Thanks to an initiative of Dr. Jacques Rogge, in 1990 the European Olympic Committees launched the “European Youth Olympic Days” (EYOD), now called “European Youth Olympic Festival” (EYOF) a biennial; multi-sport event for talented young participants from the 48 member countries of the association of European Olympic Committees. The festival has a summer edition, held for the first time in Brussels in 1991, and a winter edition, which began two years later in Aosta.

The nine Olympic sports that are part of the EYOF are: athletics, basketball, cycling, gymnastics, handball, judo, gymnastics, swimming, tennis and volleyball. All these sports are regulated by the rules set by the international sports federation.

Summer Editions:

  • 1991 – brussels Brussels
  • 1993 – Valkenswaard Valkenswaard
  • 1995 – bath Bath
  • 1997 – lisbon Lisbon
  • 1999 – Esbjerg Esbjerg
  • 2001 – Murcia Murcia
  • 2003 – paris Paris
  • 2005 – Lignano Sabbiadoro Lignano Sabbiadoro
  • 2007 – Belgrade Belgrade
  • 2009 – Tampere Tampere
  • 2011 – Trabzon Tabzon
  • 2013 – Utrecht Utrecht
  • 2015 – Tbilisi Tbilisi
  • 2017 –   Győr

Winter Editions:

  • 1993 – Aosta Aosta
  • 1995 – Andorra la Vella Andorra la Vella
  • 1997 – Sundsvall Sundsvall
  • 1999 – Poprad-Tatry Poprad-Tatry
  • 2001 – Vuokatti Vuokatti
  • 2003 – Bled Bled
  • 2005 – Monthey Monthey
  • 2007 – Jaca Jaca
  • 2009 – Upper Silesia  Upper Silesia
  • 2011 – Liberec Liberec
  • 2013 – Braşov  Braşov
  • 2015 – Vorarlberg Vorarlberg and Vaduz Vaduz
  • 2017 – Sarajevo Sarajevo and Sarajevo East Sarajevo