The LA28 Paralympic Games run August 15–27, 2028, right after the Olympics wrap up, and they’re a genuinely separate event with their own dates, sports, and ticket timeline — not an add-on to your Olympic trip. I’ve been tracking LA28’s official announcements as they roll out, and I’m breaking down what makes this Paralympics different, which 23 Para sports are on the schedule, and when you’ll actually be able to buy tickets.
| Category | Olympic Games | Paralympic Games |
|---|---|---|
| Dates | July 14–30, 2028 | August 15–27, 2028 |
| Sports | 36 Olympic sports | 23 Para sports |
| Ticket Sales Start | April 2026 (ongoing drops) | 2027 |
| Group Ticket Minimum | 50+ people | 20+ people |
| LA Host History | 3rd time (1932, 1984, 2028) | 1st time ever |
What Makes This LA28 Paralympic Games a First for the City
Los Angeles has hosted the Summer Olympics twice before, in 1932 and 1984, but 2028 marks the city’s first time ever hosting the Paralympic Games. That matters for how this event gets built: LA28 says it will be the first Games in 80 years to not construct any new permanent venues, relying entirely on existing stadiums and arenas across the region for both the Olympics and Paralympics. Earlier this year, LA28 gathered more than 300 Paralympians and Olympians at the LA Memorial Coliseum, representing 28 different Games dating back to 1960, in one of the largest assemblies of Olympic and Paralympic athletes ever held outside of competition — a signal of how central the Paralympics is to LA28’s actual planning, not a footnote scheduled after the main event.
The 23 Para Sports at LA28
The Paralympic program spans 23 Para sports, covering everything from Para athletics and Para swimming to less mainstream events like boccia, goalball, and wheelchair rugby. Combat and racquet sports get their own dedicated categories too, including Para judo, Para taekwondo, Para archery, shooting Para sport, wheelchair fencing, Para badminton, Para table tennis, and wheelchair tennis, alongside Para equestrian. Many Para sports use a classification system that groups athletes by the type and extent of their impairment, ensuring competition stays fair across different disability categories within the same event. If you’re new to watching Paralympic sport, checking the classification system for whichever event you attend beforehand can make the competition much easier to follow, since athletes racing or competing head-to-head may fall into different classifications with different benchmarks. If you’re building your trip around a specific sport rather than just “the Paralympics” broadly, checking LA28’s official Games Plan page closer to 2028 will show you exactly which venue and zone hosts each one, since venue assignments are still being finalized.
Planning Accessible Travel for the LA28 Paralympic Games
Attending the Paralympic Games as a visitor with accessibility needs, or traveling with someone who has them, takes a different kind of planning than a standard Olympic trip. A few things worth building into your timeline early:
Register for accessible seating as soon as the 2027 ticket window opens. Accessible seating sections typically sell out fast at major sporting events, and LA28 hasn’t detailed its exact accessible-ticketing process yet, so watching for that announcement alongside the general sales window matters as much as watching for the window itself.
Book accessible accommodations well before the Games, not just early. Accessible rooms make up a smaller share of any hotel’s inventory, and that share shrinks fast once Olympic-summer demand starts filling hotels across LA months in advance.
Confirm accessible transit options for whichever zone you’re staying in. LA28 has said more detail on zone-to-zone travel will be released closer to the Games, and that should include accessibility specifics for the Metro and shuttle system — worth checking back on as 2028 approaches rather than assuming standard routes will meet your needs.
Build extra transfer time into your day, more than you would for the Olympics. Getting between venues at a Games this size is already tight on standard transit timelines, and the margin matters more when accessible routes may take a different path than general fan flow.
None of this is unique to LA28 specifically, but the size and geographic spread of this Games — 25 zones spanning multiple states — make it a bigger planning task than a single-city Games. Starting early is the difference between wide open options and picking through what’s left. Check LA28’s official accessibility resources once they’re published for details on companion tickets, sensory-friendly viewing areas, and any dedicated accessible drop-off points near each venue. These specifics typically get released well after the general Games plan, so it’s worth revisiting LA28.org periodically rather than assuming today’s site already covers everything you’ll eventually need.
Paralympic Ceremony Dates and Venues
The Paralympic Games open on August 15, 2028, with a ceremony at SoFi Stadium in the Inglewood Zone, and close on August 27, 2028, at the LA Memorial Coliseum in the Exposition Park Zone — the reverse pairing of how the Olympic ceremonies use those same two venues. That’s worth knowing if you’re trying to reuse logistics knowledge from an Olympic trip earlier in the summer: the venues are the same, but which one hosts opening versus closing flips between the two events.
When and How to Buy Paralympic Tickets
Paralympic tickets won’t be available for purchase until 2027, a full year later than the Olympic ticket draw that opened in 2026, according to LA28’s official ticketing page. LA28 hasn’t published specific 2027 drop dates yet, so the most reliable move right now is registering for an LA28 account through the same ticketing portal used for Olympic tickets, since that keeps you positioned to hear about Paralympic sales as soon as dates are announced. Visa is the official “Way to Pay” across both the Olympic and Paralympic Games, and group tickets will be available for parties of 20 or more, compared to the 50-person minimum for Olympic group tickets — a notably lower bar if you’re organizing a school, club, or community group specifically around the Paralympics.
Getting Around: Same Zones, Same System
The Paralympic Games use the identical 25-zone system as the Olympics — 18 zones across Greater Los Angeles plus 7 more spread around the country in Oklahoma City, Columbus, Nashville, New York City, St. Louis, San José, and San Diego. If you already know a zone from planning an Olympic trip, that same zone knowledge carries over directly to the Paralympics, since it’s the same venues and the same geographic logic, just a different set of sports assigned to each one closer to the Games.
Essential Internal Resources
Before you plan around the Paralympic dates specifically, these guides cover the shared logistics behind both Games:
For the full 25-zone breakdown: LA 2028 Olympics Venues and Zones Guide.
For the zones outside Los Angeles that also apply to the Paralympics: LA28 Out-of-State Venues: Complete Guide.
For entry requirements international Paralympic visitors need too: LA28 Visa Requirements: Complete Entry Guide.
For how the same ticket draw system works for the Olympic Opening Ceremony: LA 2028 Olympics Opening Ceremony Tickets: Complete Guide.
Master Your Destination: City Budget Guides
Planning a longer trip around the Paralympics, or stopping elsewhere 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
When are the LA28 Paralympic Games?
August 15–27, 2028, starting two weeks after the Olympic Games close on July 30.
How many sports are in the LA28 Paralympic Games?
23 Para sports, spanning categories from athletics and swimming to combat sports like Para judo and wheelchair fencing, plus racquet sports like wheelchair tennis and Para badminton.
When can I buy LA28 Paralympic Games tickets?
Starting in 2027 — a full year after Olympic tickets went on sale. LA28 hasn’t announced specific 2027 drop dates yet.
Is this the first time Los Angeles has hosted the Paralympic Games?
Yes. LA has hosted the Summer Olympics twice before (1932 and 1984), but 2028 marks the city’s first time ever hosting the Paralympic Games.
Do Paralympic events use the same venues as the Olympics?
Yes, the same 25-zone system and many of the same venues apply to both Games, including the LA Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium, which swap opening and closing ceremony duties between the Olympics and Paralympics.
Want More Free Travel Resources?
Grab the free 2026 Travel Dupes Cheat Sheet for workarounds on planning a second LA trip around the Paralympic dates without paying peak-Olympic pricing twice. Subscribe at the top of parandjahtravels.com to download it instantly.
Conclusion
The LA28 Paralympic Games deserve their own planning timeline, not a rushed afterthought tacked onto an Olympic trip. Mark August 15–27, 2028 separately from the Olympic dates, register for an LA28 account now so you’re ready when 2027 ticket sales open, and lean on the zone knowledge you build from any Olympic-trip planning, since it carries over directly. This is LA’s first Paralympic Games ever — worth treating as its own event, not a rerun.
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.