A look ahead to the LA28 Olympics: Five reasons to get excited for the Olympic Games returning to the City of Angels
While there’s still 1,285 days to go until the third visit of the Olympic Games to the City of Angels, it’s never too early to look ahead with anticipation at what’s to come.
The start of the calendar year is always a time for celebration and reflection of the year gone by - replaying cherished memories in our minds and re-living the emotional highs and lows of one revolution around the sun. However, it’s also a time to look towards the future with a strong sense of excitement and anticipation. Where better to start than the Olympic Games LA28?
From frolicking on the iconic sun-baked beaches of Southern California, to competing in the shadow of the world-famous Hollywood sign, there’ll certainly be no shortage of spectacular settings for competition and leisure at the Olympic Games LA 2028.
As the next chapter of sport’s greatest summer multi-sport competition, LA28 is sure to enjoy the full Tinseltown treatment, complete with glitz, glamour and grandeur. Expect breathtaking athletic performances, unmissable viral moments and an unbeatable atmosphere as the world’s best athletes descend on the city of stars, angels and - for 17 days in 2028 - sporting gladiators.
Read on to discover more about the Olympic Games LA 2028, including five exciting reasons everyone should be counting down the days to the start of competition in the City of Angels.
Iconic venues and state-of-the-art facilities ready to welcome athletes
Location, as proved by the powerful images created during the Olympic Games Paris 2024, help set the tone for a splendid celebration of sport. In fact, no summer blockbuster of any kind would be complete without an ideal setting. Thankfully, Los Angeles will be more than ready to dazzle athletes, spectators and television viewers alike, with a host of iconic, historic and state-of-the-art venues slated to stage competitions during the Olympic Games LA28.
Of course, no venue stands out more than the storied LA Memorial Coliseum. Built as a living memorial to those who served in the United States military during World War I, the stadium has twice hosted athletics during the Olympic Games Los Angeles 1932 and Olympic Games Los Angeles 1984.
Reprising its role as the host of athletics competitions, the LA Memorial Coliseum will be front-and-center once more during LA28. However, it won’t be the only historic venue returning to action during the XXXIV Olympiad, with both the Long Beach Marine Stadium and 1932 Pool in Exhibition Park set to host Olympic competitions in rowing, canoe sprint and diving.
While it’s tough to beat the weathered facades and hallowed halls of the prior three venues, Los Angeles will do its best with a handful of modern venues designed to create unparalleled spectator and athlete experiences. From swimming at the Inglewood Stadium, to rugby sevens at the Carson Stadium, there’ll be no shortage of striking venues in which athletes will hope to make history during the Olympic Games LA 2028.
The excitement won’t be limited to Los Angeles either, with Temecula, California set to host equestrian events and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma primed to welcome the world best’s canoe slalom athletes and softball players to a pair of world-class facilities located in central US.
With a backdrop of welcoming beaches, bustling urban centers and the towering mountains, LA28 will certainly be good for a stunning postcard picture, or two, as well.
New sports set to shine at LA28
Like any good film or television reboot, LA28 will have a handful of new twists to keep spectators and viewers engaged during competitions. Among those innovations is the inclusion of five additional sports on the Olympic programme.
The sports selected include: baseball-softball, cricket (T20), lacrosse (sixes), flag football and squash.
Each sport was selected to reflect the diversity, optimism and creativity of Los Angeles, with LA28 Chairperson Casey Wasserman noting, “They’re relevant, innovative and community-based, played in backyards, schoolyards, community centers, stadiums and parks across the U.S. and the globe.”
Baseball-softball is set to return to the Olympic Games after a short hiatus between the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 and Olympic Games LA28, with cricket and lacrosse also set to return to the Olympic Games after 128 and 120 year absences, respectively.
Flag football, which emphasizes speed, skill and physicality in a condensed version of American football, will make its debut at the Olympic Games, alongside the racket sport of squash, which featured as a demonstration sport at the Youth Olympic Games Buenos Aires 2018.
Paired with established Olympic sports like athletics, swimming, artistic gymnastics, football and tennis, the five additional sports should round out a mouthwatering buffet of compelling competition at the Olympic Games LA 2028.
Enough “star” power to make Hollywood envious
If the stunning geography of Los Angeles and wide selection of sports hasn’t made the hype train leave the station just yet, then Los Angeles' reputation as the “City of Stars” will almost certainly move the needle.
While the glamorous moniker usually applies to the high concentration of film, television and music industry stars that live and work in Los Angeles, the term might take on a dual meaning during the Olympic Games LA28.
With Olympic celebrities like Leon Marchand, Katie Ledecky, Summer McIntosh, Noah Lyles, Julien Alfred, Armand Duplantis, Neeraj Chopra and Yingsha Sun all aiming for gold, LA28 might be a real who’s who of Olympic champions and everyday celebrities.
This unique mix was already teased at the Olympic Games Paris 2024, with celebrities like Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo and Lady Gaga spotted cheering on Simone Biles. Not to mention the joyous presence of Team USA’s biggest fan - Snoop Dog - at numerous competitions.
LA28’s handover segment during the Paris 2024 closing ceremony provided an even greater tease of the grandeur to come with performances by H.E.R., Billie Eilish, and the Red Hot Chili Peppers, plus a cameo by movie icon Tom Cruise.
Of course, there’s still a large chunk of time between now and the start of the Olympic Games LA28, but Los Angeles is a city of dreamers, so why not start by dreaming big and imagining the city full of sports and entertainment stars in just more than three years' time.
LA28 will be “A” story to remember
Globally, Los Angeles might best be known for its endless suburban sprawl or highly successful entertainment industry, but the city is more than just one identity - a reality reflected by the bold and dynamic emblem of the Olympic Games LA28.
Unlike past editions of the Olympic Games, which featured static emblems with a single memorable design, LA28 has embraced the diversity and creativity of Los Angeles, adopting an ever-evolving emblem made up of three static characters and an interchangeable “A.”
Designed by athletes, artists, influencers, and other notable personalities, a multitude of uniquely individual “A’s” provide the community with a platform for self-expression and inclusion within the traditionally rigid confines of Olympic emblem design.
Jagger Eaton, Kate Courtney, Chloe Kim, Michael Johnson and Anderson.Paak are among those with “A’s” featured on the LA28 emblem, with new designs being added at a steady rate.
The emblem has already begun to add an undeniable flair to the Olympic Games LA28 - one that will define a unique era for both Los Angeles and the Olympic Games.
The downtown skyline is viewed during a clearing storm on January 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California.
What’s better than a stunning sunset to set the mood?
If, for whatever reason, you’ve remained unenthused by the prior four reasons to get excited about the Olympic Games LA28, perhaps our final reason can motivate you to set a personal countdown clock ahead of the opening ceremony in July 2028.
It’s a simple as it gets too: Los Angeles has incredible sunsets that you won’t want to miss during the Olympic Games LA28.
Remember the tinkling Eiffel Tower looming large over the beach volleyball court in the evening hours of Paris 2024? Well, imagine the sky turning blue, then orange, before shifting to a fiery red, and finally changing to calming purple against the backdrop of sandy beaches, towering skyscrapers and majestic mountains, all while the world’s best athletes battle for the greatest prize in sport: an Olympic gold medal.
We might be biased, but that seems like a hard image to forget. With any luck, it’ll be on replay for 17 glorious days of competition from 14-30 July 2028.