AFCON 2027: Cost, Design and Completion Status of 3 New Stadiums Under Construction in East Africa

With East Africa set to host the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania are in a race against time to have the facilities needed ready.

Already, there are doubts over whether the three East African countries will stage a successful tournament after Morocco set the bar high with AFCON 2025, adding an extra layer of pressure and scrutiny on East Africa.

It means there are little margins for error as all the necessary infrastructure has to meet the standards as well as everything else that will be required.

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The main infrastructure when hosting a football tournament is stadiums and ahead of AFCON 2027, Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania will all have a new facility besides existing ones to host the matches.

Pulse Sports highlights the new stadiums being built in East Africa ahead of AFCON 2027.

This will be Kenya’s main venue for AFCON 2027 matches, with the 60,000-seater ultra-modern facility 85 per cent complete by end of January 2026.

Commissioned in March 2024, the stadium is projected to be ready by April 2026 with its exterior nearly complete as work continues inside, including the interior canopy, which is nearing completion. The stadium will also have two training pitches adjacent to it while there will be a shopping mall and a four-star hotel.

Installation of seats, setting up giant screens, fitting lighting and sound systems as well as levelling of the main pitch are among the ongoing tasks.

Talanta Stadium, located in Nairobi’s Jamhuri, will also have seven modern changing rooms, VIP lounges, fully equipped media centres and VAR booths integrated with goal-line technology.

The main contractor is China Road and Bridge Corporation, supported by the Ministry of Defence, with the stadium estimated to cost around Ksh44 billion.

Talanta Stadium is a football-only facility that will also host rugby matches as well as other events like concerts and it has a look that mirrors the traditional ellipse stadium format, which has its walls decorated by Kenyan Shield motifs.

There are plans to build a railway line connecting to the stadium to ease movement of fans and goods to the facility. Talanta Stadium will also change its name to Raila Odinga International Stadium in honour of former Prime Minister of Kenya Raila Odinga, who died in October 2025.

Besides Talanta, Kasarani Stadium is the other facility that will host AFCON 2027 matches in Kenya.

Situated in Arusha, the Samia Suluhu Hassan Stadium, whose ground breaking took place in April 2024, is one of the host venues AFCON 2027 and is under construction with completion date projected to be July 2026.

Commissioned by the Tanzanian Ministry of Culture, Arts, and Sports, the 30,000-seater stadium is located in Arusha’s Olomoti area and will be a state-of-the-art facility designed to become a hub for football, athletics, and cultural events.

The stadium’s iconic design is inspired by Tanzanite gemstones and Mount Kilimanjaro, two of the country’s most treasured symbols, woven into the architecture, creating a distinctive and modern venue that embodies the nation’s identity and pride.

Named after the country’s current President Samia Suluhu Hassan, the stadium will be the second AFCON 2027 venue in Tanzania, besides the Benjamin Mkapa Stadium in Dar es Salaam, and will cost a reported $112 million (Tsh293 billion), around Ksh14.4 billion, with Chinese firm China Railway Construction being the contractor.

According to multiple reports in January 2026, the stadium is over 70 percent complete with work set to intensify in the next five months.

Located in Hoima City in Bunyoro sub-region, the Hoima Stadium will be Uganda’s second venue for AFCON 2027 matches after Mandela National Stadium (Namboole), located in the capital, Kampala.

The stadium, whose construction started in September 2024, was commissioned by President Yoweri Museveni in December 2025 after being completed in a record 12 months at a cost of $129 million (UGX463 billion), around Ksh16.6 billion.

It is built on a 34-acre piece of land and is a facility that has a 20,000-seater outdoor stadium designed to host football and rugby matches while it has a tartan track for athletics events. The stadium also has a 2,000-seater indoor arena for sports such as basketball, netball and volleyball.

In addition, the stadium also has training areas, athlete facilities, administration blocks, media zones and a presidential suite among others.