The organizers of the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games announced on Tuesday a total of “one million” tickets at $28 (around 24 euros), the cheapest, on the eve of the opening of the ticket office on Wednesday.
“Access to these Games must be affordable and inclusive,” promised LA28 President Casey Wasserman during a short symbolic ceremony to light the cauldron at the iconic Coliseum.
Around 300 former Olympic and Paralympic athletes gathered for the occasion in front of the century-old venue, which will host the Olympic Games for the third time after 1932 and 1984. The start of the opening ceremony and the athletics events will take place there.
The ticket office opens on Wednesday with a registration phase, before a draw for purchase slots starting in April.
“A third of the places will cost less than $100”
Organizers have promised a total of one million tickets at $28, the price of admission, for the Olympic and Paralympic Games. “About a third of the seats will cost less than $100,” Wasserman added.
“Attending the Games here in 1984 at age 12 was a great source of inspiration. Making tickets affordable for everyone here in Los Angeles will help inspire young people,” four-time Olympic swimming champion Janet Evans, head of athletes for LA28, told AFP.
The organizers of the Paris Games in 2024 had received strong criticism over ticket prices. The cheapest, offered at 24 euros, were quickly taken by storm.
Fifa is also facing criticism from supporters associations who consider the prices applied for the 2026 Football World Cup “exorbitant”, eight matches of which will take place in Los Angeles. The cheapest seats, which represent a small percentage of the total tickets, start at 60 dollars (around 52 euros).
Keep reading
