Los Angeles to Host Historic Dual-Venue 2028 Olympic Opening Ceremony at Coliseum and SoFi Stadium
- May 9
- 2 min read
Updated: May 14
By Rhea Lark
staff writer
May 9, 2025
Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and Inglewood Mayor James Butts announced on Thursday a groundbreaking plan for the 2028 Summer Olympic Games: a dual-venue opening ceremony that will take place at both the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium, a first in Olympic history.
Scheduled for July 14, 2028, the ceremony will mark an evolution of the innovative format introduced at the 2024 Paris Games, where athletes paraded along the Seine River. The closing ceremony is set for July 30, 2028, at the iconic Coliseum.
“This will be the heartbeat of a Games that will touch every neighborhood and corner of our city,” said Mayor Bass during the press conference. “From triathlons at Venice Beach to skateboarding in the San Fernando Valley, from downtown boxing to baseball at Dodger Stadium and track and field here in Exposition Park, Los Angeles will be on full display.”
Organizers of the LA28 Games emphasized that it will be a “no-build” Olympics, meaning no new permanent venues will be constructed. Instead, existing landmarks and facilities across the region will be repurposed to host events.
Dodger Stadium, the third-oldest Major League Baseball venue in the nation, will host baseball in Elysian Park, while the Peacock Theater downtown will stage boxing competitions. Venice Beach will serve as the launch point for the cycling road race, triathlon, and marathon. The Olympic Athletes Village will be located at UCLA in Westwood, returning to the same site that hosted athletes during the 1984 Games.
The Coliseum, which previously welcomed Olympic events in 1932 and 1984, will make history by becoming the first venue to host elements of three separate Olympic Games. Meanwhile, SoFi Stadium in Inglewood will make its Olympic debut, a milestone reflecting the city’s emergence as a premier destination for global sporting events.
The opening ceremony for the 2028 Paralympic Games will take place at SoFi Stadium on August 15, 2028, marking the first time Los Angeles has hosted the Paralympics.
“In these challenging times for our city and our country, the Olympic Games represent a rare opportunity to unite and move forward with urgency and purpose,” Mayor Bass said.
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