Dakar 2026 to bring the world’s best young athletes in Senegal for the first Olympic sporting event to be held on African soil. The Games will be the first Games to benefit from a new approach to the YOG sports programme, which aims to better fit into the local and regional context of each edition.

Dakar 2026 will take place across two weeks from 31 October 2026, bringing together the world’s best young athletes in Senegal for the first Olympic sporting event to be held on African soil. The Games will be held in three host sites (Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly), and are envisioned to serve as a catalyst to transform Senegal through sport, while also aiming to inspire new hope, opportunities and confidence among young people across Africa and become a blueprint for future YOG hosts.