Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games

The 4th Summer Youth Olympic Games will be held in Dakar, Senegal, marking the first Olympic sports event to take place on African soil. The Games will bring together 2,700 of the world's best young athletes in a festival of competition, culture and friendship, competing in 153 events across 25 competition sports, with an additional 10 engagement sports. The event will maintain core athlete gender parity with equal numbers of quota places for women and men. A historic first will be the participation of a Youth Refugee Olympic Team, with focus on selecting African-based athletes. The Games motto 'Africa Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates' highlights the unique nature of the continent's first Summer YOG. The event will be held across three host zones: Dakar (Tour de l'Oeuf, Stade Iba Mar Diop, Corniche West), Diamniadio (Equestrian Centre, Dakar Arena, Abdoulaye Wade Stadium, Dakar Expo Centre), and Saly (Saly Beach West).