LA 2028 Olympics Presale Sparks Local Frustration Over Prices

Southern California residents expressed widespread frustration this week after the presale for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics revealed ticket prices far exceeding initial promises of affordability, with many popular events unavailable or costing thousands of dollars.

The presale, limited to locals in areas near Olympic venues including parts of Los Angeles and surrounding counties, began last Thursday and ran through Monday. Organizers had promoted tickets starting at $28, including a $24 service fee, to ensure residents could participate in the Games set for July 14 to 30, 2028. However, lottery winners who secured time slots reported that coveted sessions for sports like swimming, artistic gymnastics, track and field, and tennis were either sold out, listed as unavailable, or priced above $1,000 per seat. Opening ceremony tickets ranged from $329 to more than $5,500, while closing ceremony seats started at nearly $4,900. Cheaper options, when available, were mostly for preliminary rounds or less popular events such as badminton, judo, handball, and women's cricket, often under $150.

Adding to the discontent were technical glitches on the ticketing website. Several buyers...