AFCON 2027 in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania: Dates, Stadiums, Tickets and the Fan's Travel Guide
Updated September 2026
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations kicks off on June 19 and runs to the final on July 17, 2027, hosted for the first time by three countries: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania.
Here is what a traveling fan needs: the dates and format, the stadiums and host cities, how to get there and between the three countries, where to stay, what we know about tickets so far, and how to stay online through a month of football without a roaming bill.
7 min read
The short version
- The tournament runs from Saturday, June 19 to the final on Saturday, July 17, 2027, with 24 teams and the three hosts qualified automatically.
- Matches are planned across Nairobi, Kampala, Hoima, Lira, Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar, headlined by the new 60,000-seat Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi. CAF has not published the final stadium list yet.
- Tickets are not on sale yet and no prices have been announced. When sales open, buy only through official CAF channels.
- No roam-like-at-home scheme covers visitors to East Africa, so foreign fans pay roaming rates in all three countries. An eSIM for each country you visit, installed before you fly, fixes that.
AFCON 2027 in East Africa
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, branded AFCON Pamoja 2027, is the first edition hosted by three countries: Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. Pamoja is Swahili for together, and this is the first AFCON in East Africa since 1976.
The tournament is organized by the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and brings together 24 national teams. The three hosts qualify automatically, and the remaining 21 places are decided in qualifiers running from September 2026 to March 2027.
Expect a month of football across four cities and an island, tens of thousands of traveling supporters, and fan zones from Nairobi to Zanzibar.
Dates and format
The opening match is scheduled for Saturday, June 19, 2027, and the final for Saturday, July 17, 2027. The 24 teams play a group stage in six groups of four, followed by knockout rounds from the round of 16 to the final.
The group-stage draw and the exact match schedule by city come closer to the tournament, once qualifying ends in March 2027. If you are following one team, wait for the draw before locking in flights between the three countries.
In past multi-host tournaments each group was based around one venue cluster, which keeps the group stage simple: pick your team's base city, stay there, and save the cross-border hops for the knockout rounds.
The stadiums and host cities
CAF has not signed off the final stadium list, so treat the venues below as the ones under preparation rather than a confirmed roster. The stadiums for the opening match and the final are also still to be announced.
Kenya's centrepiece is the new Raila Odinga International Stadium in Nairobi, built for around 60,000 spectators, alongside the renovated Moi International Sports Centre in Kasarani and Nyayo National Stadium.
Uganda's matches center on the renovated Mandela National Stadium (Namboole) outside Kampala, with Hoima City Stadium and Akii-Bua Stadium in Lira being built or upgraded for the tournament.
Tanzania brings the 60,000-seat Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, the new Samia Suluhu Hassan Stadium in Arusha, and the Amaan and Fumba grounds on Zanzibar.
Getting there and between the hosts
The three main gateways are Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi (NBO), Entebbe International Airport near Kampala (EBB) and Julius Nyerere International Airport in Dar es Salaam (DAR). Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) airports back up the Tanzanian venues.
Flying in
Nairobi is the region's biggest hub, with direct flights from Europe, the Gulf and Asia. Entebbe and Dar es Salaam are well connected through Gulf and African hubs, so compare arrival cities once the match schedule is out.
Between the three countries
Kenya Airways, Uganda Airlines, Air Tanzania and Precision Air link the capitals in one to two hours, and long-distance buses connect Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam for the patient. Each country handles entry separately and most visitors apply online in advance, so sort the paperwork for every country on your route early.
Getting around the cities
Uber and Bolt operate in Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam, and taxis and motorcycle taxis cover the rest. Traffic in all three capitals is heavy on match days, so leave for the stadium earlier than feels necessary.
Where to stay
Book early for the cities your group plays in: Nairobi, Kampala and Dar es Salaam have deep hotel markets, but a continental tournament fills them, and prices will climb once the match schedule lands.
The tournament doubles as a safari and beach trip. Amboseli and the Masai Mara are within reach of Nairobi, the northern safari circuit and Kilimanjaro sit near Arusha, and Zanzibar's beaches are a short flight or ferry from Dar es Salaam.
June and July are dry season across most of the region. Nairobi and Kampala sit at altitude and stay mild, with Nairobi's evenings cool enough for a jacket, while Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar are warm and humid at around 29 degrees by day.
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Tickets: what we know
As of September 2026, tickets are not on sale and no prices or sale dates have been announced. We will update this section as soon as CAF confirms how ticketing will work.
Expect the pattern of recent AFCONs: tickets sold online and through official outlets in the host countries in waves closer to kickoff, with group-stage seats affordable and the final selling out fast.
Anything sold today claiming to be an AFCON 2027 ticket is not real, because sales have not opened. When they do, buy through the official channels announced on cafonline.com and nowhere else.
Staying online: roaming and eSIM
Three countries in one trip usually means three roaming bills. No roam-like-at-home scheme covers visitors to East Africa, so a month of maps, streams and group chats on your home plan adds up fast.
eSIMPal's data packages run on the Airtel network in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, with 4G LTE across the region and 5G where the local network supports it. Coverage is strong in the host cities and along the main corridors.
Install an eSIM for each country on your route before you fly: land in Nairobi, Kampala or Dar es Salaam with data already working, keep your home number active for calls and codes, and top up from the app between matches. With 60,000 people posting from one stadium, your own mobile data beats stadium Wi-Fi.
Pick your AFCON 2027 eSIM plan
Live prices for Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, one eSIM per country. Pick a country below, install before you fly, top up in the app any time.
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🇰🇪Kenya
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Frequently asked questions
When is AFCON 2027?
The tournament is scheduled from Saturday, June 19 to Saturday, July 17, 2027. The exact match schedule by city comes after the draw, once qualifying ends in March 2027.
Where is AFCON 2027 held?
Across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania, the first AFCON with three host countries. Venues under preparation include stadiums in Nairobi, Kampala, Hoima, Lira, Dar es Salaam, Arusha and Zanzibar; CAF has not confirmed the final list yet.
Are AFCON 2027 tickets on sale?
Not yet. As of September 2026 no sale dates or prices have been announced. When sales open, buy only through the official channels CAF announces on cafonline.com.
How do I get to AFCON 2027?
Fly into Nairobi (NBO), Entebbe (EBB) for Kampala, or Dar es Salaam (DAR). Regional carriers connect the three capitals in one to two hours, and Kilimanjaro (JRO) and Zanzibar (ZNZ) serve the other Tanzanian venues.
What is the weather like during AFCON 2027?
June and July are dry season in most of the region. Nairobi and Kampala are mild thanks to altitude, with cool evenings, while Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar are warm and humid, around 29 degrees by day.
What currencies do the host countries use?
Three different shillings: Kenyan, Ugandan and Tanzanian. Cards and mobile payments are widely accepted in the big cities, and some local cash helps for markets and taxis in each country.
Will my phone work at AFCON 2027?
Coverage in the host cities is strong, but roaming from home gets expensive across three countries. A data eSIM for each country on your route, installed before departure, is the cheaper option; your phone needs to be eSIM-compatible.
Going to AFCON 2027? Stay connected with eSIMPal
A month of matches across Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania means maps, tickets, streams and group chats every day. Install an eSIMPal eSIM before you fly and land with internet that works from passport control, with no roaming bill and no SIM counter queue.
Last updated September 2026. Based on CAF tournament information and the confirmed window of June 19 to July 17, 2027. Stadiums, schedule and ticketing can change before kickoff, so confirm the latest details with an official source before you travel.
