LA28 Olympics: the Complete Guide for Australian Travellers

Quick Answer: olympics 2028 los angeles

Full LA28 ticket pricing hasn't been published as of mid-2026. Official tickets go through a ballot draw at la28.org, with no direct purchase option la28.org. For a confirmed booking rather than a ballot outcome, the official hospitality route is On Location.

The ballot is where the frustration sits. You register interest, wait for draws to open, and may receive nothing despite an early sign-up. Opening ceremony allocations and athletics finals attract the most competition. Preliminary sessions in swimming, gymnastics, and field events are more likely to clear the ballot and, in practice, deliver the atmosphere that makes the Games worth the journey.

On Location packages remove the uncertainty. For Australians who've already committed to a long-haul flight and accommodation costs from the other side of the Pacific, paying a premium for a confirmed ticket plus hotel and airport transfers simplifies what is otherwise a layered planning problem.

The package costs start considerably higher than standard ballot tickets are likely to run. Whether that premium is worth paying depends on your tolerance for uncertainty and how firm your travel dates are.

Practical framework: register at la28.org now, check onlocationexp.com for hospitality listings, and book refundable accommodation until tickets confirm. Tickets sorted. Now the long-haul flight.

Quick Answer: LA28 Olympics for Australians at a Glance

Sydney to LAX runs 13 to 14 hours nonstop. Melbourne adds roughly another two hours, coming in at 15 to 16 hours. Both cities have direct services, primarily on Qantas and Virgin Australia.

The booking window matters more for this trip than most. Economy return fares from SYD or MEL in the 18-to-24-month window, running from late 2026 to mid-2027, reach ~A$2,800 at the upper end of that range. Move to the 6-to-12-month bracket and the same seats run ~A$2,500 to ~A$4,500 or more. Within three months of the 2028 Games, expect severe premiums and scarce availability.

LAX is the only realistic international gateway. Long Beach, Burbank, and Ontario airports handle domestic routes only. International arrivals land at LAX, without exception.

Perth travellers have a materially different challenge. There are no direct flights from Perth to LAX. Connections through Sydney or Melbourne are required, adding four to six hours each way. Total travel time from Perth runs above 20 hours in most routing combinations, a significant commitment that shapes everything from hotel selection to ticket strategy. That's a different calculation entirely.

How Much Will LA 2028 Tickets Cost?

LA28 ticket prices aren't confirmed yet, but the ballot at la28.org is live la28.org and On Location hospitality packages start at around USD $3,000 per person.

That figure draws a practical line. On one side: the ballot system, refresh-your-inbox uncertainty, face-value prices. On the other: hospitality packages where a single booking confirmation covers the ticket, the hotel room, and the airport transfer. For Australians committing to a 14-hour flight from Sydney, that certainty carries real weight.

The ballot is the only route to official face-value tickets for the Olympics 2028 Los Angeles. Register on la28.org now, then enter session draws when ticket sales open. Opening ceremony and athletics finals carry the steepest demand at every Games, and LA28 will follow that pattern. Early registration improves your draw odds, though the ballot itself is no guarantee of landing the sessions you want.

Don't underestimate that last point.

On Location (operated by Endeavor/IMG) packages scale from that opening price up to USD $10,000 or more for premium sessions, with ceremony and track finals at the top end. Pricing reflects the all-in nature of the product: venue accommodation and transport are included. Monitor availability at On Location's official event packages. No ballot anxiety, no scrambling for rooms after a ticket draw clears.

For groups flying from Melbourne or Brisbane, the all-in bundle often makes logistical sense: one price, one booking, no juggling three separate confirmation emails.

Register your interest on la28.org now if face-value tickets are the goal. That's the only queue worth joining today.

Flying to Los Angeles from Australia

Sydney to Los Angeles is a 13 to 14-hour nonstop on modern aircraft. Melbourne is 15 to 16 hours. LAX is the only realistic international gateway for Olympics travel; Long Beach, Burbank, and Ontario handle domestic routes only.

Perth travellers have it tougher. No direct Perth-to-LAX services exist, which means connecting through Sydney or Melbourne and adding roughly 4 to 6 hours to what's already a marathon haul. Budget 20-plus hours in total and factor in the effect on arrival times for early-morning sessions.

The booking window is everything. Economy return fares from Sydney sit around A$1,800 to A$2,800 when you lock them in during the late 2026 to mid-2027 window. Sit on it until within three months of the Games and you'll face extreme premiums on whatever seats remain. Olympic travel has a way of clearing out the affordable cabin fast.

One practical move: book a refundable fare before the LA28 ticket ballot result arrives. You hold the seat at a sensible price and cancel with no loss if the draw doesn't come through. Lock in the flight first, confirm the tickets next, and sort accommodation after that. The order matters when you're planning around a ballot system where nothing is guaranteed until the email lands.

Perth travellers: the hidden extra leg

No airline flies direct from Perth to LAX. Every route connects through Sydney or Melbourne, adding four to six hours to an already long haul. Total door-to-door travel time clears 20 hours each way.

That extra leg deserves careful thought in your planning. Build in a night's stay at your connection city, or consider a deliberate stopover somewhere like Honolulu. Arriving jet-lagged into a Games with packed transport and compressed schedules is a punishment of its own making.

Perth travellers need one more buffer than east-coast Australians. Build it in.

Once you land, getting between venues is the next puzzle.

Getting Around Los Angeles During the Olympics

LA Metro is reliable during the Games, and Australians who get their transit card sorted before departure will find it far more predictable than rideshare on peak event days.

The K Line (Crenshaw/LAX line) is the single most useful route for Olympic travellers. It connects the LAX area directly to Inglewood and SoFi Stadium, the venue for athletics, the opening ceremony, and the closing ceremony la28.org.

The Purple Line extension, due to open in 2025-2026, extends service to Westwood and the UCLA campus, where several events are staged la28.org. What previously required a car or rideshare now takes a train.

Before leaving Australia, download the LA Metro app and load a TAP card (LA's transit smartcard) through it. Credit loads before arrival, which means stepping off a long-haul flight and onto a train without fumbling for cash at a ticket machine on no sleep.

Rideshare surge pricing will be rough on finals days and around the opening ceremony. Peak demand near major venues pushes fares well above standard rates. If your budget is already stretched across flights and tickets, factor this in early.

One practical rule before boarding in Sydney or Melbourne: download an offline navigation map for LA. Venue connectivity under crowd conditions is patchy, and real-time navigation in a city this size needs a data connection. Google Maps and Maps.me both support offline download. Plan for the gap.

Venues are spread across the city: Inglewood, Westwood, Long Beach, and beyond la28.org. Expect transfers, not strolls.

Navigation handled. Now the data question.

Staying Connected in Los Angeles: eSIM, SIM and Wi-Fi Options

HelloRoam eSIM plans for the US run on AT&T and Verizon 5G networks, with 30-day options covering the full LA28 competition window for a single fixed cost. Australian carrier daily roaming (Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone Australia) adds a per-day charge regardless of data used, which compounds over a fortnight of Games travel. An eSIM is a digital SIM profile activated via QR code, with no physical card swap required.

For a 16-day trip covering the full Games, the 10GB plan is the considered choice. Navigation between venues across a city this size consumes data steadily. Factor in digital tickets, messaging, and the occasional video call home, and 5GB runs thin by week two.

A dual SIM setup (phone running two active lines simultaneously) is worth the configuration time. Keep your Australian number active on your physical SIM for bank authentication codes and calls from home. Route all US data through the eSIM. Most current iPhones and Android flagships handle this natively, with no technical knowledge required.

One honest caveat: venue Wi-Fi at large stadium events is unreliable under full crowd conditions. A stadium built for NFL crowds, with tens of thousands of simultaneous users, creates genuine network congestion. Don't rely on the venue network for navigation or ticket display.

Activate the eSIM before boarding, not on arrival. The QR scan takes roughly two minutes over home Wi-Fi, and you land with data already running.

Data covered. Now the programme itself has changed.

What Sport Is Being Removed from the 2028 Olympics?

Boxing is being removed from the 2028 Olympics. The IOC stripped the International Boxing Association of recognition following governance disputes, leaving the sport without an official body to oversee competition. After years of uncertainty, the IOC resolved to drop boxing from the LA28 programme entirely en.wikipedia.org.

The five sports added tell a different story. Flag football, cricket, squash, lacrosse, and baseball/softball all join the schedule in Los Angeles la28.org.

Cricket is the headline addition.

The sport last appeared at the Olympics in 1900, a 128-year absence en.wikipedia.org. The format will be T20, the shortest and most broadcast-friendly form of the game. For Australian sports fans, cricket's inclusion gives the LA28 schedule a layered appeal that goes well beyond track and field. No living Australian cricket fan has watched the national side compete at an Olympic Games. That changes in 2028.

Flag football draws enormous domestic US followership. Its Olympic debut is expected to generate strong local crowd support and a different stadium atmosphere to most other events on the programme.

Softball also returns alongside baseball. Australia fields a competitive international softball squad, adding another programme anchor for travelling Australians who want multiple events across the fortnight.

Sport surprises noted. Here is the full planning checklist.

Planning Your LA28 Olympics Trip: Australian Action Checklist

Seven steps cover everything from booking your place at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics to landing at LAX with data already running. Work through them in order.

Step 1: Register at la28.org for the ticket ballot Get this sorted now. The ballot is the only path to face-value tickets, and early registrants get first access to the draw. If the ballot misses you, hospitality packages via onlocationexp.com are the structured fallback.

Step 2: Book flights in the late 2026 to mid-2027 window Economy fares from Sydney in that window are at their most reasonable (the pricing bands covered earlier). Beyond mid-2027, inventory tightens sharply as Olympic travel dates approach.

Step 3: Lock in refundable accommodation after tickets are confirmed Don't commit to non-refundable hotels until you know you have tickets. Options across Westside, Hollywood, and Downtown give flexibility. Refundable means you can cancel cleanly if the ballot goes against you.

Step 4: Check On Location for hospitality bundles onlocationexp.com lists ticket-plus-hotel packages. The starting price point (noted earlier) is steep, but bundled logistics appeal to travellers who prioritise certainty over cost control.

Step 5: Apply for your ESTA Australian passport holders need an ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization, the US visa waiver) before any US-bound flight. Apply at least three months out to allow time for any follow-up queries.

Step 6: Organise travel insurance with event cancellation cover Standard policies often exclude event-specific cancellation. Confirm the policy covers non-refundable tickets if the event is cancelled or you can't travel.

Step 7: Set up a US eSIM before departure An eSIM activated before boarding means your phone is on data the moment wheels touch LAX. No fiddly SIM card swap after 14 hours in the air. HelloRoam's US plans run on AT&T and Verizon 5G networks, starting at ~A$4.45 for 1 GB over 7 days. Activate your US eSIM before you fly.

Reviewed by HelloRoam's editorial team. Last updated: 09 June 2026.