April 2023

In a combination of sport and culture, performance and celebration, the Dakar en Jeux Festival is a powerful programme intended to engage the youth and the general population, four years before the 2026 Youth Olympic Games.

In November 2022, the first edition of the Dakar en Jeux Festival took place in the Senegalese capital city as well as in nearby, future Olympic sites. Thousands of people took part in sports initiations and attended sports contests and concerts. On this occasion, a mural celebrating the upcoming Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games was unveiled, and the result is set to inspire future generations for years to come. A group of artists from across Africa were tasked with uniting the artistic with the athletic to create this mural, which is now proving to be a popular attraction. By offering a taste of what the next edition will be in anticipation of 2026, Dakar invites us on the road to the Olympics. With its festival, Dakar has not only initiated celebrations, but has also started to build a sound and long-lasting Olympic legacy by engaging into an empowerment and ownership process four years before the Games. To learn more about the Dakar en Jeux festival, click here!