The Lighting and Handover Ceremony of the Flame for the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games will take place at the iconic Panathenaic Stadium on Thursday, 10 September 2026, at 11:30 a.m., in the presence of IOC President Kirsty Coventry.

Admission for the public is free. The Ceremony will begin at 11:30 a.m., while all spectators should be seated by 11:20 a.m. The Ceremony will be broadcast live by ERT.

The Ceremony carries special symbolism, as it will be the first event to be held at the Panathenaic Stadium while works are underway to replace the track surface and clean its marble structures.

For the Youth Olympic Games, a special protocol is applied under which the Lighting and Handover of the Flame take place during the same Ceremony at the Panathenaic Stadium. The Kallimarmaro, a symbol of modern Olympic history, will once again serve as the meeting point between the Greek Olympic tradition and a new generation of athletes from around the world.

The artistic direction and choreography of the Priestesses’ ritual have been entrusted to Artemis Ignatiou, while actress Katerina Misichroni will assume the role of High Priestess for the first time. The Ceremony’s musical composition has been created by Marios Ioannou Elia, while the Priestesses’ costumes have been designed by internationally acclaimed Greek designer Mary Katrantzou.

The Ceremony will be presented by sports journalist Penelope Gioni, representing a new generation of journalists and bringing a contemporary and fresh perspective to the event.

The artistic programme will open with a dynamic performance by the Greek National Cheerleading Team, featuring the Aposperides, European Champions in the Cheer Hip Hop category in both 2025 and 2026, and the Amazones, who have achieved significant international distinctions in the Cheer Pom category.

Senegal, the host country of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games, will be represented by singer Kya Loum, who will present a live cultural performance and perform the National Anthem of Senegal.

The Ceremony will also feature 18 young athletes from the Lavrio Sports Club, who will carry the flags, while Athena Andreadi will perform the Olympic Anthem. The National Anthem of Greece will be performed by the ROSARTE Children’s and Youth Choir under the direction of Rozi Mastrosavva.

The coordination of the Ceremony has been entrusted to Dr. Konstantinos Pantazis, under the supervision of the President of the Olympic Torch Relay Commission, Thomas Tokas, contributing to the smooth implementation and coordination of all aspects of the event.

The President of the Hellenic Olympic Committee, Isidoros Kouvelos, will hand over the Flame to the President of the Dakar 2026 Youth Olympic Games Organising Committee, Mamadou Diagna Ndiaye, marking the beginning of its journey to Senegal.

The Flame will then travel to Dakar, where the Youth Olympic Games will take place from 31 October to 13 November 2026, in an event of historic significance, as the African continent will host an Olympic Games for the very first time.