Seven Super Bowls, five FIFA World Cups and nearly a dozen World Series.
That’s the sheer scale of daily attendance that civic officials say to expect in Long Beach and the Southern California region as a whole in July 2028 for the Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics.
It’s the largest event to come here in decades, leading Long Beach “on the road to being a part of history,” said Councilmember Mary Zendejas at an Arts, Culture and Tourism Committee meeting Tuesday.
In a presentation provided to the three-councilmember committee, officials estimate the Games, tentatively scheduled for July 14 to July 30, will draw more than five million visitors and sell up to 15 million tickets in 28 days.
Long Beach is expected to get a piece of that. The city is set to host 11 Olympic events and at least four Paralympic sports in its Downtown shoreline area, Belmont Shore and Marine Stadium. The city will need to roll out plans for nearly every department and municipal service, from policing, public sanitation to permits, parking, buses and communication to the public.
Such a sprawl will need planning, Tyler Bonanno-Curley, deputy city manager, said at the start of the presentation. Since December 2023, the city has rolled out a four-part plan of operational planning, testing and delivery, and dissolution of operations after the games conclude.
There are also plans to coordinate rides for visitors along LA County Metro, as well as offering taxi service by air and water.
The goal is to use the Games to buoy Long Beach as an international travel destination.
Beach Volleyball, Bonanno-Curley said, is expected to use venue space for 15 of the 16 days, while Handball will be played every day in the Long Beach Arena. Officials also expect a boost in visitation around Target Shooting, alluding to the online craze around Korean competitor Kim Yeji and Turkish shooter Yusuf Dikec in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
“Hopefully, we can be a meme venue with Target Shooting,” Bonanno-Curley said.
Crowds are also expected around Belmont Pier and the Marine Stadium course, where coxswains, skiffs and long-distance swimmers will compete in the waters.
And for those who cannot attend the events, officials say they hope to emulate the Paris Olympics and set up fan zones citywide where people can watch events but also enjoy live music, food and workshops.
They also hope to establish a Long Beach Legacy Fund — similar to one created during the ‘84 Olympics — that’s meant to leverage the Games to inspire long-term philanthropic investments in youth sports and arts and culture, Bonanno-Curley said.
While it’s still more than a year until tickets go on sale, officials said they’re eagerly preparing and hope to have a mailing list and website to accept volunteers starting next year.