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.
