L.A. Olympics Organizers Speak Out After Backlash Over Ticket Prices with Top Seats at $5,000
L.A. Olympics Organizers Speak Out After Backlash Over Ticket Prices with Top Seats at $5,000
Charlotte PhillippFri, April 10, 2026 at 9:58 PM UTC
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The LA28 Olympic cauldron is lit during a ceremonial lighting at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on January 13, 2026.Credit: Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty -
Officials for the 2028 L.A. Olympic Games are speaking out after sports fans and California locals criticized the organizing committee for the high prices
Organizers said that nearly 50% of tickets are under $200, but premium seats for major events can exceed $5,000
LA28 says that 30% of its remaining tickets are priced at under $200
Officials for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games are speaking out after sports fans and California locals criticized the organizing committee for the high prices and limited availability during the first wave of ticket sales.
After the first drop of global tickets began at 10 a.m. PT on Thursday, April 9, officials for the 2028 L.A. Games, also known as LA28, confirmed that no new inventory would be added to this initial sale.
"The locals had the best access to the widest breadth of tickets," Allison Katz Mayfield, LA28's Senior VP of Revenue, said during an interview on Fox 11's Good Day LA.
Mayfield added that the hundreds of thousands of $28 tickets — offered in the first presale, which was available to southern California locals beginning April 2 — "went quickly."
According to Fox 11, LA28 currently states that 30% of its remaining tickets are under $200, but many potential ticket buyers have reported that larger events—including the opening and closing ceremonies — only have premium seats available, which often cost upwards of $5,000.
The LA28 Olympic cauldron is lit during a ceremonial lighting at the Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles on January 13, 2026.Credit: Frederic J. Brown / AFP via Getty
During her Good Day LA appearance, Mayfield also urged fans to avoid sites like StubHub this year, as they "are not verified" and "may be speculative."
LA28 organizers told Fox 11 that nearly 50% of their Olympic tickets were available for under $200, and more than three-quarters of all the tickets, including finals events, are under $400. Just 5% of tickets cost more than $1,000, they said.
"If you want to sit in the absolute best seat at the highest demand event, those do go for over $1,000 for sure... but this isn't your only chance to get those affordable tickets," Mayfield added.
LA28 officials said that Olympics fans who did not get a chance to buy tickets during the first round of sales will automatically be entered into their future ticket drops, which are scheduled through the next several months. Registered fans will also get a chance to buy tickets to the Paralympic Games through the Paralympic Ticket Draw, beginning in 2027.
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Organizers also said that they are tracking feedback from fans and ticket buyers for future drops, per Fox 11.
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The response from LA28 organizers comes amid backlash from California locals with billing postal codes in nearby counties who were eligible for an early purchase window.
Critics of the system said that they thought they'd be able to buy $28 tickets during the local drop, but there were not many $28 options available, NBC LA reported.
In a press release Thursday, LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said "hundreds of thousands of $28 tickets” were sold to locals during the presale, calling them "the lowest priced Olympic tickets in modern history," per NBC.
LA28 added that it was committed to "providing a variety of ticket options."
The 2028 L.A. Games are set to take place from July 14, 2028, until July 30, 2028. Then, the 2028 Paralympic Games will begin in Southern California in mid-August, running through the end of the month.
Ticket buyers who registered for the lottery will receive a time slot to purchase tickets. These notifications will come through via email anytime from March 31, 2026, until April 7, 2026, organizers previously said.
Those who are chosen for the ticket drop generally only get up to 12 tickets, though the maximum number of tickets can vary for certain sports and is subject to change.
on People
Source: “AOL Sports”
