Long Beach has picked out their venues that will host the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, another step as the city prepares to welcome the Games.
The City Council approved a venue-use guarantee with the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Summer Games during its meeting on Tuesday, June 11.
Long Beach’s venues include the Long Beach Convention & Entertainment Center area, Marina Green and Alamitos Beach, the waterfront around the Belmont Shore beach area, and Marine Stadium.
“We’re excited to reintroduce this venue to the games,” Jorge Godinez, assistant to the city manager, said about the Marine Stadium, “marking the first time it will be used to host Olympic events since 1932.”
The 2028 Olympics and Paralympics are scheduled to take place from July 14 to Aug. 27 that year in Los Angeles and surrounding areas, including Carson and Long Beach.
As the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Summer Games develops its event plans, city staffers will receive more details on impacts to the community and access to public spaces. All four of the venues that the council members agreed to will also require review and approval by the Coastal Commission and are subject to change, officials said.
The Long Beach venues are slated to be finalized by October 2027, said City Manager Tom Modica.
“We are, as a city, continuing to take major strides as we prepare to host several Olympic events for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games,” Mayor Rex Richardson said during the meeting.
Last month, Long Beach and neighboring Carson officially signed on as venue cities for the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games, also referred to as LA28.
“As the main waterfront for Southern California, we’re posed to serve as a major aquatic center for the upcoming Olympics and currently Long Beach is on track to be the largest venue city outside of Los Angeles for LA28,” he added. “We’re being thoughtful and intentional about preparing every facet of our city to take pride in showcasing our city internationally.”
Long Beach’s venue-use guarantee ensures the availability of these designated venues for all events needs and outlines the terms and conditions for venue usage, according to the staff report.
The guarantee also specifies that LA28 will reimburse all operational costs incurred in connection with the production of the events – such as costs of constructing overlays that may be used for things such as temporary structures, increased cleaning and waste management services, and enhanced security measures. Specific reimbursement terms will be detailed in subsequent agreements for each venue.
City staffers intend to conduct community outreach to discuss potential residential and business impacts. Outreach efforts will focus on addressing transportation and mobility plans, parking, and safety, along with hearing other concerns residents and business owners may have.
“Our primary objective is to keep the community well informed about mitigation efforts and to ensure the games are a positive experience for all,” Godinez said.
Staffers have created a frequently asked questions document that provides preliminary information on potential impacts.
Long Beach officials will continue to collaborate with LA28 to finalize specific dates and further refine the areas to facilitate preparation for the Summer Olympics while minimizing impacts on surrounding areas, officials said.
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“As the chair of the Arts, Culture and Tourism Committee,” Councilmember Mary Zendejas said, “I have been approached by many stakeholders asking for information and timelines and so much more, but I know that we are also a little bit premature on that. I like hearing that we’re going to be engaging the community and letting them know what we’re doing step by step. I think that’s going to be very important.”
The Long Beach City Council unanimously approved the venue-use agreement, by voting on two items, as Councilmember Kristina Duggan recused herself for a conflict of interest with the Marine Stadium.
“We’re committed to ensuring that every member of our community sees and feels the benefits of our city’s rigorous planning efforts leading up to this historic event,” Richardson said.
Following the execution of the venue-use guarantee, LA28 is expected to finalize the games schedule with the International Olympic Committee and the City of Los Angeles this summer, Godinez said. This schedule will detail the specific sporting events hosted in Long Beach.