As the FIFA World Cup 2026 in North America brings football into focus, Tanzania is already preparing for its own major football event: the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations. The AFCON tournament will be jointly hosted by Tanzania, Kenya and Uganda under the name PAMOJA 2027. For East Africa, this will be a historic event. It will be the first Africa Cup of Nations hosted by three countries and the first time in more than five decades that the tournament returns to the East Africa. One of the venues currently under construction for this major football event is the new Samia Suluhu Hassan Stadium in Arusha. The stadium is being built in the west of Arusha City, close to the regional Arusha Airport (mainly used for trips to the Northern Circuit national parks and the Zanzibar archipelago). With a planned capacity of 30,000+ spectators, the stadium will be an important landmark for northern Tanzania.

For travellers visiting Tanzania, it may become possible to combine a classic Safari itinerary with the atmosphere of Africa’s most important football tournament. The timing of AFCON 2027 is also relevant for travellers from the northern hemisphere. The tournament is scheduled to take place from 19 June to 17 July 2027, which happens to be the most popular Safari season in northern Tanzania. June and July are part of the dry season in the Northern Tanzanian Safari Circuit, when roads are usually more reliable, vegetation is thinner, and wildlife viewing can be particularly rewarding. For guests who are interested in both wildlife and football, this presents a unique opportunity: spend several days in the bush, return to Arusha (subject to the final match schedule), attend an AFCON match in the new stadium built specifically for the tournament and then finally wind down your holidays with a visit to the lovely beaches of the Zanzibar archipelago. Combine wildlife, football and the Indian Ocean coast in one trip.

As soon as the official match schedule and ticketing details are released, we will update this article right away. Karibu Tanzania, welcome to Tanzania!