LA28: how the Games are adapting to what the city needs most

What makes LA28’s sports programme unique?

The line-up of sports on the programme reflects LA28’s unique approach. With 36 sports and 353 medal events, the LA28 Organising Committee added five sports that showcase the sports culture of LA, California and the United States: baseball/softball, lacrosse and cricket are returning to the Olympic programme, while flag football and squash are making their Olympic debuts.

For the first time in Olympic history, the women's football tournament will field more teams than the men's, following the International Olympic Committee (IOC)’s quota allocation.

How will LA28 use Los Angeles’ existing venues?

Most of the Olympic events will play out in venues that already exist, reinforcing LA28’s ambition to deliver Games based on radical reuse rather than new construction.

Iconic locations such as the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and the Rose Bowl will be hosting events at what will be their third Olympic Games, with the former hosting athletics as well as the Opening and Closing Ceremonies. Equestrian events will be returning to Santa Anita Park, one of the United States’ most historic horse racing venues, which hosted the sport at Los Angeles 1984.

How will LA28 create lower-impact Games?

The philosophy behind LA28 is set out in its 2025 Impact and Sustainability Plan, built on commitments that aim to expand access to economic empowerment, youth sports and a healthy environment, with a focus on topics like community business and procurement, accessible youth sports programming, radical reuse and resilience, among other topics.

A defining feature of the Games will be radical reuse: no new permanent venues will be built. Instead, organisers are prioritising existing infrastructure and temporary solutions.

Temporary venues are being designed to have a second life: at least 90 per cent of overlay materials will be reused or recycled, with a reuse and donation programme passing on materials to local organisations after the Games. Organisers have also committed to purchasing 100 per cent renewable electricity for all Olympic venues.

How will people move around Los Angeles during LA28?

LA28’s transport approach is centred around a transit-first strategy. The aim, set by the Games Mobility Executives (GME) group convened by LA28 and led by LA Metro (the LA County Metropolitan Transportation Authority), is for ticketed spectators to reach competition sites primarily by public transport, walking or cycling – with trains, buses and dedicated lanes replacing private cars.

To support this ambition, LA Metro is planning additional transport capacity, including thousands of extra buses from agencies across the United States, alongside park-and-ride facilities and mobility hubs connecting spectators with venues.

How is LA28 investing in Los Angeles’ resilience?

Resilience is the principle most shaped by the city itself.

LA28 is supporting this through its Resilience Champions initiative, investing in wildfire resilience, nature restoration, ocean protection and cooling solutions. This is particularly relevant in the context of LA’s recovery from the January 2025 wildfires, and as the city adapts to the environmental pressures Angelenos live with.

The first grants from LA28’s Resilience Champions Fund are supporting projects that respond to local needs, including:

• transforming a basketball court in Boyle Heights into a cooling community space with a cool surface and shaded seating;
• supporting wildfire risk reduction work in the Sepulveda Basin, close to future Olympic venues;
• planting a native micro-forest near the Olympic Village to help cool the area and restore native habitats.

A series of volunteer opportunities across the LA region, set up as part of the LA28 Volunteer Programme, is also creating meaningful ways for Angelenos to give back, strengthen community connections and build momentum towards the LA28 Games. Since December 2025, LA28 has hosted 25 volunteer events with local non-profits, including beach and trail clean-ups, habitat restoration and food-packing initiatives. These opportunities will continue to expand in collaboration with LA Works, the city’s leading platform connecting Angelenos with non-profit and community-based service projects.

How will LA28 boost local sport and the economy?

The LA28 legacy is already taking shape on playing fields across the city. PlayLA, run with the City of Los Angeles, has opened Olympic and Paralympic sport to children who might never have tried it otherwise.

The programme has reached over a million enrolments across more than 40 sports, from athletics and swimming to flag football, judo and Para surfing. The IOC and LA28 are backing the programme with up to USD 160 million. With LA preparing to host its first Paralympic Games, the programme's adaptive classes carry particular weight, reaching children of all abilities well before the world arrives.

The economic ambition is just as deliberate: LA28 aims to direct three-quarters of its addressable spending to Greater LA businesses, including a quarter to small businesses, with an early forecast published so local firms can prepare.

Two years out, the foundations are in place. By the time the world arrives, LA28 is intending for its mark to be visible across the communities that are hosting the Games – and for it to remain there long after the Closing Ceremony.