LA Olympics Facing Backlash Over Staggering Ticket Prices

Southern California residents express frustration over high costs to attend 2028 Games

Apr. 8, 2026 at 7:21pm

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting fragmented, overlapping scenes of various Olympic sports and events, rendered in a palette of deep blues, vibrant reds, and metallic golds, conceptually representing the fractured accessibility of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics for the local community.The high-priced tickets to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics have left many local residents feeling shut out of the games in their own city.Los Angeles Today

Residents in Southern California are voicing their displeasure with the exorbitant ticket prices for the upcoming 2028 Los Angeles Olympics. Despite promises of affordable tickets starting at $28, presale lottery winners reported seeing prices soar into the thousands of dollars for many events, leaving many locals feeling priced out of attending the Games.

Why it matters

The high ticket prices for the LA Olympics have sparked outrage among local residents who feel they are being shut out of the opportunity to attend the Games in their own city. This backlash highlights concerns about the accessibility and affordability of major sporting events for the host community.

The details

Event organizers had promised tickets would start at $28, but presale lottery winners reported paying $1,230 per ticket for swimming events and $1,600 per ticket for the decathlon finals. Some prospective buyers saw prices of over $5,000 for the Opening Ceremony, while other popular events like tennis, gymnastics, and men's basketball were listed as 'unavailable.' Many locals feel they are being unfairly burdened with the costs of hosting the Olympics.

  • The first general public sale for Olympics tickets will span April 9-19, 2026.
  • The 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are scheduled to take place.

The players

Kelly Burson

A local resident who purchased two swimming event tickets for $1,230 each and three decathlon final tickets for $1,600 each through the presale lottery.

Yolanda Davidson

A lifelong Inglewood native who feels that locals should not have to 'bear all of the burden of the Olympics' and should be able to participate.

Lorraine Ali

A news and culture critic for the Los Angeles Times who reported that there were no affordable tickets available for popular events like tennis, gymnastics, and men's basketball.

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What they’re saying

“They told us that prices were going to start at $28 and that they were going to stagger the most coveted tickets so everyone had a fair shot. Either that was total incompetence or a total lie.”

— Kelly Burson

“We shouldn't just have to bear all of the burden of the Olympics; we should be able to participate.”

— Yolanda Davidson, Lifelong Inglewood Resident

“Sunday was my window to sign in for the privilege of seeing what wasn't available, or what was so far out of my price range it might as well have been cordoned off behind a gold rope and glass.”

— Lorraine Ali, News and Culture Critic, Los Angeles Times

What’s next

The first general public sale for Olympics tickets will span April 9-19, 2026, with only customers who registered before the March 18 deadline and were selected in the ticket lottery having access to purchase tickets during that window.

The takeaway

The exorbitant ticket prices for the 2028 LA Olympics have left many local residents feeling priced out of attending the Games in their own city, raising concerns about the accessibility and affordability of major sporting events for host communities.