2026 Summer Youth Olympics

IV Summer Youth Olympic Games
LocationDakar, Senegal
MottoAfrica Welcomes, Dakar Celebrates
(French: L'Afrique Accueille, Dakar Célèbre)
(Wolof: Afrig Dalal, Ndakaaru Jëmël)
Athletes~2,700 (expected)
Events153 in 25 sports
Opening31 October 2026
Closing13 November 2026
Opened by
President Bassirou Diomaye Faye (expected)
Closed by
IOC president Kirsty Coventry (expected)
StadiumDiamniadio Olympic Stadium
Summer
Winter

The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics (French: Jeux Olympiques de la jeunesse d'été de 2026), officially known as the IV Summer Youth Olympic Games and commonly known as Dakar 2026 (Wolof: Ndakaaru 2026), will be the fourth edition of the Summer Youth Olympics, an international sports, education and cultural festival for teenagers, in a city designated by the International Olympic Committee (IOC). Originally scheduled to be held for 18 days in Dakar, Senegal, from 22 October to 9 November 2022, it is now scheduled to be held there for 13 days—from 31 October to 13 November 2026, becoming the first IOC event to be held in Africa and the first Youth Olympic Games under the IOC presidency of Kirsty Coventry.[1][2]

On 9 December 2014 at the 127th IOC Session it was decided to move the organisation of the YOG to a non-Olympic year, starting with the fourth Summer Youth Olympic Games, to be postponed from 2022 to 2023.[3] Subsequently, the IOC reverted to a 2022 date, and announced in February 2018 that they would be recommending that the event be held in Africa.[4] The 132nd IOC Session confirmed the change of date back to 2022 on 7 February 2018.[5] The host was announced at the 133rd IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina during the 2018 edition.[6]

Bidding process

Main article: Bids for the 2022 Summer Youth Olympics

Originally scheduled for 2022, the International Olympic Committee decided at its 127th session in Monaco to postpone the organization of the future YOG to a non-Olympic year,[7] namely 2023. However, at the 132nd session held alongside the Pyeongchang 2018 Games, the IOC Executive Board ultimately decided to move the YOG back to 2026.[8]

The IOC voted to select the host city of the 2022 Summer Youth Olympics on 8 October 2018 at the 133rd IOC Session in Buenos Aires, Argentina.[9][10]

2022 Youth Olympic Games bidding results
City Nation Votes
Dakar  Senegal Unanimous

Development and preparations

Organisation

However, on 15 July 2020, the IOC and Senegalese government agreed to postpone the games to 2026 due to the operational and economic consequences of the postponement of the 2020 Summer Olympics to July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[8][11]

During the 141st IOC Session, the committee provided an update, including a detailed schedule for the required upgrades, which are scheduled to begin in the first quarter of 2024.[12] Infrastructure preparations for the Games remain on track, with refurbishment work launched at key urban venues in Dakar and construction progressing at the equestrian centre and the Youth Olympic Village in Diamniadio. The completed venue master plan includes seven venues across the three host zones that will accommodate competition sites.[13]

Venues and infrastructure

Senegal proposes to organize the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics in three distinct areas, Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.[14][15][16]

Dakar

All engagement sports will be played in yet to be determined venues in the Corniche West.

Venue Events Capacity
Complexe Iba Mar Diop Athletics 8,000
Boxing TBA
Futsal (preliminaries)
Rugby sevens TBA
Complexe Tour De L'Œuf 3x3 basketball TBA
Baseball5 TBA
Breaking TBA
Skateboarding TBA
Swimming TBA
Corniche West Road cycling TBA

Diamniadio

Venue Events Capacity
Equestrian Centre Equestrian TBA
Dakar Arena Badminton 15,000
Futsal (finals)
Diamniadio Olympic Stadium Ceremonies 50,000
Archery TBA
Dakar Expo Centre Artistic gymnastics TBA
Wushu
Fencing TBA
Table tennis
Judo TBA
Taekwondo

Saly

Venue Events Capacity
Saly Beach Beach handball TBA
Beach volleyball
Beach wrestling TBA
Rowing TBA
Sailing TBA
Triathlon TBA

The Games

Sports

The 2026 Summer Youth Olympics will feature 154 events in 25 sports. Breaking, skateboarding, sport climbing, surfing and karate will join the 21 core sports. There will be no mixed team events (NOCs) for the first time, 1 open event (equestrian), 77 men's events, and 77 women's events.[15][17][18] Baseball5 and wushu were subsequently added as optional sports.[19]

In June 2024, the IOC Executive Board approved a new sports program proposed by the IOC’s Olympic Programme Commission to better fit it into the local context. An amendment to the program kept 25 of the original 35 sports in the competition program and moved 10 sports to the engagement program. The change also limits each sport to one discipline only, reducing the overall number of athletes while ensuring gender parity.[20] The events and athlete quotas were confirmed on 3 December 2024.[21]

Participating National Olympic Committees

Participating National Olympic Committees
  •  Refugee Olympic Team (TBD)[22]
  •  Senegal (TBD) (host)

Competition Program

Engagement Program

Calendar

The schedule was released on 2 February 2026.[23]

All times and dates use Greenwich Mean Time (UTC+0)
OC Opening ceremony ● Event competitions 1 Gold medal events CC Closing ceremony
October/November 2026 October November Events
30th
Fri 		31st
Sat 		1st
Sun 		2nd
Mon 		3rd
Tue 		4th
Wed 		5th
Thu 		6th
Fri 		7th
Sat 		8th
Sun 		9th
Mon 		10th
Tue 		11th
Wed 		12th
Thu 		13th
Fri
Ceremonies OC CC N/a
3x3 basketball ● ● ● ● 2
Archery ● ● ● ● ● 3
Artistic gymnastics ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 5
Athletics ● ● ● 28
Badminton ● ● ● ● ● 2
Baseball5 ● ● ● ● ● 1
Beach handball ● ● ● ● ● 2
Beach volleyball ● ● ● ● ● 2
Beach wrestling ● ● 8
Boxing ● ● ● ● ● ● 10
Breakdancing ● ● 2
Coastal rowing ● ● ● ● 5
Equestrian ● ● ● 1
Fencing ● ● ● ● ● ● 6
Futsal ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● ● 2
Judo ● ● ● 8
Road cycling ● ● 4
Rugby sevens ● ● ● 2
Sailing ● ● ● ● ● 2
Skateboarding ● ● 2
Swimming ● ● ● ● ● ● 36
Table tennis ● ● ● ● ● ● 3
Taekwondo ● ● ● ● ● 11
Triathlon ● ● 3
Wushu ● ● ● 4
Daily medal events ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 153
Cumulative total ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? 153
October/November 2026 October November Events
30th
Fri 		31st
Sat 		1st
Sun 		2nd
Mon 		3rd
Tue 		4th
Wed 		5th
Thu 		6th
Fri 		7th
Sat 		8th
Sun 		9th
Mon 		10th
Tue 		11th
Wed 		12th
Thu 		13th
Fri


Marketing

Mascot

Ayo
Mascot of the 2026 Summer Youth Olympics (Dakar)
CreatorNdeye Mariama Diop
SignificanceA young lion wearing a tingandé, a traditional hat worn by the Fula people

Ayo the official mascot was unveiled on 31 October 2025 at Grand Théâtre National de Dakar. His name means "joy" in Yoruba.[24]

Broadcasting rights

Notes

  1. ^ Free-to-air rights to be sold to local broadcasters, except Russia

References

  1. ^ "Dates for Dakar 2026 approved by IOC Executive Board". International Olympic Committee. 5 December 2022. Archived from the original on 14 December 2022. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  2. ^ "IOC Executive Board approves October 31 start for two-week Dakar 2026 Youth Olympics". www.insidethegames.biz. 5 December 2022. Archived from the original on 6 December 2022. Retrieved 16 July 2023.
  3. ^ "Olympic Agenda 2020" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 8 May 2015.
  4. ^ "IOC President Thomas Bach reports on the Youth Olympic Games 2022". International Olympic Committee. 4 February 2018. Archived from the original on 15 September 2018. Retrieved 4 February 2018. the Executive Board wants these youth Olympic Games 2022 to take place in Africa. Therefore, the EB decided today to propose to the session to make the African continent a strong priority ...
  5. ^ "132nd International Olympic Committee Session: Day two". insidethegames.biz. 7 February 2018. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 7 February 2018.
  6. ^ "It's time for Africa - see you in Senegal". IOC Media. 8 October 2018. Archived from the original on 8 October 2018. Retrieved 3 January 2021.
  7. ^ "Senegal set to host 2022 Summer Youth Olympic Games". Inside the Games. 7 September 2018. Archived from the original on 7 September 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2018.
  8. ^ a b "Senegal and the IOC agree to postpone the Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2022 to 2026". International Olympic Committee. 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 15 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  9. ^ "IOC targets African cities to host 2022 Youth Olympics". IOL Sport. Archived from the original on 12 February 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  10. ^ "Dakar leading contender to host 2022 Summer Youth Olympics as African host approved". Inside the Games. 7 February 2018. Archived from the original on 7 February 2018. Retrieved 6 March 2018.
  11. ^ "Dakar 2022 Youth Olympic Games postponed until 2026". www.insidethegames.biz. 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 16 July 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2020.
  12. ^ "141st IOC Session hears updates on Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026". IOC Media. 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 18 October 2023.
  13. ^ "Momentum builds towards historic Dakar 2026 YOG". IOC Media. 20 March 2025. Archived from the original on 20 March 2025. Retrieved 2 April 2025.
  14. ^ "Le Sénégal organisera les Jeux olympiques de la jeunesse 2022" (in French). 8 October 2018. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  15. ^ a b "Summer Youth Olympic Games programme at Dakar 2022 featuring 28 core sports set to be confirmed next year". www.insidethegames.biz. 17 October 2018. Archived from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
  16. ^ "Dakar 2026 advances venue and legacy plans as Youth Olympic Games preparations intensify". International Olympic Committee. 9 May 2025. Archived from the original on 10 May 2025.
  17. ^ Goh, ZK (4 December 2019). "Dakar 2022 Youth Olympics to feature total gender equality". olympic channel. Archived from the original on 1 May 2021. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  18. ^ International Olympic Committee. "Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2022 - Sports and Events Programme" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 December 2019. Retrieved 6 December 2019.
  19. ^ "Baseball5 and wushu added to Dakar 2022 programme as IOC announce date change". www.insidethegames.biz. 8 January 2020. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 8 January 2020.
  20. ^ "Evolution of the approach to the sports programme of the Youth Olympic Games – Dakar 2026 first to benefit from it". International Olympic Committee. 13 June 2024. Archived from the original on 13 June 2024. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  21. ^ "IOC Executive Board approves events and athlete quotas for Dakar 2026". 3 December 2024. Archived from the original on 3 December 2024. Retrieved 21 December 2024.
  22. ^ https://www.olympics.com/en/olympic-refuge-foundation/refugee-olympic-team
  23. ^ "JOJ Dakar 2026 : programme et calendrier de compétition". Dakar 2026. 2 February 2026.
  24. ^ "Dakar 2026 mascot unveiled: Meet Ayo". olympics.com. 31 October 2025.
  25. ^ "IOC reaches agreement for broadcast rights in Brazil with Grupo Globo through to 2032 - Olympic News". International Olympic Committee. 8 July 2021. Archived from the original on 13 December 2015. Retrieved 15 March 2023.
  26. ^ "IOC awards 2026–2032 broadcast rights in China". International Olympic Committee. 9 September 2021. Archived from the original on 28 October 2021. Retrieved 13 September 2021.
  27. ^ "IOC awards 2026-2032 Olympic Games broadcast rights in Korea to JTBC". International Olympic Committee. Olympic.org. 4 June 2019. Archived from the original on 4 June 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2019.
  28. ^ "แพลนบี คว้าสิทธิ์ถ่ายทอดสดโอลิมปิก 2020 ที่ประเทศญี่ปุ่น". Brandinside (in Thai). brandinside.asia. 5 August 2019. Archived from the original on 6 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2019.
  29. ^ International Olympic Committee (2023). "IOC awards exclusive 2026-2032 Olympic Games media rights in Europe". olympics.com/ioc. Archived from the original on 16 January 2023.
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