Read full release from LA28.org
Mark your calendar. The LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games will be here in six short years. The LA28 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony is set for July 14, 2028, with the Games running through July 30, 2028, and the LA28 Paralympic Games will kick off August 15, 2028, and close August 27, 2028.
“[July 18] marks the official countdown to the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said five-time Olympic medalist and LA28 Chief Athlete Officer Janet Evans. “The LA28 Games will be unlike any other, showcasing the best of Southern California’s exceptional stadiums and world-class culture to athletes and fans alike. This milestone makes the Games real for every athlete actively training for their LA28 dream and the fans who follow the journey.”
The LA28 Games will be Los Angeles’ third time hosting the Olympic Games (previously 1984, 1932) and the first time hosting the Paralympic Games. The LA28 Games will represent the creativity, diversity and youthful energy of the Los Angeles region.
“Los Angeles is home to the most incredible competition venues and state-of-the-art training facilities,” said Paralympic swimmer and LA28 Athletes Commission member Ileana Rodriguez. “The LA28 Games will be amazing for every athlete who comes to Los Angeles to pursue a lifelong dream. This will be our first Paralympic Games in Los Angeles and we have a major opportunity to show the world what’s possible for people with disabilities. Southern California is one of the most inclusive and diverse places anywhere and I couldn’t be more proud to help host the world’s best athletes here in 2028.”
The LA28 Games will use existing world-class stadiums and sports venues across the Los Angeles region, ensuring a sustainable and fiscally responsible event. The LA28 Games will feature more than 3,000 hours of live sport across 800 events in more than 40 sports. 15,000 athletes are expected to compete in the Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
“LA is an ambitious city of endless possibilities and the Games will reflect our community,” said LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman. “Los Angeles will provide the perfect backdrop to host the biggest cultural, sporting and entertainment event in the world.”
The announcement of the LA28 Games dates comes as International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach and IOC member and LA28 Coordination Commission Chair Nicole Hoevertsz visited Los Angeles to review and celebrate LA28’s planning. During their time in Los Angeles, Bach and Hoevertsz met with LA28 leadership, community leaders and city officials, visited sports facilities and watched PlayLA youth sports programs made possible by the LA28 Games and the IOC’s $160 million commitment.
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said, “I have been really impressed by the progress and creativity of the LA28 team. From the very start, the LA28 project has embedded the essence of Olympic Agenda 2020 reforms in everything they do. They are using the power of the Olympic Games to inspire young people to get involved in sport, and we are very proud of LA28’s investment of USD 160 million in support of youth sports in Los Angeles. Six years before the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games Los Angeles 2028, this is already a significant Games legacy, making a difference in the lives of over a hundred thousand children. It will help to bring new fans to Olympic sport and leave a sporting legacy for generations to come. When the LA28 Games begin on 14 July 2028, I know that those children like all the citizens of Los Angeles will be inspired by having the world’s best athletes competing in an Olympic Games at home in their own city.”
PlayLA launched in 2021 to ensure kids across Los Angeles have an opportunity to participate in low cost or no cost quality sports programming – including adaptive sports – in their neighborhood. The $160 million investment from the IOC and LA28 is the single largest commitment to youth sport development in California.
“With set dates in hand, Los Angeles is ready and excited to host the Olympics for the third time and the Paralympics for the first time in history,” said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. “The Games represent a once in a lifetime opportunity for LA — a bold investment throughout our communities with equity and progress as the main focus. This will bring vast opportunity into every corner of the city ensuring a lasting legacy for future generations of Angelenos.”
International Paralympic Committee President Andrew Parsons added, “All of us in the Paralympic Movement are incredibly excited about LA28. We know that the Paralympic Games are the most transformative event on earth. Everywhere they take place we leave a legacy of better accessible transport, more inclusive legislation, and a societal shift in attitudes towards persons with disabilities. In LA we are going to turbocharge that. Change starts with sport and these Games will be a vehicle to transform minds and lives. Change is already happening in local communities thanks to the fantastic work of the LA28 organizing committee. These six years are going to fly by and soon, in the entertainment capital of the world, we will with our friends in LA put on the most important show America has ever seen.”
“California is excited to welcome athletes and visitors from around the world for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” said California Governor Gavin Newsom. “Los Angeles is home to a wealth of diverse communities that make our state stronger and help shape the innovation that drives our growth and success. The Games are the perfect venue to showcase our rich cultures, state-of-the-art stadiums, world-class travel and tourism attractions and incredible public spaces, while creating a host of new opportunities for Angelenos. We look forward to bringing the global sporting community together in one of the most diverse, innovative, climate-smart and beautiful places on the planet.”
“Los Angeles is a special place for sport,” said IOC member and LA28 Coordination Commission Chair Nicole Hoevertsz, who competed in synchronized swimming for Aruba in the 1984 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. “It’s wonderful to see the continued progress of the LA28 Games and especially terrific to witness the positive impact the Games can have on the community well before the Olympic flame ever reaches American soil. We have much to continue to plan and celebrate as we prepare to deliver the beauty and excitement of sport to the world. The confirmation of the Games dates now gives LA a firm deadline when it will need to be ready to welcome the world.”