Since the time of the LA28 Olympic Games announcements on its 2017 Olympic bid plan, there have been several changes to the venues to reduce costs and for a variety of other reasons.
Triathlon
The LA28 Olympic triathlon events (men’s, women’s, and mixed relay) have changed locations from Long Beach to Venice Beach. The updated venue plans for the LA28 Paralympic triathlon are still to be announced. The same location has been updated to include the start of the road cycling races and start of the running marathons.
Surfing
The LA28 Olympic surfing events, featuring 24 men and 24 women, have changed locations from Huntington Beach to Lower Trestles in San Clemente.
Pool Swimming
Pool swimming events relocated from a planned temporary stadium at USC’s Dedeaux Field to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood.
Softball & Canoe Slalom
Moved from Southern California to Oklahoma as no suitable existing local venues could meet the requirements without expensive new construction.
Beach Volleyball
Moved from Santa Monica Beach to Alamitos Beach in Long Beach.
Indoor Volleyball
Relocated from UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion to the Honda Center in Anaheim.
Rowing and Canoe Sprint
Relocated from the Lake Perris State Recreation Area in Riverside County to Marine Stadium in Long Beach.
Equestrian
Moved from Galway Downs in Temecula to the Santa Anita Park in Arcadia.
Opening Ceremony
LA28 is planning a dual-venue opening ceremony that includes both the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium on July 14th 2028.
Sailing
Long Beach may lose its host role for the sailing competitions [see illustration above of the Belmont Shore Zone]. The Los Angeles City Council voted to shift sailing events from Long Beach’s Belmont Veterans Memorial Pier to San Pedro’s Port of Los Angeles, although the final decision remains undecided.
Open Water Swimming
While no venue changes have been announced for the Olympic open water swimming races, the exact course design and location is a closely guarded secret.
A total of 22 open water swimmers are allocated for the women’s race on July 17th and 22 open water swimmers for the men’s race on July 18th.
There have similarly been no decisions or announcements regarding a possible test event in 2026, 2027, or 2028.
Open Water Swimming Qualification Procedures
Qualification for open water swimming involves two opportunities. Qualification begins at the 2027 World Aquatics Championships in Budapest, Hungary where the top three men and top three women in the 10 km event will automatically qualify for the LA28 Games. An additional, highest-ranked man and woman will automatically qualify through the World Aquatics Open Water Swimming World Rankings. USA will receive the automatic host country spots.
The remaining quota places will be determined at the second opportunity: the LA28 Open Water Qualification Event. The host location and dates for this spring 2028 event is yet to be confirmed.
As in 2024 Paris Olympics, the field may expand from the allocated 44 spots to include pool swimmers who qualify for LA28 in the 800m or 1500m freestyle.
The Olympic Qualification System Principles for Open Water Swimming are posted here.
Number of Anticipated Visitors
In comparison to the biggest sporting event on the American calendar – the NFL’s Super Bowl – the LA28 Olympics is anticipated to receive the visitor equivalent of 7 Super Bowls per day for the 16 days of the Olympics and the equivalent of 5 Super Bowls per day for the 12 days of the Paralympics.
For example, there were approximately 69,000 room nights that are contracted by the NFL for a 2026 Super Bowl, but there are over 1,000,000 room nights that are currently contracted by LA28 – representing over 80% of the available hotel rooms throughout Southern California.
LA28 will be massive.
The City of Long Beach
Long Beach will stage 11 Olympic sporting events, including the 10 km open water swim, in 4 distinct zones with 161 ticketed events to occur spanning 17 of the 19 days of the Olympic Games. This will include 35 final matches, games, or races.
National Special Security Event
The LA28 Games are designated as a National Special Security Event – meaning that the Secret Service is the lead federal agency for operational security, supported by the FBI (for intelligence and counterterrorism) and FEMA (for emergency preparedness and recovery). This designation ensures federal, state, and local coordination for planning, resource sharing, and response.
For the City of Long Beach, this means close collaboration with the U.S. Secret Service as security perimeters are being finalized. So, for example as it relates to the Olympic 10 km open water swim, the Belmont Shore Pier presents various security concerns so the Secret Service will provide direction to the LA28 Organizing Committee to help balance safety, public and athlete access, and impact to the local community.
So the marathon swimmers – and other athletes and coaches – will wait on the decisions made by the Secret Service that will make the final determination of all security perimeters while City officials focus on coordination and keeping the local community and athletic community informed of those decisions. Special Agent in Charge Brian Lewin of the Secret Service said, “The security planning for the 2028 Olympics and Paralympic Games will be a huge undertaking that will require close coordination between law enforcement and public safety partners at all levels. We are working diligently to ensure the Games will be secure for all athletes, attendees, and the public.”
Updated Information
For updated information on the Olympic and Paralympic events in Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/2028games.
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