Two and a half years before the 2028 Olympics return to Los Angeles, registration to buy tickets kicked off Wednesday morning, bringing a crush of fans to the LA28 website. The site was so crowded that customers waited up to half an hour to register.
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In another measure of enthusiasm for what will be the third Olympics held in L.A. (following the Summer Games of 1932 and 1984) some 300 former Olympians took part in events and a ceremony celebrating ticket registration. They cheered the lighting of the Olympic cauldron high above the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, which will be the venue for track and field come July of 2028.
The online registration that began at 7 a.m. Wednesday will continue until March 18. Those selected to buy tickets will get an email with a time slot. The order of registration will have no impact on customers’ chances of buying tickets, LA28 officials said.
The first shot at tickets will go to Southern Californians who live in L.A., Orange, Riverside, San Bernardino and Ventura counties. Residents of Oklahoma City — where softball and canoe slalom will be held — also will have access to the pre-sale, which will run from April 2 to April 6. Sales to the rest of the public will begin April 9.
Ticket prices as low as $28
The April sales will include tickets to all events, including the opening and closing ceremonies. Each registrant will be allowed to buy a maximum of 12 tickets.
Olympic organizers said they are trying to make tickets affordable. At a news conference outside the Coliseum, they said that 1 million of a total 14 million tickets will go for $28. About one-third of all seats will be priced at under $100. Prices for the bulk of the tickets will not be released until April.
“These Games have to be affordable and inclusive, especially for the communities of Los Angeles and Oklahoma City where competitions will take place,” said LA28 Chair Casey Wasserman.
LA28’s leaders brought the Olympic veterans to Wednesday’s event to try to stoke enthusiasm for the Games. Janet Evans, the chief athlete officer for the Games and a former swimming gold medalist, promised an “athlete-centered Games,” adding, “and that can only happen if athletes are actually at the center of our planning.”
Among the Olympians on hand Wednesday were 1984 gymnastics gold medalist Bart Conner and swimming gold medalists John Nabor and Cullen Jones. One of the oldest in the crowd was Tom Lough, a West Point graduate who competed in modern pentathlon at the 1968 Games in Mexico City.
Taking input from veteran Olympians
Lough, 83, said he appreciated how the LA28 organizers gathered the athletes and listened to their ideas. He proposed the opening of a film festival in conjunction with the L.A. Games — featuring Olympic-themed films like “Chariots of Fire.” He also said there should be a competition for young filmmakers who are telling the stories of the Olympics. “We could launch some young filmmakers, and at the same time promote the Olympics,” he said.
Lough has become a ringleader among veterans of the 1968 Games — encouraging reunions and honoring those who have died. He said the world desperately needs an infusion of the Olympic spirit, which transcends national boundaries and builds community among all people.
“If we can show the world that, at least every four years, we can get together in a fiercely competitive environment and shake hands at the end of it,” said Lough, as he began to cry and laugh, “well, we can’t do any better than that. All we have is our hopes and dreams, I suppose.”
Today’s top stories 
A view from above Simi Valley to the Santa Susanna Pass, San Fernando Valley and beyond toward downtown Los Angeles.
(Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times)
The Valley, the South Bay and beyond: These are L.A.’s newest million-dollar neighborhoodsTwelve new neighborhoods have joined the million-dollar home value club, sprawling farther north into the Valley, south into the South Bay, and east into the foothills.Unlike the pandemic housing boom’s dramatic spikes, these communities reached seven-figure typical home values through steady month-by-month appreciation, signaling Angelenos’ comfort living farther from the city.L.A. County moves to carve out ‘ICE-free’ zones following immigration raid violenceThe Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors voted unanimously on Tuesday to bar immigration enforcement officers from county-owned spaces.Lindsey Horvath, the District 3 supervisor, announced the motion to establish county property as “U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-free” zones, prohibiting agents from staging, processing or operating in those areas.The action comes after multiple incidents of violence in California as well as last week’s fatal shooting in Minnesota of 37-year-old Renee Good by a federal immigration agent, which spurred an outcry across the country.The Trump administration sues two California cities over natural gas bansThe Justice Department said natural gas bans in Petaluma and Morgan Hill drive up costs and conflict with federal policy. The two cities say they’ve already stopped enforcing the bans after a federal court struck down Berkeley’s similar ordinance in 2023.The lawsuit reflects Trump’s broader campaign to roll back environmental regulations and prioritize fossil fuel development over clean energy alternatives.What else is going onCommentary and opinionsThis morning’s must readOther must readsFor your downtime 
Ingredients for Vida and the finished smoothie at Roots of Life in Huntington Park.
(Myung J. Chun / Los Angeles Times)
Going outStaying inA question for you: Are you optimistic for the new year? If so, why?
Jody Stefansson said, “How can anyone in Southern California not feel the imperative to have hope in 2026 while we continue to witness the magnificent resilience of our fire-devastated neighbors in the communities of Altadena and Pacific Palisades? If these weary, heartbroken people can rise with strength and dignity from the soot and ashes of their lives, the rest of us would be wise to follow their lead, knowing we, too, have the ability to overcome whatever challenges face us in this new confusing and scary year.”
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And finally … from our archives 
Martin Luther King Jr., photographed in 1965 by Steve Schapiro.
(Steve Schapiro / Fahey / Klein Gallery)
On Jan. 15, 1929, American civil rights activist and religious leader Martin Luther King Jr. was born. Fifteen years after his assassination, Martin Luther King Jr. Day was signed into law and was first observed on Jan. 20, 1986.
Three years ago, on what would have been his 94th birthday, former Times essayist Jamil Smith wrote about the King holiday and why it should make you uncomfortable.
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
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Hugo Martín, assistant editor, fast break desk
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Andrew Campa, Sunday writer
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