Everything You Need to Know About the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics: Dates, Venues, and New Sports

News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/11th August 2024

As the Paris Olympics draw to a close, attention is already turning to Los Angeles, which will host the 2028 Summer Games. Scheduled to kick off on July 14, 2028, the LA Olympics will run until July 30, with the Paralympic Games following from August 15 to August 27. The event will feature over 50 Olympic and Paralympic sports across more than 800 events.

Los Angeles, a city with a storied Olympic history having hosted the Games twice before, is set to make its third appearance with a strong focus on sustainability. Unlike many previous host cities, LA has committed to avoiding the construction of new permanent venues. Instead, the city plans to utilize several existing sites, including the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for athletics and the Los Angeles Galaxy’s home stadium for soccer events. Beach volleyball will be held on an actual beach, returning to its traditional setting.

However, some venues will undergo modifications. The SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, known for its football games, will be adapted to host swimming events by installing an Olympic-sized pool. Additionally, the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) will be repurposed to serve as the athletes’ village, offering both accommodation and training facilities.

One of the more ambitious goals for the Los Angeles Games is to host a car-free event. Organizers plan to rely on a fleet of buses to transport spectators across the city, as significant upgrades to the rail network have faced delays. The feasibility of this car-free approach remains a concern, given the city’s size and the logistical challenges involved in managing thousands of attendees.

The budget for the 2028 Games is projected to be close to $7 billion, excluding costs related to transportation infrastructure improvements. This significant expenditure reflects the scale and ambition of the event.

In terms of sports, the Los Angeles Olympics will showcase a blend of both revived and new disciplines. Cricket, which last featured in the Olympics in 1900, will make a return with T20 tournaments, providing a notable opportunity for Great Britain. Lacrosse, another sport with a historical presence in North America, will also reappear after over a century, introducing a new six-player format. Baseball and softball, omitted from the Paris 2024 Games, will return, while squash will make its Olympic debut. Additionally, flag football, a non-contact version of American football, will be included for the first time.

For the Paralympics, paraclimbing will be a new addition, presenting a unique challenge as athletes scale a 15-meter wall. While surfing, skateboarding, and sport climbing will continue to be featured, breaking, which was introduced in the US, will not be included.

As preparations ramp up, Los Angeles is setting the stage for what promises to be a memorable and innovative Olympic Games, marked by both historic revivals and exciting new elements.