Africa's first Olympic Games open tonight in Diamniadio

Diamniadio — Tonight Africa hosts its first ever Olympic event. The Youth Olympic Games Dakar 2026 open at the Stade Abdoulaye Wade in Diamniadio, about 40km from Dakar, with a ceremony from 18:30 to 20:00 local time (18:30 GMT).

A ceremony told by Africans

Khady Niang, director of ceremonies for the organising committee, told Senegal's Le Quotidien that the team chose to create the show itself rather than hand it to an international production company, as is usual. More than a year and a half ago she picked a Senegalese artistic director, so that the first Olympic ceremony on the continent would be made entirely by Africans and tell Africa's story in its own words: who we are, where we come from and where we want to go. The Games' slogan is Africa welcomes, Dakar celebrates.

The Games in numbers

• About 2,700 athletes, mostly aged 15 to 17.
• 35 sports, including Olympic debuts for wushu, baseball5 and skateboarding.
• Three host zones: Dakar, Diamniadio and Saly.
• Competition runs until 13 November. Table tennis and beach volleyball begin today.

IOC president Kirsty Coventry, from Zimbabwe, the first African and the first woman to lead the Olympic movement, arrived in Dakar on Monday to a welcome from volunteers. She said she was confident Senegal would give the world's young athletes a warm welcome and share African traditions with them.

The Youth Olympics were first held in Singapore in 2010. Sixteen years on, the Olympic flame burns in Africa.

Sources: Le Quotidien, 28 October 2026; Africanews, 27 October 2026.