Contents of this guide
Dates and figures of the Games
The Games of the XXXIV Olympiad will be held in Los Angeles from Friday 14 to Sunday 30 July 2028, with the opening and closing ceremonies shared between the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium. The Paralympic Games will follow from 15 to 27 August. The organising committee, LA28, published the full competition schedule in 2025 and confirmed a programme of 353 medal events, the largest in Olympic history.
14 to 30 July 2028
Sixteen days of competition in the height of the Californian summer, with the Paralympics from 15 to 27 August.
353 medal events
A record Olympic programme, with 36 sports counting the five added by the organisers.
49 venues
Spread across Los Angeles, the San Fernando Valley, Long Beach, Carson, Pomona and Oklahoma City for softball and canoe slalom.
No new stadiums
LA28’s model is to use existing facilities, mostly belonging to professional teams and universities, to contain costs.
The five new or returning sports
The International Olympic Committee approved in October 2023, at its session in Mumbai, LA28’s proposal to add five sports to the programme: two making their debut and three returning after decades of absence. The choice responds to the US audience (flag football and baseball) and to the fastest-growing markets of the Olympic movement (cricket, with more than a billion followers in South Asia).
| Sport | Status | Format in 2028 | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cricket | Returns; contested only at Paris 1900 | T20, men’s and women’s tournaments of six teams | Fairgrounds Cricket Stadium, Pomona |
| Flag football | Olympic debut | Five-a-side, men’s and women’s tournaments of six teams | BMO Stadium, Los Angeles |
| Squash | Olympic debut | Men’s and women’s singles tournaments | Universal Studios Lot, Universal City, 15 to 24 July |
| Lacrosse | Returns; medals in 1904 and 1908 | Sixes format, six teams per gender | Exposition Park Stadium |
| Baseball and softball | Return after Tokyo 2020 | Men’s baseball with six teams; women’s softball | Dodger Stadium (baseball) and Oklahoma City (softball) |
The venues: stadiums already built
LA28 organises the competitions in four main zones: downtown Los Angeles and Exposition Park, the San Fernando Valley, the Long Beach area and the Carson complex, plus one-off venues such as Pomona, Universal City and even Oklahoma City, more than 2,000 kilometres away, for softball and canoe slalom. All the main facilities already exist and belong to professional teams or universities.
| Venue | Usual use | Sports in 2028 |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum | Olympic stadium of 1932 and 1984; college football (USC) | Shared opening ceremony and athletics |
| SoFi Stadium (Inglewood) | NFL Rams and Chargers | Shared opening ceremony and swimming |
| Crypto.com Arena | Lakers and Kings | Artistic gymnastics |
| Intuit Dome (Inglewood) | NBA Clippers | Basketball |
| Dodger Stadium | MLB Dodgers | Baseball |
| Rose Bowl (Pasadena) | College football | Football |
| Long Beach | Port and beach | Sailing, triathlon, open water swimming, handball |
| Dignity Health Sports Park (Carson) | MLS LA Galaxy | Rugby sevens, tennis, track cycling |
Los Angeles, three-time Olympic host
Los Angeles will become the third city to host three editions of the Summer Games, after London (1908, 1948 and 2012) and Paris (1900, 1924 and 2024). The 1932 Games were held in the depths of the Great Depression and introduced the Olympic village and the three-tier podium. The 1984 Games, boycotted by the Soviet Union, were the first financed almost entirely with private capital and closed with a surplus, a model LA28 applies again with a budget the organisation puts at around 7 billion dollars, with no construction of permanent venues.
Panama at the Olympic Games
Panama made its debut at Amsterdam 1928 and has taken part in 19 summer editions, never in winter. It has four medals: two bronzes for Lloyd LaBeach in the 100 and 200 metres at London 1948, Irving Saladino’s gold in the long jump at Beijing 2008 with 8.34 metres, and boxer Atheyna Bylon’s silver in the 75 kg at Paris 2024, the first Olympic medal for a Panamanian woman.
| Athlete | Games | Event | Medal |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lloyd LaBeach | London 1948 | 100 metres | Bronze |
| Lloyd LaBeach | London 1948 | 200 metres | Bronze |
| Irving Saladino | Beijing 2008 | Long jump | Gold |
| Atheyna Bylon | Paris 2024 | Boxing, 75 kg | Silver |
Eight athletes travelled to Paris 2024: Atheyna Bylon (boxing), Gianna Woodruff and Arturo Deliser (athletics), Emily Santos and Tyler Christianson (swimming), Hillary Heron (gymnastics), Kristine Jiménez (judo) and Franklin Archibold (cycling). Woodruff and Bylon had already achieved at Tokyo 2020 Panama’s first two Olympic diplomas in a single edition. For 2028 the Panama Olympic Committee points to athletics, boxing, swimming and judo as the disciplines with the best chances of qualifying, and baseball, a sport with deep roots in the country, reopens a team route.
The business behind Games with no construction
The Los Angeles model is of interest to any city aspiring to a major event: no new stadiums, venues lent by professional teams, an Olympic village in UCLA student residences and private financing through sponsorships, tickets and television rights. It is the opposite path to Rio 2016 or Athens 2004, whose facilities were left unused. For regional tourism, Games on the US west coast, with direct flights from Tocumen, are an opportunity for Panamanian operators selling packages, as already happens with other major events that feed the country’s tourism growth.
Frequently asked questions about Los Angeles 2028
When are the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games?
From 14 to 30 July 2028. The Paralympic Games are held from 15 to 27 August 2028.
Which new sports will there be in 2028?
Flag football and squash make their debut, and cricket (T20 format), lacrosse (Sixes format) and baseball and softball return.
How many events and venues will the Games have?
353 medal events, a record, at 49 competition venues spread across the Los Angeles area and some outside California, such as Oklahoma City.
Where will the opening ceremony be?
It will be shared between the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, stadium of the 1932 and 1984 Games, and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Will NFL players play in Olympic flag football?
The NFL has confirmed it will allow its players to take part. The tournament will be played five-a-side with six teams per gender.
How many times has Los Angeles hosted the Games?
This will be the third, after 1932 and 1984. Only London and Paris have hosted three summer editions.
How many Olympic medals does Panama have?
Four: two bronzes for Lloyd LaBeach in 1948, Irving Saladino’s gold in 2008 and Atheyna Bylon’s silver in 2024.
Will new stadiums be built for 2028?
No. LA28 uses existing venues of professional teams and universities, and houses athletes in UCLA residences, following the private financing model of 1984.
Sources
- Full list of Olympic sports for the LA28 Games, LA28.
- LA28 reveals comprehensive Olympic competition schedule, LA28.
- LA28 Olympic sport program, LA28.
- What are the new sports and events at LA28, International Olympic Committee.
- 2028 Los Angeles Olympics: what’s new, NBC Sports.
- La historia de Panamá en los Juegos Olímpicos, Olympics.com.
- History of the Panama Olympic Committee.
- Panamá y su trayectoria en Juegos Olímpicos, La Prensa.
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