Los Angeles Gears Up for the 2028 Olympics Following Paris 2024

Los Angeles Prepares for the 2028 Olympics Following Paris 2024

As the Paris 2024 Olympics concluded with a spectacular closing ceremony, the spotlight now shifts to Los Angeles, which is gearing up to host the Olympic Games in 2028. In a ceremonial handover, Mayor Karen Bass proudly accepted the Olympic flag during the festivities in Paris. The moment was made even more memorable with a thrilling pre-recorded segment featuring Hollywood icon Tom Cruise, who made a grand entrance via motorcycle, plane, and parachute, officially launching the four-year countdown to the Games.

This marks the third time Los Angeles will host the Summer Olympics, following the successful events in 1932 and 1984. This achievement places LA in an elite company, sharing the honor with only two other cities: London and Paris. Mayor Bass, who is set to return to Los Angeles on Monday, expressed her commitment to ensuring that the Olympics will bring transformative change to the vibrant Californian city, home to nearly 4 million residents.

“As we’ve seen here in Paris, the Olympics are an opportunity to make transformative change,” Bass remarked before the closing ceremony. “We want our games to be modern games, youthful, and full of the optimism that Southern California brings to the world and the globe,” added Janet Evans, a four-time Olympic gold medalist in swimming and the chief athlete officer for the LA 2028 organizing committee.

Major Public Transportation Plans Afoot

Amid an ongoing boom in stadiums and arenas, Los Angeles plans to focus on enhancing existing facilities rather than constructing new ones, a concept Evans refers to as “no-build games.” Following Paris’ innovative approach to its opening ceremony on the Seine River, Los Angeles intends to adopt a more traditional, stadium-based format, opening the Games at SoFi Stadium in nearby Inglewood and the historic Memorial Coliseum in the heart of the city.

Despite its reputation for challenging traffic, LA authorities have pledged that all Olympic venues will be accessible solely via public transportation. Mayor Bass aims to replicate the successful traffic strategies employed by Tom Bradley, LA’s mayor during the 1984 Olympics, which received praise for improving traffic flow beyond the Olympic period. Plans also include encouraging local businesses to stagger employee hours to minimize road congestion and allow for remote work during the 17-day event.

Securing the Olympics in 2017 under then-Mayor Eric Garcetti has afforded Los Angeles an extended timeframe for meticulous planning. While LA’s public transportation system may not rival Paris Metro, it has made progress since the last Olympics, with new subway lines connecting major venues.

In 2018, the city unveiled an ambitious slate of 28 bus and rail projects aimed at transforming public transit. Although some projects were scrapped, others advanced, including an extension of the subway line that will connect downtown Los Angeles to UCLA, which is set to host the Olympic Village. Another significant initiative is the Inglewood People Mover, an automated rail line with three stops near key Olympic venues. While it initially secured $1 billion in federal funding, opposition to the plans led to a 20% reduction in funding. The Los Angeles Times reports that the completion timeline for this line remains uncertain.

“The biggest challenge is not waiting until 2028, but really taking the opportunity between now and then to help Angelenos and visitors alike reimagine the transportation network as something that will be their first choice,” stated Stephanie Wiggins, CEO of LA’s Metro company.

Will the City of Angels Follow in the Footsteps of the City of Light?

However, emulating Paris’ success in 2028 presents its own set of challenges. Paris made remarkable use of its iconic cityscape during its first Games in a century, showcasing landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower as both stunning backdrops and venues for medal-winning performances.

Before the Summer Games in 2028, Los Angeles will also host a FIFA World Cup event, the US Women’s Open in 2026, and another Super Bowl in 2027. The city’s hotel industry continues to thrive, having added 9,000 new hotel rooms in the past four years, with more on the horizon for the next four years. Organizers for the LA 2028 Olympics are relying on a combination of ticket sales, sponsorships, payments from the International Olympic Committee, and other revenue streams to meet the Games’ budget of $6.9 billion. So far, the committee has raised just over €920 million towards its goal of €2 billion in domestic corporate sponsorships.