub.
The Dakar Arena will host badminton and futsal, while Abdoulaye Wade Stadium will stage archery and the opening ceremony.
The Dakar Expo Centre will accommodate artistic gymnastics, fencing, judo, table tennis, taekwondo and wushu.
Equestrian jumping will take place at the Equestrian Centre.
Diamniadio will also be home to the Youth Olympic Village at Amadou Mahtar Mbow University, where athletes and officials will stay during the Games.
Saly
The coastal resort of Saly, about 80 kilometers south of Dakar, provides the setting for the Games’ beach and water events.
Saly Beach West will host beach handball, beach volleyball, beach wrestling, coastal rowing, sailing and triathlon.
Which Sports Are at Dakar 2026?
Dakar 2026 introduces a different approach to the Youth Olympic sports program.
There are 25 official competition sports in which athletes will compete for medals:
Athletics, swimming, archery, badminton, Baseball5, 3×3 basketball, boxing, breaking, road cycling, equestrian jumping, fencing, futsal, artistic gymnastics, beach handball, judo, coastal rowing, rugby sevens, sailing, skateboarding, table tennis, taekwondo, triathlon, beach volleyball, beach wrestling and wushu.
Another 10 engagement sports will form part of the wider Dakar 2026 program:
Canoe-kayak, golf, hockey, karate, modern pentathlon, shooting, sport climbing, surfing, tennis and weightlifting.
The engagement program is designed to introduce young people to additional sports rather than operate as part of the main medal competition.
Who Will Compete at Dakar 2026?
Approximately 2,700 young athletes are expected in Senegal.
The Youth Olympic Games are aimed at elite teenage athletes, with eligibility requirements varying by sport and discipline.
Dakar 2026 is also being organized around gender parity, with the sports program designed to provide equal participation opportunities for female and male athletes.
For many competitors, Senegal will provide their first experience at a global Olympic event and an early opportunity to compete against leading athletes in their age group.
Previous Youth Olympic competitors have gone on to win medals at the senior Olympic Games, making the event an important place to watch emerging international talent.
When Is the Dakar 2026 Opening Ceremony?
The Dakar 2026 opening ceremony is scheduled for October 31 at Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio.
The ceremony will officially mark the beginning of the Youth Olympic Games and Africa’s first Olympic sporting event.
Sporting activity begins around the opening period, with the official ticketing schedule listing some preliminary Baseball5 competition on October 30.
The Games conclude on November 13.
How to Buy Dakar 2026 Tickets
Tickets are already on sale through the official Dakar 2026 ticketing platform.
Organizers have sought to make the Games relatively affordable for local spectators.
Standard competition tickets start at approximately 1,000 CFA francs, while day passes allowing access to multiple events start from 1,500 CFA francs.
Entry to designated fan zones is free.
Nearly one million tickets are expected to be made available, including more than 300,000 through a solidarity program targeting young people, schools, sports clubs, and community organizations across Senegal.
Because prices and availability can change as sessions sell out, spectators should check the official ticketing platform before making plans.
Dakar 2026 Olympic Flame Tours Senegal
The Youth Olympic flame was lit at the historic Panathenaic Stadium in Athens, Greece, on September 10 before arriving in Senegal on September 12.
It is now travelling around the country ahead of the Games.
The national flame tour officially began on September 14 and is expected to visit all 14 regions of Senegal, covering more than 3,600 kilometers before returning to Dakar.
More than 400 torchbearers are expected to participate.
The tour is designed to make Dakar 2026 a national event rather than one experienced only by residents of the three host areas.
The Countdown to Dakar 2026 Is Underway
With the Olympic flame now travelling across Senegal, the final countdown has begun.
On October 31, athletes will gather at Abdoulaye Wade Stadium for an opening ceremony carrying significance far beyond the competition itself.
For Senegal, Dakar 2026 is an opportunity to welcome thousands of athletes, officials and spectators while showcasing the country to an international audience.
For young athletes, it is a chance to compete on an Olympic stage.
And for Africa, the Games mark a milestone more than a century in the making: the Olympic Movement is finally bringing an Olympic sporting event to the continent.
