300 Olympians cheer opening of ticket signup for 2028 Games
Your morning catch up: Register for ’28 Olympics tickets, Highway 1 through Big Sur fully reopens and more big stories.
- Share via
Two and a half years before the 2028 Olympics return to Los Angeles, registration to buy tickets kicked off Wednesday morning, bringing a crush of fans to the LA28 website. The site was so crowded that customers waited up to half an hour to register.
In another measure of enthusiasm for what will be the third Olympics held in L.A. (following the Summer Games of 1932 and 1984) some 300 former Olympians took part in events and a ceremony celebrating ticket registration. They cheered the lighting of the Olympic cauldron high above the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which will be the venue for track and field come July of 2028.
The online registration that began at 7 a.m. Wednesday will continue until March 18. Those selected to buy tickets will get an email with a time slot. The order of registration will have no impact on customers’ chances of buying tickets, LA28 officials said.
The first shot at tickets will go to Southern Californians who live in L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Residents of Oklahoma City — where softball and canoe slalom will be held — also will have access to the pre-sale, which will run from April 2 to April 6. Sales to the rest of the public will begin April 9.
Ticket prices as low as $28
The April sales will include tickets to all events, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Each registrant will be allowed to buy a maximum of 12 tickets.
Olympic organizers said they are trying to make tickets affordable. At a news conference outside the Coliseum, they said that 1 million of a total 14 million tickets will go for $28. About one-third of all seats will be priced at under $100. Prices for the bulk of the tickets will not be released until April.
“These Games have to be affordable and inclusive, especially for the communities of Los Angeles and Oklahoma City where competitions will take place,” said LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman.
LA28’s leaders brought the Olympic veterans to Wednesday’s event to try to stoke enthusiasm for the Games. Janet Evans, the chief athlete officer for the Games and a former swimming gold medalist, promised an “athlete-centered Games,” adding, “and that can only happen if athletes are actually at the center of our planning.”
Among the Olympians on hand Wednesday were 1984 gymnastics gold medalist Bart Conner and swimming gold medalists John Nabor and Cullen Jones. One of the oldest in the crowd was Tom Lough, a West Point graduate who competed in modern pentathlon at the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
Taking input from veteran Olympians
Lough, 83, said he appreciated how the LA28 organizers gathered the athletes and listened to their ideas. He proposed the opening of a film festival in conjunction with the L.A. Games — featuring Olympic-themed films like “Chariots of Fire.” He also said there should be a competition for young filmmakers who are telling the stories of the Olympics. “We could launch some young filmmakers, and at the same time promote the Olympics,” he said.
Lough has become a ringleader among veterans of the 1968 Games — encouraging reunions and honoring those who have died. He said the world desperately needs an infusion of the Olympic spirit, which transcends national boundaries and builds community among all people.
“If we can show the world that, at least every four years, we can get together in a fiercely competitive environment and shake hands at the end of it,” said Lough, as he began to cry and laugh, “well, we can’t do any better than that. All we have is our hopes and dreams, I suppose.”
Today’s top stories
The Valley, the South Bay and beyond: These are L.A.’s newest million-dollar neighborhoods
- Twelve new neighborhoods have joined the million-dollar home value club, sprawling farther north into the Valley, south into the South Bay, and east into the foothills.
- Unlike the pandemic housing boom’s dramatic spikes, these communities reached seven-figure typical home values through steady month-by-month appreciation, signaling Angelenos’ comfort living farther from the city.
L.A. County moves to carve out ‘ICE-free’ zones following immigration raid violence
- The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to bar immigration enforcement officers from county-owned spaces.
- Lindsey Horvath, the District 3 supervisor, announced the motion to establish county property as “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-free” zones, prohibiting agents from staging, processing or operating in those areas.
- The action comes after multiple incidents of violence in California as well as last week’s fatal shooting in Minnesota of 37-year-old Renee Good by a federal immigration agent, which spurred an outcry across the country.
The Trump administration sues two California cities over natural gas bans
- The Justice Department said natural gas bans in Petaluma and Morgan Hill drive up costs and conflict with federal policy.
- The two cities say they’ve already stopped enforcing the bans after a federal court struck down Berkeley’s similar ordinance in 2023.
- The lawsuit reflects Trump’s broader campaign to roll back environmental regulations and prioritize fossil fuel development over clean energy alternatives.
What else is going on
- L.A. is awash in potholes after record rains, making commutes ever more treacherous.
- A federal court upholds California’s new congressional districts in a victory for Democrats.
- A judge seemed skeptical on ICE agents wearing masks in a case that could have national implications.
- After three years of repairs, Highway 1 through Big Sur fully reopens.
- California launches an investigation into child porn on Elon Musk’s AI site.
- John Forté dead at 50: How a musical prodigy went from poverty to Fugees to prison to Martha’s Vineyard.
- Timothy Busfield faced a new sex abuse accusation as he appeared in court on Wednesday.
Commentary and opinions
- Nazi-esque slogans on official government communications? Yes, that’s where we’re at, writes columnist Anita Chabria.
- Even Grok thinks Elon Musk’s claim that white men are persecuted is bull, writes columnist Gustavo Arellano.
- A Senate war powers resolution on Venezuela actually could curb Trump, argues guest contributor Mark Weisbrot.
This morning’s must read
Our list of the 101 best Los Angeles movies is as sprawling as the city, and includes “Chinatown,” “Clueless,” “Blade Runner,” “Mulholland Drive,” “Heat,” “Pulp Fiction,” “The Big Lebowski” and “La La Land.”
Other must reads
- Zoe Saldaña becomes the highest-grossing actor of all time.
- Will unseasonably hot weather dash Southern California’s hopes for a 2026 superbloom?
- Why $100 million in endorsements says Shohei Ohtani is the global face of baseball.
For your downtime
Going out
- Juice and smoothie spots: 16 of our favorite green juices and smoothies (that actually taste good) in L.A.
- Theme parks: Disneyland is pivoting on “Star Wars” Land. Here’s why.
- Coffee shops: A Leimert Park institution reopens with a new design and evening speakeasy.
Staying in
- Television: How an Oscar winner and a newcomer became the fresh faces of “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy,” now streaming on Paramount+.
- Recipe: Here’s a recipe for You’re-Using-The-Wrong-Kale Salad.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and jigsaw games.
A question for you: Are you optimistic for the new year? If so, why?
Jody Stefansson said, “How can anyone in Southern California not feel the imperative to have hope in 2026 while we continue to witness the magnificent resilience of our fire-devastated neighbors in the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades? If these weary, heartbroken people can rise with strength and dignity from the soot and ashes of their lives, the rest of us would be wise to follow their lead, knowing we, too, have the ability to overcome whatever challenges face us in this new confusing and scary year.”
Email us at essentialcalifornia@latimes.com, and your response might appear in the newsletter this week.
And finally ... from our archives
On Jan. 15, 1929, American civil rights activist and religious leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born. Fifteen years after his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law and was first observed on Jan. 20, 1986.
Three years ago, on what would have been his 94th birthday, former Times essayist Jamil Smith wrote about the King holiday and why it should make you uncomfortable.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Jim Rainey, staff reporter
Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
Karim Doumar, head of newsletters
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com. Check our top stories, topics and the latest articles on latimes.com.
More From the Los Angeles Times
Podcasts
Taped Jan 8, 2026, a year after the Eaton Fire, this episode features Ondi Timoner. After losing her home, she began documenting the displacement and financial struggles of her neighbors, joining My Tribe Rise to help Altadena rebuild and recover.
Attorney Frank Carson defended the accused for decades. Framed for murder and later acquitted, a star witness admitted he lied. Stanislaus County paid $22.5M to settle his estate’s lawsuit.
Hear from the winner of the 1968 Caltech vs MIT electric car race. But it’s not all fresh air: smog devastates communities of color, and the Trump administration may pull the plug on California’s ability to clear its own air.
