Youssou Ndour Grand Bal 2026 to move to pay-per-view broadcast

The 2026 edition of Youssou Ndour’s Grand Bal, scheduled to take place at the Accor Arena in Paris-Bercy, will feature a significant change in how it is broadcast to audiences. For previous years, fans in Senegal and elsewhere have been able to watch the full concert live and for free on the TFM television channel.

For the 2026 event, TFM will no longer provide a full live broadcast of the spectacle. Instead, viewers wishing to watch the entire concert in real-time will be required to use a pay-per-view service. While the TFM channel, which is part of the group founded by Youssou Ndour, will still provide editorial coverage, including highlights and behind-the-scenes footage, it will not air the complete show.

Organizers have framed this shift toward pay-per-view as a way to expand access to the performance for a global audience beyond the venue. However, the change marks a departure from the tradition of free domestic viewing that has long been a staple for mbalax fans in Dakar and other regions.