YOG torch tour in Senegal; First YOG flame on African continent

Everything you need to know about the Dakar 2026 YOG torch tour

The Dakar 2026 YOG torch will travel through Senegal’s 14 regions from 14 September to 30 October, under the slogan “Pass the Energy”. From Dakar to Ziguinchor via Saint-Louis, Matam and Kolda, the torch will make a total of more than 30 stops, with celebrations organised in each town.

As part of the world’s largest multi-sport event dedicated to young people, the Youth Olympic Games, the Olympic torch represents the first point of contact between the event and local communities. Dakar 2026, the first Olympic sporting event to be held in Africa, will scrupulously uphold this tradition. The Youth Olympic Games torch will tour the country after being lit in Athens on 10 September and then travelling to Dakar.

The YOG torch will be carried in turn across the country by several hundred people, who will take turns carrying it through Senegal’s 14 regions. The national tour is scheduled to last until the opening ceremony, which will take place on 31 October at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio .

Mobilising, sharing and building a legacy

With the aim of spreading the Olympic spirit to all the country’s people, the Olympic torch relay will celebrate the arrival of the YOG flame on the African continent for the first time.

It will take the form of a procession travelling from town to town, from Dakar to Rufisque via Guédiawaye and Pikine, before passing through the country’s 13 other regions, so that the entire Senegalese population can soak up the spirit of the Youth Olympic Games.

The torchbearers will take turns to ensure the torch’s passage from one town to the next during highly symbolic and unifying celebrations organised at each stage.

A huge public festival celebrated throughout Senegal

In every major city, the celebration of the YOG torch’s passage will take the form of a dynamic show combining sporting, cultural and educational activities aimed at the general public.

Designed to be unifying and inspiring, the YOG torch relay will place schools at the heart of its programme, which will take place in two phases: 14 stages in the Dakar region, followed by 16 stages across the regions, covering the entire country. Iconic sites of Senegalese heritage will be highlighted in each region, in order to showcase the region and its local figures.

Speeches will also be given by representatives of the host cities, and concerts and performances will bring the day’s celebrations to a close on an artistic note. These festive days will also provide an opportunity for the public to meet and have their photograph taken with AYO, the official mascot of the Dakar 2026 YOG.

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Sporting, cultural and educational activities

During the tour, a celebration area will be set up at each stop. The venue will feature an mix of introductory sessions and sporting demonstrations, craft workshops and virtual reality stands.

A stand dedicated to the Olympic Civic and Sports Certificate (BOCS), which reached over a million beneficiaries between 2022 and 2026 , will also be set up there.

A photo booth and a stage truck will also be provided to offer the public fun activities and performances by local groups on stage.

To mark the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games – the first Olympic event to be held in Africa – the theme of the Torch Relay will be “Pass the Energy”. This theme refers to the passing on of Olympic values and the energy embodied by the youth of Senegal and Africa.

Placed near the stage at the celebration venues, the cauldron containing the Olympic flame will be the star of the event and visible to all. Symbolically fuelled by the energy of all the torchbearers who have passed it from hand to hand, this flame will highlight Olympic values such as friendship, whilst celebrating the cultural richness of Senegal and Africa.

At the end of this tour, the YOG flame will light a cauldron in Dakar during the opening ceremony on 31 October 2026 at the Abdoulaye Wade Stadium in Diamniadio. It will remain lit throughout the entire duration of the Games.

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