Core Venue Clusters and Host City Layout
The 2028 Summer Olympics will center on Los Angeles, with the International Olympic Committee confirming a compact, clustered plan across the city and surrounding areas. The primary clusters include the LA Central Cluster, the LA West Cluster, and the LA Coastal Cluster, designed to minimize travel times for athletes and spectators. The LA Central Cluster anchors the Games, with the LA Memorial Coliseum serving as the main ceremony venue and the Crypto.com Arena hosting finals in gymnastics and basketball. The LA West Cluster will feature venues in Inglewood and surrounding areas, while the LA Coastal Cluster includes Santa Monica and Long Beach for beach sports and water events. Many of these venues are existing or temporary structures, a strategy that reduces construction costs and aligns with the IOC's emphasis on sustainability and legacy use. The Games will also use venues in Pasadena, Carson, and other nearby cities to spread events efficiently across the region. For background on Olympic venue planning and host city contracts, see the official IOC overview at https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-games.
The city of Los Angeles and the organizing committee have prioritized using existing facilities, with more than 90 percent of competition venues either already built or temporary installations. This approach is expected to lower capital expenditure and speed up readiness. The LA Memorial Coliseum, which hosted the 1932 and 1984 Olympics, will reopen as the main Olympic stadium after renovations. The LA Convention Center will serve as the International Broadcast Center and Main Press Center, consolidating media operations in a single downtown location. The Santa Monica Pier and nearby beaches will host beach volleyball, skateboarding, and surfing events, leveraging existing public infrastructure. The Velodrome in Carson and the Rose Bowl in Pasadena are among the key training and competition sites outside the core downtown area. For a broader look at how mega-events affect host city budgets and infrastructure, see the Forbes analysis at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2024/01/15/the-economic-impact-of-the-olympics-what-to-expect.
Key Venues, Infrastructure, and Transportation Plans
Key venues in the LA 2028 plan include the LA Memorial Coliseum, Crypto.com Arena, the Forum in Inglewood, and the Santa Monica Beach venues for outdoor sports. The LA Memorial Coliseum will host opening and closing ceremonies and track and field events, while Crypto.com Arena will host basketball finals and artistic gymnastics. The Forum, a renovated indoor arena, will host additional basketball and gymnastics sessions. The Santa Monica Beach venues will host beach volleyball, surfing, and skateboarding, with temporary seating and infrastructure built on public beachfront land. The Games will also use the Rose Bowl in Pasadena for football matches and the Velodrome in Carson for track cycling. The organizing committee has emphasized that these venues are either existing or temporary, reducing the need for new permanent construction. For a detailed breakdown of Olympic venue infrastructure and financing, see the official IOC venue plan at https://olympics.com/ioc/olympic-games/la-2028.
Transportation and mobility plans focus on leveraging existing highways, rail lines, and public transit to move athletes, officials, and spectators between clusters. The LA Metro system, including light rail and bus routes, will provide primary public transit links between venues. The organizing committee has worked with LA Metro to expand service and add dedicated event-day routes. The LA International Airport