The Hellenic Olympic Committee informs you about the procedure for media representatives wishing to cover the Lighting and Handover Ceremony of the Olympic Flame for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, which will take place on Thursday, 10 September 2026, at the Panathenaic Stadium.

MEDIA ACCESS

There will be no formal media accreditation process for the coverage of the Ceremony.

Media representatives wishing to cover the Ceremony are kindly requested to register their participation by sending an email to [email protected], providing their full name, media outlet and position (Journalist, photographer…).

Media representatives will then be included on the relevant access list and will be granted access to the Panathenaic Stadium with a special media badge, which will be provided upon their arrival at the Stadium entrance.

All media representatives are kindly requested to arrive well in advance of the start of the Ceremony, in order to complete the entry procedure and take their assigned positions.

CEREMONY PROGRAMME

Thursday, 10 September 2026 – Panathenaic Stadium

The Ceremony will take place in the hemicycle area of the Panathenaic Stadium (Sphendone).

• 11:20 – End of visitor/spectator admission
• 11:25 – Arrival of dignitaries
• 11:28 – Opening of the Ceremony – Welcome and presentation
• 11:30 – Greek cultural and sports programme
• 11:35 – Cultural programme from Senegal
• 11:40 – Entrance of the flags
• 11:43 – Olympic Anthem and raising of the Olympic Flag – National Anthems of Senegal and Greece
• 11:50 – Lighting Ceremony
• 11:56 – Handover of the Flame to the first torchbearer
• 11:57 – Start of the Torch Relay inside the Panathenaic Stadium
• 12:02 – Lighting of the cauldron
• 12:04 – Address by the President of the International Olympic Committee, Ms Kirsty Coventry
• 12:09 – Address by the President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Mr Isidoros Kouvelos
• 12:14 – Address by the President of the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee, Mr Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye
• 12:20 – Handover of the Flame to the Dakar 2026 Organising Committee
• 12:22 – Departure of the Organising Committee with the Flame
• 12:25 – End of the Ceremony

PHOTOGRAPHERS

A specially designated and pre-assigned photography position will be provided for photographers inside the Panathenaic Stadium.

Due to the live television broadcast of the Ceremony, produced by the Olympic Channel, photographers will not be permitted to move around during the Ceremony.

For this reason, photographers are kindly requested to arrive early, in order to collect their special badge, receive instructions from the organising team and take their assigned position in advance.

BROADCASTING

The Olympic Channel is responsible for the television production of the Ceremony and will distribute the international television feed to media rights holders’ broadcasters (MRH).

In Greece, the Ceremony will be transmitted live by ERT.

IMPORTANT NOTE

During the Ceremony, television crews and cameras will not be permitted inside the Stadium. Coverage of the Ceremony will be provided exclusively through the television signal distributed by the Olympic Channel.

After the end of the Ceremony, cameras will be allowed to enter the Stadium for interviews and statements in the mixed zone.

Media representatives wishing to cover the Ceremony are kindly requested to register their participation in advance by contacting [email protected].