President William Ruto has announced plans for the opening of Nairobi’s Talanta Stadium in January 2027 with a high-profile football match between German giants Bayern Munich and Dutch side Ajax.

The president made the announcement at 6 pm on Wednesday, October 28, 2026, amid growing anticipation over the future of the 60,000-seater stadium.

Stadium prepares for major sporting events

Talanta Stadium, also known as Raila Amolo Odinga International Stadium, is one of Kenya’s flagship sports infrastructure projects and is being developed ahead of the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON), which Kenya will co-host with Uganda and Tanzania.

A parliamentary inspection in October put construction progress at approximately 94 per cent, with officials targeting readiness by the end of December 2026. The facility is expected to undergo further testing and commissioning before hosting major international matches.

The stadium is designed to accommodate 60,000 spectators and is expected to play a central role in Kenya’s preparations for AFCON 2027, scheduled for June 19 to July 17, 2027.

January event plans

A January opening would provide an opportunity to test the stadium’s facilities and event operations ahead of AFCON.

World Rugby has separately confirmed that Nairobi will host the opening leg of the 2027 HSBC SVNS 2 series at Talanta Stadium on January 23 and 24, 2027.