Senegal is gearing up for a vibrant celebration marking one year to the start of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG), the first Olympic sporting event to be hosted on African soil.
The festivities, set to begin on 31 October, will feature a series of landmark events, including the official unveiling of the Dakar 2026 mascot and the launch of the OMEGA countdown clock, symbolising the start of the one-year countdown to this historic global event.
The celebrations will kick off at the Grand Théâtre in Dakar, where President Bassirou Diomaye Faye will lead the unveiling ceremony. He will be joined by International Olympic Committee (IOC) President Kirsty Coventry, Humphrey Kayange, Chair of the IOC Coordination Commission for Dakar 2026, and Mamadou D. Ndiaye, President of both Dakar 2026 and the Senegalese National Olympic Committee (NOC).
Later that day, Worldwide Olympic Partner OMEGA, the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, will reveal the Dakar 2026 countdown clock in the heart of the Senegalese capital, marking the official start of the final year leading to the Games.
The excitement will continue into November with the fourth and final edition of “Dakar en Jeux”, a vibrant cultural and sports festival that has become a signature feature of the Dakar 2026 engagement strategy. Running from 4 to 9 November across Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly, the festival will unite local communities, artists, and thousands of students through sports, music, and visual arts, while celebrating the Olympic spirit and values.
From 5 to 7 November, the capital will also host NOC Open Days, with up to 45 National Olympic Committees expected to participate. The programme, organised by Dakar 2026’s NOC Relations and Services Department, will feature venue visits, progress briefings, and collaboration sessions aimed at strengthening partnerships ahead of the Games.
Organised by the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC), these “One Year to Go” celebrations reflect Senegal’s growing momentum and enthusiasm as it prepares to welcome 2,700 of the world’s top young athletes, aged up to 17, for a historic 14-day event.
The Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, across three host cities, Dakar, Diamniadio, and Saly, uniting sport, culture, and youth empowerment in a landmark celebration of Africa’s Olympic future.
