Senegal will this week begin a year-long countdown to the continent’s first Olympic event as preparations intensify for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games.
A packed programme of activities kicks off on 31 October including the unveiling of the official mascot and the start of the Omega countdown clock marking one year until the opening ceremony of Africa’s first Olympic sporting showcase.
Festivities will begin at Dakar’s Grand Théâtre where Senegalese President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will lead the launch ceremony.
He will be joined by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry, IOC Coordination Commission Chair Humphrey Kayange and Mamadou D. Ndiaye who heads both the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee and Senegal’s National Olympic Committee.
Later in the day, Olympic partner Omega the Games’ official timekeeper since 1932 — will inaugurate the Dakar 2026 countdown clock in the city centre, symbolically starting the final stretch toward the global event.
The celebrations will spill into November with the fourth and final edition of Dakar en Jeux, a cultural and sporting festival running from 4 to 9 November across Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
Thousands of students, athletes and artists are expected to take part in sports competitions, music performances and visual arts showcases designed to promote Olympic values and boost community engagement.
From 5 to 7 November, up to 45 National Olympic Committees will join Open Days in Dakar, touring sporting venues and reviewing Games preparations as organisers strengthen cooperation ahead of the event.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, scheduled for 31 October to 13 November next year, will bring together 2 700 athletes aged 17 and under from around the world.
Events will be staged across three host zones Dakar, the new city of Diamniadio and the coastal resort town of Saly.
The milestone celebrations, led by the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee are aimed at energising local communities and building momentum for what promises to be a historic moment for African sport.
