The Ultimate Fan Guide to Tanzania's AFCON 2027 Stadiums
Tanzania is hosting AFCON 2027 matches in four cities. Here's what fans need to know about each stadium before booking flights and tickets.
The 2027 Africa Cup of Nations — branded "Pamoja," Swahili for "together" — is the first AFCON hosted jointly by three countries: Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda, running June 19 through July 17, 2027. Tanzania is staging matches across four venues, and if you're planning to follow the tournament on the ground, it helps to know what you're actually walking into at each one.
Benjamin Mkapa Stadium, Dar es Salaam. Tanzania's largest and best-known stadium, already familiar to anyone who's followed Tanzanian football or hosted regional tournaments before. It sits in the country's biggest city, which means the most flight options, the most hotels, and the most going on around matchdays — but also the most traffic getting there.
Samia Suluhu Hassan Stadium, Arusha. A newly built venue — construction has been underway since April 2024 — named for Tanzania's president. Arusha is the more interesting stop for most travelers, because it's also the gateway city to the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. A trip that combines a match here with a few days on safari is genuinely one of the more compelling ways to experience this tournament, and it's exactly why we wrote a separate guide on doing both (linked below).
Dodoma Stadium, Dodoma. Tanzania's official capital, less touristed than Dar or Arusha, which can cut both ways — fewer crowds and easier logistics, but also fewer facilities built around foreign visitors. Worth researching accommodation early if a match lands here.
New Amaan Complex, Zanzibar. If any city on this list needs no introduction to travelers, it's Zanzibar. A match here is a strong excuse to add beach time before or after kickoff — Stone Town, Nungwi, and the spice tours are all a short drive from the stadium.
A few practical notes that apply across all four. Tanzania's official host-city list and match schedule will firm up closer to 2027, so treat specific dates and fixtures as provisional until CAF and the Tanzania Football Federation confirm them. Book flights and accommodation with cancellation flexibility where you can, especially for Arusha and Zanzibar, which will see the heaviest demand from combined football-and-holiday travelers.
Whatever stadium you end up at, a handful of Swahili phrases go a long way — asking where to buy a ticket, what time kickoff is, or striking up a conversation with the fans around you about which team they support. The Stadium & Matchday pack in Swahili Survival Kit covers exactly this — ticket questions, score check-ins, and the kind of matchday small talk that turns strangers into friends for ninety minutes.