Dakar 2026: One Year to Go celebrations set to begin as Senegal prepares to welcome the world

28 October 2025 – A full programme of exciting events is set to begin on 31 October to mark one year to go until the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games (YOG). Highlights include the unveiling of the Dakar 2026 mascot and the launch of the OMEGA countdown clock, celebrating this milestone on the road to the first Olympic sporting event on the African continent.

The festivities will begin with the official unveiling of the Dakar 2026 mascot at the Grand Théâtre in Dakar. The President of Senegal, Bassirou Diomaye Faye, will lead the ceremony, 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 Dakar 2026 and of the Senegalese National Olympic Committee (NOC).

Later that day, Worldwide Olympic Partner OMEGA, the Official Timekeeper of the Olympic Games since 1932, will unveil the Dakar 2026 countdown clock in the heart of the Senegalese capital, signalling the start of the one-year countdown.

The celebrations will continue into November with the fourth and final edition of Dakar en Jeux, the annual cultural and sports festival that has become a central element of the Dakar 2026 engagement strategy. Taking place from 4 to 9 November across the three host cities of Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly, the festival brings together local communities, thousands of students, and artists through sport, music and visual arts, while promoting the Olympic values.

From 5 to 7 November, Dakar will also host NOC Open Days, with up to 45 NOCs expected to take part. Organised by the Dakar 2026’s NOC Relations and Services Department, the two-day programme will include visits to competition and training venues, an overview of Games preparations and opportunities to further strengthen cooperation ahead of Dakar 2026.

Organised by the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee (YOGOC), the celebrations to mark this important milestone will engage local communities and continue to build excitement ahead of the Games.

The Dakar 2026 YOG will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, bringing together 2,700 of the world’s best young athletes aged up to 17. The Games will be held across three host sites in Senegal: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.