Dakar 2026 

Games Summary

Dakar, the capital and largest city of Senegal, is the most westerly mainland city in Africa. It is hosting the 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2026. This marks the first time that any Olympic sports event is being hosted on the African continent. 

Dakar 2026 is intended to be a catalyst for a sporting, social, cultural, educational, and economic transformation that will create new hope, opportunities, and confidence for young people. 

Dakar had been set to host the Summer Youth Olympic Games in 2022, but amidst the COVID-19 pandemic in July 2020, the IOC and the country of Senegal mutually agreed to postpone the event to 2026. 

The Opening Ceremony of Dakar 2026 will take place on October 31 with competition running for 14 days until the Closing Ceremony on November 13. 

There will be 25 sports/disciplines contested. Many of them are core Olympic sports: rugby sevens, athletics, taekwondo, swimming, skateboarding (street), 3×3 basketball, road cycling, table tennis, judo, artistic gymnastics, boxing, fencing, equestrian (jumping), badminton, archery, beach volleyball, triathlon, sailing (windsurfing). But there are also some newer Olympic sports, such as breaking and rowing coastal beach sprints, as well as other sports that have not yet been part of the Olympic program (futsal, baseball5, wushu taolu, beach wrestling, beach handball). 

In addition to Dakar itself, the urban commune of Diamniadio and the beach resort of Saly will also host competition venues.

The slogan for Dakar 2026 is “L’Afrique accueille, Dakar célèbre” (Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates). The mascot is Ayo, a lion who is said to roar for joy and is meant to embody the joyful and courageous spirit of African youth.