You don’t have to be an athlete to be hyped for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics, the first summer Games to be held in the United States in more than three decades. Taking place from July 14–30, 2028, the XXXIV Olympiad will mark L.A.’s third stint as host city.
In previous years, Los Angeles has played a pivotal role in shaping the Games, from opening the first-ever centralized Olympic Village in 1932 to bringing a bit of show business to the 1984 closing ceremony—think simulated flying saucers, a laser show, and a 750-member marching band. For the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics (LA28), more than 40 sports will be showcased at 800-plus events.
2028 Summer Olympic venues
No new permanent venues will be built to host LA28—instead, the organizing committee is making the most of Southern California’s vast landscape and existing facilities. Competitions will take place at around 80 venues throughout California, including in San Diego, Orange County, and potentially as far north as the San Francisco Bay Area.
Several iconic L.A.-area stadiums and arenas will take center stage, including Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, SoFi Stadium, L.A. Live, Dodger Stadium, Rose Bowl Stadium, and Crypto.com Arena. Elsewhere in Los Angeles County, the Olympic footprint will include nontraditional venues like Universal Studios Hollywood, the Fairplex in Pomona, Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, and the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area. And, of course, California is making the most of its sandy shores with coastal events in Venice Beach, Long Beach, and Lower Trestles, located between San Clemente and San Diego County. Additional venues are still being finalized, with more announcements expected in the coming months.
Roughly 10,500 athletes and millions of spectators will travel to the Golden State for LA28. If you plan to join them, here’s everything you need to know about getting around L.A., where to stay, and what to see between events.
How to get tickets to the 2028 Summer Olympics
Tickets for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will be sold online, though it’s still too early to reserve your seat. Your best bet is to sign up for notifications on the official LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games website to receive updates as soon as tickets become available.
For Paris 2024, a lottery to purchase single tickets opened in May 2023, a little more than a year ahead of the opening ceremony. Though more tickets than ever were sold for that event—priced as low as €24 (roughly $26)—seats still remained in the days leading up to the Games. Keep in mind that lower-priced tickets to the most coveted events, such as gymnastics, swimming, and the opening and closing ceremonies, will sell out quickly once released.
How to volunteer at the 2028 Summer Olympics
At the Paris Olympics, more than 300,000 people applied for roughly 45,000 volunteer spots. While the applications aren’t being accepted yet for LA28, previous timelines indicate the process will begin about one to one and a half years prior to the games.
Applicants must be at least 18 years old by the designated cut-off date and meet language requirements. You must also attend a training event and expect to be available for the duration of the games, though specific dates are yet to be announced. Volunteers will be assigned tasks in four categories, including hospitality, event operations, sport competitions, and languages. Signing up for the LA28 newsletter is the best way to stay up to date on the volunteer program.
When to book flights to Los Angeles
Many U.S.-based airlines, including American, United, Jet Blue, and Delta, typically take reservations starting around 330 days before departure. Others have shorter booking windows, like Southwest’s 250-day policy. That makes August 2027 the magic month to begin searching for flights.
Traveling to the LA28 Games
Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) will be a key travel hub for spectators and athletes, and will be completing a major overhaul by 2027 that includes the renovation of several terminals. Southern California is also home to numerous other airports servicing international, domestic, and regional flyers. Depending on prices and availability, it may make sense to utilize airports within an hour’s drive of LAX, including Hollywood Burbank, Long Beach, John Wayne (Orange County), and Ontario.
Getting around Los Angeles during the Games
From cruising Highway 1 to navigating Route 66, driving in and around Los Angeles is a rite of passage. Renting a vehicle makes it easy to explore Los Angeles County and other parts of the state, but that doesn’t mean you have to drive to every event during the Games. Visitors will be encouraged to take advantage of L.A.’s underrated public transit system.
The six-line Metro rail system will service venues in every direction, whether you’re hopping on the K Line to get to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood or riding the E Line to Exposition Park. Fun fact: L.A.’s Metro A Line is the longest light rail in the world, transporting passengers from Azusa to Long Beach, where you’ll be able to catch contests like the triathlon along the waterfront or water polo at the convention center. Fares are also affordable, running $1.75 for a one-way trip that includes two hours of free transfers.
Best Los Angeles neighborhoods to stay in for the Games
With nine venues confirmed in Downtown Los Angeles alone, staying there is your best bet if you want to be near the center of the action. The convention center, one of the largest in the U.S., will host fencing, judo, table tennis, taekwondo, and wrestling, while Peacock Theater at L.A. Live will be home to weightlifting competitions. Across the street, Crypto.com Arena will be one of the hottest venues at the LA28 Games as the site of artistic, rhythmic, and trampoline gymnastics. Just south of USC’s main campus is Exposition Park, which will host diving as well as track and field at the storied L.A. Memorial Coliseum.
If the opening ceremony is a must on your itinerary, consider LAX-adjacent areas such as Marina del Rey or Culver City. SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, located about 20 minutes from the airport, will likely be the primary venue for the opening festivities, sharing duties with the Coliseum. In a bold move, LA28 organizers are holding Olympic swimming events at SoFi—which will accommodate a record-breaking 38,000 people. The Intuit Dome, also in Inglewood, will serve as the LA28 Games’ basketball venue.
The City of Angels’ near-northern neighbor, the San Fernando Valley, is an affordable alternative to staying in L.A. proper. About 45 minutes from downtown, the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area is the second-largest urban park in the L.A. area, and will host four events, including archery and skateboarding. Notably, these will be the first Olympic contests to be held in the valley.
Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson is located just south of L.A. in the South Bay and will be another Olympics. Stay in nearby South Bay cities, such as Torrance, Redondo Beach, Hermosa Beach, or Manhattan Beach, for easy access to sports including track, field hockey, rugby sevens, and tennis.
Lodging in Los Angeles for LA28
On Location is the hospitality partner for LA28 and is expected to offer a range of packages that can be curated by personal interest and budget. In addition to seating and access to lounges at your selected events, travel packages may include guaranteed hotel stays, transportation add-ons, dining, and custom tours to experience the city.
For other lodging options in Los Angeles, expect higher than usual pricing with potential minimum stay requirements. Like airlines, many major hotel chains take reservations around one year in advance.
Best neighborhoods to stay in outside of Los Angeles
Long Beach ranks second only to L.A. in the number of events it’s hosting for the 2028 Games. With marathon swimming, sailing, coastal rowing, the canoe sprint, artistic swimming, and water polo being contested there, it’s a great choice for water sports enthusiasts. It will also be the location for beach volleyball, target shooting, sport climbing, and handball.
Just a short drive from L.A., Orange County offers another option for experiencing Olympic excitement as the host of two events. Anaheim, home to the U.S. Men’s National Volleyball Team training center, will host 24 qualifying teams—12 men’s and 12 women’s—at the Honda Center for LA28.
Further south, just beyond San Clemente, the well-known surf break at Lower Trestles will serve as the Olympic surfing venue. Known for its consistent waves and laid-back surf culture, the quiet beach town also offers easy access to coastal O.C. cities along Highway 1, including Dana Point and Laguna Beach.
Attending Summer Olympic events outside the L.A. area
While Los Angeles is the official host city for the 2028 Summer Olympics, you can find Olympic fun across the Golden State.
The Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena is confirmed to host the soccer finals for the LA28 Games—and it’s not the only venue outside Los Angeles included in the plan. Additional stadiums under consideration for group stage and quarter-final matches include Levi’s Stadium, Stanford Stadium, California Memorial Stadium, and PayPal Park in the Bay Area, along with Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego.
What will be new at the 2028 Summer Olympics
Several new sports have been approved for the LA28 Games. For the first time, American football will make it onto the official Olympic program with a non-contact version of the sport for men and women. Squash is also making its debut after being rejected four times in previous attempts to join the Games.
Coastal rowing is another Olympic newcomer, with the beach sprint discipline taking place in Long Beach. The sport is one of six mixed-gender team events being added for 2028, along with archery, athletics, artistic gymnastics, golf, and table tennis.
Baseball returns to the Olympic lineup after being left out of the Paris 2024 Games, while lacrosse makes its first Olympic appearance since the 1908 Games in London—this time in a faster-paced “sixes” format featuring six players per team instead of the traditional 10. Also making a comeback is the bat-and-ball game of cricket, last played on the world’s biggest sporting stage in 1900.
LA28 will also mark the city’s first time as host of the Paralympic Games, which will follow the Summer Olympics and feature 22 sports. Taking place Aug. 15–17, the Paralympics will be contested at the same venues across the state and include the debut of paraclimbing.