The 2028 Summer Olympics are coming to Los Angeles and Long Beach is not just a footnote. The city will serve as one of the primary competition venues for the entire Games, hosting 11 events across sailing and marathon swimming.
That means elite athletes from around the world, tens of thousands of spectators, and a level of international attention that Long Beach has not seen in decades.
Whether you live here or are planning a visit around the Games, here is what you actually need to know.
What Events Are Coming to Long Beach
Long Beach will host Olympic sailing and marathon swimming.
Sailing is one of the most logistically demanding Olympic sports. It takes place entirely on open water, spans multiple event formats over several days, and requires extensive spectator infrastructure along the shoreline.
The waters off Long Beach, with their consistent summer wind patterns and the city’s long history of competitive sailing, make this a well-suited venue. The Long Beach Yacht Club has hosted world-class regattas for decades, and the infrastructure already in place gives the city a meaningful advantage.
Marathon swimming, the grueling 10-kilometer open-water race, will also be held in Long Beach waters. Athletes from dozens of countries will compete across multiple days in late July and early August of 2028, with the harbor and coastline serving as the backdrop.
What the Waterfront Will Look Like
Expect the Long Beach waterfront to look dramatically different in the months leading up to the Games. Temporary grandstands, media facilities, athlete preparation areas, and public spectator zones will reshape the shoreline around Rainbow Harbor, the Convention Center area, and the adjacent waterfront corridor.
Significant infrastructure improvements are expected in conjunction with the Games, including upgrades to transit access, pedestrian pathways, and public gathering spaces along the water.
According to the LA28 organizing committee, the Games are projected to generate approximately $11.1 billion in economic impact for the greater Los Angeles region.
Long Beach, as a primary competition venue hosting nearly a dozen events, is positioned to capture a meaningful share of that through tourism, hospitality spending, and increased visibility for local businesses.
The Best Places to Watch
Shoreline Village is expected to be one of the best free public viewing areas in the city during the Games. Its position directly on the harbor with unobstructed water views, combined with adjacent dining and retail, makes it naturally suited to open-water event viewing.
Spectators who cannot get tickets to the official competition zones will likely gather here in significant numbers.
The Rainbow Harbor promenade, the Aquarium of the Pacific area, and the elevated vantage points along Ocean Boulevard and Bluff Park all offer clear sight lines over the water. Long Beach’s geography is genuinely well-suited to watching open-water events without a ticket, something that is not true of most Olympic venues.
If you are strategic about your positioning, you can watch competitive Olympic sailing from public land for free.
Getting Around During the Games
Traffic near the waterfront will be heavily impacted on competition days. The LA28 organizing committee and the City of Long Beach are expected to significantly expand transit options and strongly encourage visitors to use the A Line light rail, water taxis, and dedicated shuttle systems rather than driving.
Parking near the waterfront on event days will be extremely limited and likely expensive.
If you live in the Long Beach area, mapping your preferred transit route before competition days begin will save real frustration.
For visitors from outside the region, staying within walking or easy transit distance of the waterfront (downtown Long Beach, Belmont Shore, or the hotel corridor along Ocean Boulevard) will make a significant difference in your overall experience.
Why This Matters for Long Beach
Hosting Olympic events is about more than two weeks of competition. It is about infrastructure investment, long-term economic development, and the civic pride that comes with being part of something genuinely historic.
Long Beach has hosted significant open-water competitions before, but nothing at this scale or with this level of global visibility.
The 2028 Games represent one of the most consequential moments in the city’s modern history, and residents have a genuine front-row seat. Start familiarizing yourself with the venues and event schedule now.
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