LA 2028 Olympics Ticket Prices Leave Some Locals Reeling

When Los Angeles residents logged on to purchase tickets for the 2028 Olympics in early April, many expected to find the affordable options promised by organizers. Instead, they found themselves staring at price tags in the hundreds and thousands of dollars.

LA28, the organizing committee for the Games, had marketed tickets starting at just 28 dollars — the lowest-priced Olympic tickets in modern history, according to CEO Reynold Hoover. That message resonated with Angelenos who hoped to secure a piece of their own city showcase. But the reality of the presale lottery proved far more complicated.

Kathy Dorn, a Los Angeles resident who registered for the lottery on 3 April, told the Guardian she was shocked by what she found. "Most gymnastics tickets sold out during my time slot — I didn't expect them to be gone that quickly," she said. "Overall, I found the prices quite high, and it didn't seem like they released additional inventory for people with later time slots."

Dorn ultimately spent roughly 1,200 dollars on tickets covering rhythmic and artistic gymnastics preliminaries and sailing finals. She had also wanted to attend a swimming event but baulked at 558 dollars per ticket for a two-hour session.

The frustration extended well beyond individual purchasers. One Los Angeles resident told NBC Los Angeles he spent 11,000 dollars on eight track and field tickets, with nearly 400 dollars of that attributable to a 24 percent service fee LA28 said was designed to fund customer service operations during the Games.

"We didn't go top-tier, but we were in the 1,000 dollar range per ticket," said ticket-buyer Tony Anthony. "You hear things like 'Tickets as low as 28 dollars' and there were none available."

LA28 spokesperson Gigi Gutierrez pushed back against the criticism, arguing that prices for marquee events like swimming and soccer were in line with comparable premium sporting spectacles such as the Super Bowl and the forthcoming FIFA World Cup.

The organizing committee has pointed to its 7.1 billion dollar budget and the need to break even without taxpayer support as justification for the pricing structure — a departure from recent Games in Greece and Brazil that left host cities saddled with debt.

But the concern cuts deeper than pure economics. In Inglewood, a majority Black and Latino city that will host the opening ceremony and key indoor events at SoFi Stadium, some longtime residents worry they will bear the brunt of disruption while being priced out of attending.

"We shouldn't just have to bear all of the burden of the Olympics — we should be able to participate," said Inglewood native Yolanda Davidson.

With the Games still two years away, the ticket controversy is unlikely to fade anytime soon.