Dakar 2026 Opens: First Olympics on African Soil
Edition
IV Summer Youth Olympics
Athletes
2,663 from 205 NOCs
Medal events
153 across 25 sports
Run dates
Oct 31 to Nov 13 2026
Ceremony audience
30+ countries live
Dakar 2026 vs prior Summer Youth Olympics
| Edition | Host city | Year | Athletes | NOCs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| I | Singapore | 2010 | 3,531 | 204 |
| II | Nanjing | 2014 | 3,579 | 204 |
| III | Buenos Aires | 2018 | 4,024 | 206 |
| IV | Dakar | 2026 | 2,663 | 205 |
What is new at Dakar 2026
First Olympic event of any kind held on African soil.
First Youth Olympic Games to achieve full gender equality in athlete quotas.
First Youth Refugee Olympic Team, with athletes from Kenya and Uganda.
Debut sports: Baseball5 and Wushu Taolu.
Russia returns to Olympic competition after a four-year absence.
Delayed four years from the original 2022 date due to COVID-19.
"Today it's not just a nation that is welcoming the Youth Olympic Games, it's an entire continent that is opening its arms.
"President Bassirou Diomaye Faye
What to watch for
Medal table: 205 NOCs competing, all 54 African NOCs included
Debut events: Baseball5 and Wushu Taolu first appearances at Youth Games
Refugee team: six athletes from Kenya and Uganda mentored by Eliud Kipchoge
Gender parity: first Youth Olympics with equal male/female quota across all 25 sports
Closing ceremony Nov 13 -- first closing of an Olympic event on African soil
Sources: IOC/olympics.com (primary), Africanews Oct 31 2026, France24 Oct 31 2026. Cover: NASA ISS astronaut photo ISS061-E-63342 Nov 29 2019, public domain.