Ticket prices for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games are projected to range from affordable entry-level options starting at $24 to $35 for preliminary sessions up to $1,500 to $2,500+ for premium seats at high-demand events and the Opening Ceremony. Official tickets will be distributed through the official LA28 Organising Committee website, with primary ticketing operations supported by official ticketing providers AXS and SeatGeek, and hospitality travel packages delivered exclusively by On Location.
Understanding the LA28 Ticket Pricing Structure
Pricing for the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles (LA28) is designed around a multi-tiered seating system created to balance accessibility for local communities with revenue generation from high-demand marquee sessions. Following models refined during recent Olympic Games, tickets are categorized primarily by seating location, sport popularity, and the competition stage—ranging from early preliminary rounds to gold medal matches.
Seating Categories (Categories A through D)
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) and the LA28 Organising Committee organize venue seating into distinct price categories:
- Category A: Prime seating locations offering the best unobstructed views, typically located along the mid-court, finish lines, or lower-bowl stadium centerlines. These command the highest standard retail price.
- Category B: Quality upper-lower bowl or lower-upper bowl seats offering excellent sightlines with slightly broader viewing angles.
- Category C: Standard upper-tier seating providing complete views of the field of play, situated further from the action.
- Category D (and E where applicable): Baseline entry-level tickets, often located in higher stadium tiers or end-zone sections. These are specifically priced to keep the Games accessible to budget-conscious spectators and local residents.
For outdoor or temporary urban venues—such as street skateboarding at Exposition Park or beach volleyball on the California coast—standing-room general admission passes may serve as Category D equivalents at lower price points.
- Stadium Seating Layout:
- Category D
- Category C
- Category B
- Category A
- Field of Play
- Category A
- Category B
- Category C
- Category D
Projected Price Tiers by Sport and Event Type
While exact individual session prices fluctuate based on real-time inventory release and inflation-adjusted baseline targets set by the organizing committee, historical pricing models and host city commitments establish realistic price ranges across major sports categories.
Opening and Closing Ceremonies
The LA28 Opening Ceremony will feature an unprecedented dual-venue format utilizing both the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. Because of high global demand and limited seating relative to international interest, ceremony tickets represent the upper pricing boundary for the Games.
- Category D (Upper Tier / Alternate Screen Views): $200 – $400
- Category C: $500 – $900
- Category B: $1,000 – $1,800
- Category A (Prime Bowl Seating): $2,000 – $2,800+
High-Demand Marquee Finals
Events featuring world-renowned athletes or traditional Olympic headliners—such as Gymnastics (Artistic), Swimming, Track & Field (Athletics), Basketball, and Diving—fetch premium prices during medal sessions.
- Preliminary Rounds: $50 – $175 (Category D/C) | $150 – $350 (Category B/A)
- Semifinals & Medal Finals: $150 – $450 (Category D/C) | $500 – $1,250+ (Category B/A)
Popular Team and Olympic Mainstay Events
Sports with large venue capacities or multiple group-stage matches—such as Soccer (Football), Volleyball, Water Polo, Tennis, and Baseball/Softball—offer a wider distribution of mid-range pricing.
- Preliminary / Group Stage: $30 – $90 (Category D/C) | $100 – $220 (Category B/A)
- Finals & Championship Matches: $100 – $275 (Category D/C) | $300 – $750 (Category B/A)
Accessible and High-Capacity Urban Sports
To ensure community engagement, entry-level pricing for high-capacity or non-traditional sports—including Archery, Badminton, Canoe/Kayak, Equestrian, Fencing, Rowing, Shooting, Table Tennis, and Weightlifting—is anchored at accessible baseline costs.
- Preliminary Sessions: $24 – $60
- Final Sessions: $75 – $250
LA28 Ticket Price Comparison by Sport & Category
The table below outlines estimated face-value ticket prices (in USD) across major Olympic event tiers. These estimates reflect standard single-session general tickets prior to ticketing service fees or hospitality upgrades.
| Event Category / Sport | Preliminary (Cat C/D) | Preliminary (Cat A/B) | Finals / Medals (Cat C/D) | Finals / Medals (Cat A/B) | Top Venue Location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opening Ceremony | $200 – $400 | $1,000 – $1,800 | N/A | $2,000 – $2,800+ | LA Coliseum & SoFi Stadium |
| Athletics (Track & Field) | $45 – $110 | $140 – $320 | $160 – $450 | $550 – $1,100 | LA Memorial Coliseum |
| Swimming & Diving | $60 – $130 | $180 – $380 | $200 – $500 | $600 – $1,300 | Daskalakis / Temporary Pools |
| Gymnastics (Artistic) | $55 – $125 | $160 – $350 | $180 – $480 | $550 – $1,200 | Crypto.com Arena |
| Basketball | $50 – $120 | $150 – $330 | $175 – $450 | $500 – $1,250 | Intuit Dome (Inglewood) |
| Soccer (Group to Finals) | $30 – $75 | $85 – $180 | $90 – $220 | $250 – $650 | Rose Bowl / Regional Venues |
| Beach Volleyball | $40 – $90 | $110 – $230 | $120 – $280 | $320 – $700 | Santa Monica / Coastal Zone |
| Baseball & Softball | $35 – $80 | $90 – $200 | $100 – $240 | $280 – $600 | Dodger Stadium / OKC |
| Urban Sports (Skate/BMX) | $25 – $65 | $75 – $150 | $70 – $160 | $180 – $400 | Exposition Park |
| Closing Ceremony | $150 – $350 | $750 – $1,400 | N/A | $1,500 – $2,200 | LA Memorial Coliseum |
Official Ticketing Partners and Sales Channels
To prevent fraudulent ticket sales and unauthorized scalping, the IOC and LA28 maintain strict distribution channels. All official sales are managed through designated platforms.
Authorized Ticketing Platforms: AXS and SeatGeek
In a departure from traditional single-vendor ticketing models used in past Olympic Games, LA28 partnered with AXS and SeatGeek to manage primary software infrastructure and secondary ticket marketplace integration.
- Primary Distribution: Spectators will register their personal accounts through the official LA28 Ticketing Portal. Ticket allocations, queue management, and digital delivery will utilize modern encrypted mobile ticket passes integrated with AXS and SeatGeek applications.
- Digital Delivery: Physical paper tickets are being phased out in favor of rotating dynamic QR code technology inside authorized mobile wallets to eliminate counterfeit tickets.
Official Hospitality Packages: On Location
For fans seeking premium seating combined with travel services, On Location serves as the exclusive official hospitality provider for the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Hospitality packages offer guaranteed high-tier tickets bundled with:
- In-venue luxury suite or lounge access with catered food and beverage.
- Curated multi-day hotel accommodations across Greater Los Angeles.
- Dedicated ground transportation and dedicated entry gates at major venues.
- Exclusive athlete meet-and-greet access and commemorative gifts.
Note: Hospitality packages operate on a separate pricing structure, starting from around $750 per person for single-session lounge access to over $10,000+ per package for multi-day luxury experiences.
- LA28 Official Site
- Standard Tickets (AXS / SeatGeek)
- Standard Seating
- Accessible Seating
- Hospitality Packages (On Location)
- Multi-Day Bundles
- In-Venue Suites
- Standard Tickets (AXS / SeatGeek)
The LA28 Ticket Sales Schedule and Phased Rollout
Olympic ticket sales do not launch all at once. Instead, organizers release tickets in structured phases over an 18-to-24-month period leading up to the Opening Ceremony on July 14, 2028.
Phase 1: Registration and Ticket Lotteries (Late 2026 – Early 2027)
To manage global demand fairly, standard single-session tickets are initially sold via a random draw lottery system:
- Account Registration: Fans register an official account on LA28.org, specifying sport preferences and contact information.
- Lottery Selection: Registered users are drawn at random and assigned specific 48-hour purchasing windows.
- Make-Your-Pack & Single Ticket Sales: Selected applicants enter the portal during their designated window to purchase custom multi-ticket packages or individual event tickets from available inventory.
Phase 2: First-Come, First-Served Open Sales (Late 2027)
Following the conclusion of lottery phases, remaining unallocated ticket inventories drop for open public purchase worldwide. During this phase, fans do not need a lottery draw time slot to select and buy tickets.
Phase 3: Official Ticket Resale Platform (2028)
Fans who can no longer attend sessions they purchased can list their tickets on the official LA28 Ticket Resale Platform.
- Cap on Resale Prices: Unlike unregulated third-party ticket websites, the official resale platform caps prices at face value (plus minimal standardized handling fees) to protect consumers from excessive markup.
- Verification: Tickets sold through the official resale exchange are automatically invalidated for the seller and reissued to the buyer within the primary mobile ticketing system.
Key Factors Influencing Total Attendance Costs
When budgeting for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, ticket face values represent only one part of the total spectator expense. Visitors should account for several secondary cost elements unique to the Los Angeles metropolitan area.
1. California Sales Tax and Ticketing Service Fees
Standard ticket transactions in California incur state and local sales taxes, alongside mandatory ticketing processing fees. A ticket listed at a face value of $100 may carry a final checkout cost between $115 and $125 once administrative, facility, and processing fees are calculated.
2. Regional Transportation Infrastructure
Venues for LA28 are spread across distinct geographic clusters throughout Southern California—including Downtown Los Angeles, Inglewood, Long Beach, the San Fernando Valley, and even Oklahoma City (for Softball and Canoe Slalom).
- Public Transit Integration: Los Angeles Metro and regional transit agencies plan dedicated express transit lines for ticket holders. Spectators should factor day passes ($5–$10/day) into their event planning.
- Rideshare & Parking Surges: Parking availability directly adjacent to venues like SoFi Stadium or the Rose Bowl will be strictly limited and require advance reservation, often exceeding $50–$100 per event for private passenger vehicle parking passes.
3. Paralympic Games Price Differential
The 2028 Summer Paralympics take place shortly after the Olympic Games, running from August 15 to August 27, 2028.
For budget-conscious sports fans, Paralympic tickets offer world-class athletic competition at significantly reduced pricing—typically 50% to 70% lower than corresponding Olympic sessions. Entry-level Paralympic passes frequently start around $15 to $25, making them an ideal choice for families and local spectators.
Budgeting Strategies for Olympic Visitors
Maximizing value while attending the Games requires strategic planning during the ticket draw and open purchase phases.
- Budgeting Priority Pyramid:
- Marquee Finals (1-2 Splurge Sessions)
- Mid-Tier Group Stages & Prelims (Core Viewership)
- Paralympic Games & High-Capacity Sports (Value Base)
- Prioritize Preliminary Rounds over Finals: Preliminary sessions in sports like Gymnastics, Basketball, and Swimming feature identical elite athletes at a fraction of the cost of medal sessions.
- Target High-Capacity Venues: Venues with larger seating capacities—such as soccer matches at the Rose Bowl (capacity 89,000+) or track sessions at the Memorial Coliseum—offer substantially more Category C and D inventory, increasing the probability of securing lower-tier pricing.
- Sign Up for Early Lottery Phases: Joining the official ticketing draw during Phase 1 gives access to lower price tiers before Category C and D seats sell out completely.
- Avoid Unofficial Resale Websites: Buying from non-authorized secondary marketplaces risks ticket invalidation via dynamic non-transferable digital barcoding technology. Furthermore, secondary sites frequently apply dynamic markups of 200% to 500% over face value.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the absolute cheapest ticket price for the 2028 LA Olympics?
Entry-level tickets for preliminary sessions of high-capacity or outdoor events are expected to start between $24 and $35. The LA28 Organising Committee has committed to offering millions of tickets at affordable price points to ensure local community access.
How do I purchase official tickets for the LA28 Games?
All official tickets must be purchased through the central portal at LA28.org, which routes users through authorized distribution partners AXS and SeatGeek. Fans should create an official LA28 user profile to receive draw notifications and lottery access code updates.
Can I buy LA28 tickets on secondary sites like StubHub or Viagogo?
Purchasing tickets outside of official channels carries significant risk. The IOC and LA28 use digital, dynamic mobile ticket validation. Tickets transferred outside of the official LA28 Resale Platform can be cancelled without refund, denying venue admission.
When will LA28 ticket lotteries open to the public?
Official ticket lottery registration and account sign-ups open roughly 18 to 24 months before the Games, with draw selections and ticket pack purchases commencing in late 2026 and extending throughout 2027.
Are tickets refundable if an event is canceled or rescheduled?
Standard tickets are generally non-refundable unless an event is officially canceled without rescheduling. However, ticketholders who can no longer attend can legally list their valid tickets for resale at face value using the official LA28 Resale Exchange.
Recommended Next Actions for Prospective Attendees
To secure tickets at official face-value rates and avoid secondary markups:
- Create an Official Account: Visit LA28.org and register a user profile using your primary email address. Ensure your profile preferences highlight the specific sports you plan to attend.
- Monitor Ticket Draw Deadlines: Watch for official announcements regarding registration deadlines for the Phase 1 ticket draw.
- Establish an Event Budget: Define your spending caps per session tier, keeping in mind additional costs for local transportation, taxes, and service fees.
- Download Official Mobile Apps: Ensure your smartphone is compatible with current AXS and SeatGeek mobile applications, as physical paper tickets will not be issued for venue entry.
