California residents unhappy about expensive tickets for 2028 Olympics

Residents of Inglewood are not happy with the ticket prices they’re seeing for the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Reports vary on exactly how much people are paying for the games in the Los Angeles area, but based on what she has seen, Yolanda Davidson described the costs as outrageous.

“Two thousand dollars for track and field tickets, $300 or $400 for basketball tickets,” said Davidson, who lives in the Morningside Park area of Inglewood, a city located near Los Angeles International Airport. “I don’t even know how much the tickets are to the opening ceremonies, but I would love to see track and field since it’s right down the street from my house, and I’d like to see some basketball games too.”

Miya Walker, another resident of Morningside Park, described the ticket prices as disappointing.

“LA28 should keep in mind that residents have tight pocketbooks right now," but still want the opportunity to go to the games, Walker told The Center Square. LA28 is the independent, nonprofit and privately funded committee responsible for hosting the 2028 Summer Olympics.

Inglewood, where Walker and Davidson live, will serve as a major hub for the Olympics. The SoFi Stadium is in the city, as well as the Intuit Dome.

SoFi is scheduled to host the opening ceremony and swimming events. Intuit will host men’s and women’s basketball games.

“Somebody on TikTok said they paid $1,400 for two tickets,” Davidson told The Center Square. “They didn’t put what event they paid $1,400 for two tickets, but they did say they paid that much. And I know a couple of people who claim to have paid $300 to $400 for tickets to basketball.”

The Center Square reached out to the Inglewood Mayor’s Office and city council members for comment but did not receive a response by press time.

Davidson said that, in general, “The mayor’s office is not helpful with residential issues, especially when it comes to stadiums and events” in Inglewood.

Residents want to see athletes who represent not only the U.S., but the countries where locals lived before immigrating to America, Davidson said.

“We have a lot of Caribbean, Hispanic, African [people]. We have a lot of different people who live here,” she said. “And a lot of different nations are going to be here, and of course, our residents are going to want to go and support.”

Davidson added that Inglewood residents sometimes get ignored. Residents have two stadiums and deal with the traffic and the noise and “everything that comes with having two major stadiums."

“We have gone through a lot in this city to build two state-of-the-art stadiums. We’re grateful to have them, and we’re more than grateful to be able to host the Olympics,” said Davidson. “We want to be able to enjoy the games and support our athletes.”

Walker agreed.

She said the city should want locals and people from around the state to “enjoy the magic and excitement that the Olympic Games bring.”

Davidson went on to say that this is not just an Inglewood or LA-area problem. People from all over the United States want to come and enjoy the 2028 Games. However, with rising gas prices and inflation, Davidson said “the average citizen would not be able to pay $1,000 plus a plane ticket, plus a hotel” to travel and enjoy the Olympics.

“We would like them to come,” said Davidson. “So it really affects everyone.”

Pointing to LA’s “huge corporate interests,” Walker said she would like to see LA28 organizers work with sponsors to subsidize the games as much as possible. In doing so, tickets for Inglewood natives and residents of surrounding areas could be more affordable.

“Residents want to see the games live and in color,” said Walker.

Many people have also shared their frustrations on social media. Los Angeles-based broker Everett Wong posted on X that he’s seen ticket prices for some swimming events starting at $1,860. According to Wong, some tennis tickets began at $520. Beach volleyball started at $297. Water Polo was going for at least $248.

LA28 did not respond to The Center Square's requests for comment.

However, in a press release, LA28 said locals were able to secure tickets prior to sales being opened globally. Meanwhile, CEO Reynold Hoover is on record as saying that “hundreds of thousands of $28 tickets were sold.”

According to Hoover, that is the lowest-priced Olympic tickets in modern history.

“We’re thrilled by the level of interest and enthusiasm in tickets to the Games, and we’re ready to welcome millions of others to Los Angeles in 2028,” said Hoover.