Some major 2028 LA Olympics events should move to different venues, report says
A report recommending changes to venues that will host the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles — a move officials said will increase sales and lower potential risk for the city — is headed to the Los Angeles City Council Thursday for review and approval.
On Wednesday, the seven-member Ad Hoc Committee on the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games approved amendments to the venue plan and called for an economic analysis of the proposed changes.
Council members also requested LA28, the private organization responsible for the games, to conduct an independent economic study, which will examine proposed venue changes, added sports and lessons learned from the 2024 Paris Games.
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The report will be submitted to the City Council no later than June 30.
In 2017, the City Council approved the current venue plan for the 2028 Games when it made its bid to host the event in 2024.
The revised venue plan was released during the summer. Any changes to the plan require consent by the city.
Some of the adjustments would move basketball to the Intuit Dome, Olympic swimming to SoFi Stadium and gymnastics to the Crypto.com Arena.
“The (Crypto.com) Arena in downtown Los Angeles offers more seats with more hospitality facilities for more spectators to watch one of the more marquee sports of the Games,” according to a joint report from the City Administrative Office and Chief Legislative Analyst.
The San Fernando Valley is expected to host multiple events — a first for Los Angeles, which hosted the Summer Games in 1932 and 1984. Under the updated plan, the Sepulveda Basin will host modern pentathlon, BMX, skateboarding and 3×3 basketball.
Some events will not be in the city, such as canoe slalom which will be in Oklahoma City, equestrian to Temecula and para shooting to a venue outside of the city that has yet to be decided on.
Additionally, BMO Stadium will host flag football and lacrosse, and volleyball would move from Pauley Pavilion to Long Beach.
The 2028 Games will debut flag football, squash and cricket. Squash and cricket have yet to be placed into venues. Preliminary soccer rounds will be played in stadiums throughout the county, but a venue for the final has yet to be determined. Similarly, a location for baseball is still in the works.
Softball will be played in Oklahoma City.
LA28 and city officials have stated the Olympics will be “no-build,” meaning they would utilize existing venues to host games.
With the updated venue plan, city officials estimate it will gain $162 million in combined revenue increases and cost reductions.
The CAO and CLA’s report estimated that ticket sales would decrease by 5% because they anticipate more tickets will be sold outside of the state.
LA28 is expected to pay for the Olympics through ticket sales, corporate sponsorship, merchandise and contributions from the International Olympic Committee.
According to Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson, the city is on the hook for $270 million if LA28 and the city suffers a loss due to the games. Some of the debt would be paid by the state, but ultimately it would be in the hands of L.A.
“We absolutely cannot afford that under any circumstance,” Harris-Dawson said Wednesday. “We can’t even afford half of that, much less the full strength.”
“So we have to make sure this is done and done right — and done in a way like 1984, where the city of L.A. is left with assets as a result of the Summer Games, as opposed to debt,” he added.
The L.A. City Council is expected to vote on the updated venue plan Friday. The International Olympic Committee executive board is scheduled to confirm the final plan April 9.