LA28 Opening Ceremony tickets are split across two venues on the same night, prices start just over $300 once fees are included, and how you get in depends entirely on which ticket window you catch. I’m breaking down exactly what LA28 Opening Ceremony tickets cost, how the draws and drops actually work, and what your options are if you missed the early rounds.
Where and When the Opening Ceremony Happens
The Opening Ceremony lands on July 14, 2028, and it’s not a single-stadium event. LA28 is running it as a dual-venue celebration, split between the LA Memorial Coliseum in the Exposition Park Zone and the 2028 Stadium (SoFi Stadium) in the Inglewood Zone. That dual-venue setup matters for planning, since your ticket, your gate, and your transit route will depend on which venue your session is tied to. Competition itself doesn’t wait for the ceremony either — field hockey, basketball, rugby sevens, water polo, handball, and cricket all kick off two days earlier on July 12, with Day 1 of the official schedule starting July 15. The Closing Ceremony, for reference, falls on July 30, 2028, using that same two-venue framework.
How Much Does Opening Ceremony Tickets Actually Cost
Entry-level Opening Ceremony tickets start around $328.68, and that number already includes LA28’s service fee, which runs close to 24% and is baked into the listed price rather than added at checkout. That’s steep compared to general event tickets across the Games, where more than a million seats across all sports are priced at $28, nearly half of all tickets sit under $200, and roughly three-quarters come in under $400. The Opening Ceremony simply doesn’t have an equivalent entry-level tier — it’s the one session where “budget seat” still means a few hundred dollars. Premium hospitality seating for the ceremony climbs well past that starting price, so if you’re working with a hard budget cap, this is the session to plan around first, not last.
How to Buy Tickets: Draws, Drops, and Presales
LA28 doesn’t sell tickets first-come-first-served in the traditional sense. You register for a draw, get randomly assigned a purchase time slot if selected, and then have a limited window to actually buy. The rounds so far:
| Ticket Window | Dates | Who’s Eligible |
|---|---|---|
| Locals Presale | April 2–6, 2026 | Verified residents of LA, Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino, Ventura counties, plus Oklahoma City |
| Drop 1 | April 9–19, 2026 | Fans worldwide, including Opening/Closing Ceremony tickets for the first time |
| Drop 2 Registration | Closed July 22, 2026 | Anyone registering for a Drop 2 time slot |
| Visa Presale | July 29–31, 2026 | Qualifying Visa cardholders selected from the presale draw |
| Drop 2 Purchase Window | August 10–20, 2026 | Fans assigned a Drop 2 time slot |
If you’re reading this after those dates, don’t assume you’re out of luck — LA28 has stated additional draws and releases will continue rolling out between now and the Games, so it’s worth checking the official ticketing site periodically rather than writing off the ceremony entirely.
Ticket Limits and Rules You Need to Know
Whatever slot you land, the rules are the same across drops. Selected buyers typically get a 48-hour window to purchase, and per-person limits apply: up to 12 tickets for general Olympic events, plus a separate allowance of up to 12 for football matches. Opening and Closing Ceremony tickets specifically are capped at four per person, which is worth knowing if you’re planning a group trip and hoping to seat everyone together in one purchase.
Tips for Landing LA28 Opening Ceremony Tickets
A few tactical moves separate the fans who get in from the fans stuck refreshing a queue page on release day:
- Register for every draw you’re eligible for, not just the one you assume is your best shot. Locals, Drop 1, and Drop 2 each have different eligibility rules and different odds, so entering all the ones that apply to you widens your chances rather than betting everything on one round.
- Watch your email as closely as the ticketing site. Time-slot notifications go out on a set schedule ahead of each purchase window — Drop 2 notifications, for example, went out August 6–7 ahead of the August 10–20 window — and missing that email can mean missing your slot entirely.
- Have your payment method ready before your window opens. The 48-hour purchase period moves fast once inventory starts selling, and fumbling for card details mid-window costs you real time against other buyers.
- Decide on hospitality packages ahead of time, not as a last-minute fallback. On Location’s packages don’t draw from your 12-ticket draw allocation, so if guaranteed access matters more to you than price, it’s worth pricing that out before Drop 2 even opens rather than scrambling once you’ve missed a slot.
- International fans don’t face an extra registration barrier. The LA28 Ticket Draw is open worldwide, but budget for currency conversion on top of the ticket price, and make sure your card supports international transactions before your purchase window arrives.
Hospitality Packages vs. General Tickets
Alongside standard tickets, On Location is the official hospitality provider for LA28 and sells curated Opening Ceremony packages that bundle premium seating, dining, and other extras. These are sold entirely separately from general tickets and don’t count against your 12-ticket cap, which makes them a legitimate option if you’ve missed a draw window but still want guaranteed access. The tradeoff is straightforward: you’re paying well above the entry-level ceremony price for certainty and comfort instead of gambling on a draw slot.
If You Miss Drop 2: What’s Next
Two safety nets exist if the draw system doesn’t work out for you. First, LA28 has confirmed a verified resale marketplace is launching in 2027, run in partnership with established ticketing platforms rather than an open secondary market, which should cut down on the scam risk that comes with unofficial resellers. Second, additional general ticket releases are expected to continue through 2027 and into 2028 as LA28 manages inventory across all sports. Paralympic tickets follow a separate timeline and aren’t expected to open until 2027, so if it’s the Paralympic Opening Ceremony at SoFi Stadium you’re after, that’s a different registration process entirely.
Essential Internal Resources
Before you lock in your Opening Ceremony plans, these guides cover the logistics you’ll need around it:
For the full venue and zone breakdown: LA 2028 Olympics Venues and Zones Guide.
For where to stay near your ceremony venue: LA 2028 Olympics Accommodation Guide: Stay by Zone.
For what to do if you miss the ticket draw entirely: LA28 Resale Marketplace: Complete Guide.
For entry requirements to sort out before you worry about seating: LA28 Visa Requirements: Complete Entry Guide.
Master Your Destination: City Budget Guides
Planning a bigger trip around the Games, or stopping in other cities along the way? Here’s our full lineup of city budget guides, grouped by region.
Americas New York · Chicago · Toronto · Mexico City · Buenos Aires
Europe Paris · Madrid · Rome · Barcelona · Prague · Berlin · Amsterdam · Lisbon · Vienna · Budapest · Milan · Dublin · Istanbul
Asia-Pacific Tokyo · Bangkok · Seoul · Sydney · Singapore
Africa Cape Town
Frequently Asked Questions
How much do LA28 Opening Ceremony tickets cost?
Entry-level tickets start around $328.68, a price that already includes LA28’s roughly 24% service fee. There’s no $28-tier equivalent for the ceremony the way there is for general sport sessions.
When is the LA28 Opening Ceremony?
July 14, 2028, held simultaneously at the LA Memorial Coliseum (Exposition Park Zone) and SoFi Stadium (Inglewood Zone).
How many Opening Ceremony tickets can I buy per person?
Four tickets per person, separate from the standard 12-ticket limit that applies to general Olympic event purchases.
What if I missed Drop 1 and Drop 2?
Watch for further ticket releases through 2027 and 2028, or use the official verified resale marketplace launching in 2027. Avoid unofficial third-party resellers, since LA28 has warned that tickets bought outside official channels risk non-delivery or denied entry.
Are hospitality packages a better option than the ticket draw?
They’re a different option, not necessarily a better one. Hospitality packages through On Location guarantee access and add premium extras, but cost more than entry-level tickets and don’t count against your draw-based ticket limits, making them a solid backup if the draw doesn’t work out for you.
Want More Free Travel Resources?
Grab the free 2026 Travel Dupes Cheat Sheet for workarounds on tracking down released Opening Ceremony tickets and stretching your budget across the rest of your LA28 trip. Subscribe at the top of parandjahtravels.com to download it instantly.
Conclusion
The LA28 Opening Ceremony is one of the priciest single sessions of the entire Games, but it’s not out of reach if you plan around the draw system instead of against it. Know your price floor going in, register early for whichever drop is next, and keep the four-ticket cap in mind if you’re buying for a group. And if the timing doesn’t work out, the 2027 resale marketplace and continued ticket releases mean this isn’t a one-shot opportunity — you’ve got more chances between now and July 2028 than it might feel like right now.
Marsha Rowe is the Founder and Travel Strategist at Parandjah Travels. She uncovers high-intent travel intelligence, specializing in slow travel frameworks and sports event logistics.