It doesn’t matter where you’re from, what language you speak or how many Simone Biles gymnastics moves you can name: excitement surrounding the Olympic Games is universal.
Every four years, billions of people tune in as international champions compete in drama-drenched sporting events. The stakes are high. Many events are excitingly unfamiliar. (Dressage, anyone?) Athletes’ skills are unmatched.
And the only thing better than catching the games on screen is cheering the competitors on in person.
If the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris piqued your interest, it’s not too early to turn your focus to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, which will take over Southern California from July 14 to July 30, followed by the Paralympics in August.
“Continuing to build on the momentum of the Paris games, Los Angeles will become just the third city in history – and first in the US – to host the games a record three times, joining Paris and London on the medal stand,” said Adam Burke, president and CEO of Los Angeles Tourism, in a statement provided to Lonely Planet.
The massive event – officially called the Games of the XXXIV Olympiad, or LA28 – will showcase over 50 Olympic and Paralympic sports at 80-plus venues – adding up to over 3000 hours of entertainment, according to the official website. This offers spectators plenty of opportunities to participate (at least from the stands).
Here’s everything you need to know about planning an Olympics adventure in 2028.
Where will the 2028 Summer Olympics take place?
Athletes will go for gold at venues spanning 1500 miles across the USA, many competing at history-making arenas throughout Los Angeles. The LA Memorial Coliseum, epicenter of the Olympics of 1932 and 1984, will become the first venue to host both the opening ceremony and track-and-field events for three sets of summer games. The 38,000-seat SoFi Stadium will become the largest venue to host swimming in the games’ history. Skateboarding, BMX freestyling and more will roll through the Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area – expanding the games’ reach to California’s San Fernando Valley. Gymnastics will leap through Downtown LA’s Crypto.com Arena. Sailing and rowing will glide across water 20 miles south of LA in Long Beach; equestrians will trot 80 miles southeast, in Temecula.
Softball and canoe slalom will take place in Oklahoma City, two time zones east of California, due to a lack of existing LA venues. The decision highlights the International Olympic Committee’s sustainability initiatives, supporting the use of existing infrastructure over costly, splashy and unnecessary new construction.
When and where can I buy tickets?
Hold your horses: seats won’t go on sale for several years. (Ticket sales for the 2024 Paris Olympics didn’t go live until May 2023, a little over a year before the games.) Sign up for the LA28 newsletter for the latest updates.
But don’t worry – if 2028 trends follow 2024’s ticket sales, you might not need lightning-rod speed to score seats. Although the 2024 Paris Olympics sold a record-breaking 8.7 million-plus advance tickets, over one million tickets for various events remained unsold just one day before the opening ceremony.
What can I do now to prepare for travel?
1. Start pulling together the necessary travel documents. Unless you’re a US citizen, you must have an up-to-date passport valid for six months after any intended travel to the states – meaning your passport shouldn’t expire until January 2029 (six months after the July 2028 games).
Foreign visitors should also check their nation’s visa requirements. Most travelers outside the US must submit an Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) application for entry. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recommends applying at least 72 hours before travel; approved applications are usually valid for up to two years.
2. Research viewing destinations. Plan your trip around ceremonies or events you’re most excited to see. While most of the competition will play out in Los Angeles, plenty of action will take place farther afield. Oklahoma City is a 3-plus-hour plane ride east of LA, so if you’re supercharged about seeing softball, center your trip around OKC. Anyone dead-set on seeing equestrian events should know it takes over an hour to reach Temecula from LA – and an equal amount of time to drive from San Diego, where LA28 crowds will likely be thinner.
3. Consider your budget and start saving money. Tickets in Paris ranged from below €50 to over €2000, with the average international spectator spending, according to Time, around $5000 on their entire trip, including airfare, lodging and tickets. Additional expenses include car rentals, food and any non-Olympics excursions – perhaps visiting LA’s mountaintop Getty Center, surfing in sandy Malibu or taking a California coast road trip from LA to San Francisco.
4. Pull up your 2028 calendar and set some reminders. Start securing lodging and airplane tickets roughly 330 days before the events (around August 2027) – when most US airlines open their booking window. Once the games are a few months away (around March 2028), make reservations at your must-see spots throughout LA. The competition for space at the best hotels, restaurants and museum exhibitions will be nearly as fierce as for the 100m dash.
I can’t wait until 2028 for another Olympics. What can I do to scratch the itch?
Olympics-class athletes compete at events throughout the year, and traveling to see them in action is a fantastic way to explore the world. Partial to pommel-horse routines? Fly to Jakarta, Indonesia for the 2025 World Gymnastics Championships. Cuckoo for aquatics? Book tickets to Singapore, where swimmers and divers will compete in next year’s World Aquatics Championships. Tickled by tennis? The annual US Open in New York City is a late-summer must.
If you’re hyped about LA, consider scoping out the sporting scene before 2028. Adam Burke of Los Angeles Tourism is excited about the upcoming FIFA World Cup, NBA All-Star Game, 2026 US Women’s Open Championship and Super Bowl LXI in 2027. “And with 11 professional sports teams – the most in the United States – and some of the world’s most iconic sports and entertainment venues, there’s literally something for every sports fan in LA year-round,” he says.
As for the next Olympics, they’re only two years away. The 2026 winter Olympics and Paralympics will zoom across Italy’s ice and snow in Milan and at ritzy sky resort Cortina d’Ampezzo. Register on the official website’s ticketing platform to secure seats once they’re available.