It's on! Ticket sales for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games officially open to the general public this Thursday. Those who registered were notified of the lottery results on April 7th. Those selected will have access to tickets for a 48-hour window, and the others will be automatically entered into future lottery draws. Tickets for all sports and ceremonies will be available. What can you expect?
LA28 ahead of schedule for Paris 2024
Spectators will be able to purchase up to 12 tickets for the Olympic events (a quota that excludes football tournament matches). It will be possible to purchase up to four tickets per ceremony, which will count towards the 12-ticket limit. The organizing committee will be closely monitoring ticket sales: they are expected to generate $2,5 billion, representing 35% of the Games' budget.
Tickets have already been sold in recent days to residents of Los Angeles and Oklahoma City, who had access to a presale. Even though some technical issues have been reported, the indicators are positive for Reynolds Hoover, Executive Director of LA28 : " The sale started last week; I can tell you that we've exceeded all expectations, both in terms of revenue and ticket sales. We've surpassed the sales Paris recorded in its opening days and we've outperformed all recent Olympic Games. This clearly demonstrates the power of the Games… People want to come to LA and be a part of history. »
The results of the first LA28 Olympic Ticket Draw* are almost here! 👀Keep an eye on your inbox for all the can't-miss moments of the first drop.
— LA28 (@LA28) March 30, 2026
*NO PURCHASE OR PAYMENT REQUIRED. RESTRICTIONS APPLY. TERMS SUBJECT TO CHANGE. VISIT https://t.co/hK76xSy25C FOR OFFICIAL TERMS. pic.twitter.com/v6I0KA2Fmj
"Nearly 50% of tickets cost less than $200"
The opening of ticket sales has primarily revealed the range of prices spectators will face. For the swimming finals on July 30 at SoFi Stadium, eight price categories are defined: $104 for the most affordable tickets (Category H), which only covers a small portion of the stands, then $186 (Category G), already $310 in Category F, $558 in Category E… and up to $1,860 in Category A. The wrestling qualifying session on July 24? $28 in Category D, but already $86 in Category C. A football tournament semi-final at Rose Bowl Stadium? $28 in Category F, certainly, but a dramatic jump to $188 for the next category up, then $306 in Category D and up to $839 in Category A.
The organizing committee promised one million tickets at $28 each, but they are quickly becoming scarce. Internet users also shared an unpleasant surprise on social media: exorbitant service fees that inflate the price by almost 25%. For example, a $200 ticket incurs a $48 fee, while a $380 ticket costs $91.
A spokesperson for LA28 explained the situation to the New York Post : " Tickets are comparable to—and in many cases much cheaper than—those for professional sporting events and major shows in the United States. Pricing is based on a variety of factors and largely takes into account fan feedback, as well as venue capacity, session type, seat location, and historical demand. The most expensive tickets represent only a small portion of the overall offering. Approximately 5% of tickets cost more than $1.000. Over 75% of all Olympic tickets—including those for the finals—cost less than $400, and nearly 50% of all Olympic tickets cost less than $200. "It's not certain that all viewers will be so easily convinced, especially given the economic context."
