LA28 lights Coliseum cauldron as ticket registration set to open
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Olympians and Paralympians during a press conference at LA Memorial Coliseum ahead of Ticket Registration Launch on Jan 13.
PHOTO: REUTERS
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LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Olympic organisers brought together about 300 current and former Olympians and Paralympians at the LA Memorial Coliseum on Jan 13 for a ceremonial lighting of the stadium’s Olympic cauldron, using the rare gathering of athletes to launch the public countdown to ticket sales for the 2028 Games
Registration for LA28’s ticket draw opened on Jan 14, with fans able to sign up until March 18 for a chance to be assigned a time slot to buy tickets when sales begin in April.
The cauldron lighting event at the Coliseum – which hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984 and is in 2028 due to co-host the opening ceremony and stage track and field – featured athletes spanning decades of competition and was billed by organisers as one of the largest assemblies of Olympic and Paralympic athletes outside competition.
“In just the last year, I’ve seen first-hand how Angelenos come together, how they rise to meet every challenge, and that spirit is unmatched,” LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said at the event, alluding to the wildfires that devastated LA neighbourhoods a year ago.
He also said that 150,000 people have already signed up to volunteer at the Games, which organisers have billed as “athlete-centred” and accessible to all.
“That’s 150,000 supporters saying I want to be a part of this, I want to be a part of history, I want to be a part of LA28,” he added. “We know fans around the world are feeling the same way and are hungry for their chance to get into the stands to experience this once in a lifetime, once in a generation, event.”
LA28 chair Casey Wasserman told Reuters that ticket registration was a “major milestone” on the road to the Games.
Tickets will start at US$28 (S$36), with a target of at least one million tickets at that price point, and roughly a third of tickets will be under US$100, he said.
Under LA28’s processes, registrants will be entered into a random draw for time slots to buy tickets. LA28 said time slots for drop 1 will run from April 9 to 19, with e-mail notifications sent from March 31 to April 7. Tickets for the opening and closing ceremonies will be included in drop 1.
A local pre-sale window will run April 2 to 6 for residents in select Southern California and Oklahoma counties, where canoe slalom and softball will be held. Paralympic tickets are due to go on sale in 2027.
On the sidelines of the event, LA28 chief athlete officer and gold medal-winning former swimmer Janet Evans said the Olympics are a powerful way to unite people from around the globe.
“The Olympics is the greatest peacetime gathering in the world. We are lucky enough we get to bring it here to Los Angeles and experience that,” she said.
Paralympic swimmer Jamal Hill said he was moved to see the cauldron flame burning bright in the LA sunshine.
“I didn’t feel the physical warmth, but my heart fluttered a little bit,” he said. “The whole world is coming to LA28.” REUTERS
