As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, I’m determined to attend the LA28 Summer Olympics. Yesterday was the day that non-local LA28 Olympics hopeful attendees were notified if they won the lottery for the first ticket sales drop. Sadly, neither my husband nor I were lucky enough to be selected for this ticket draw.
However, I’ve been reading about ticket purchase experiences from LA locals who got first dibs last week. And, my two major takeaways are:
- Tickets are going to be more expensive than I thought
- Tickets for the most popular events will be really hard to get
Just how much will it cost to secure Olympic event tickets?
Olympic organizers previously announced that tickets will start at $28, and there will be one million tickets available at that price. One-third of all tickets will be priced at $100 or less, and one-half will be priced at $200 or less. On paper, that does sound very reasonable. However, what people don’t realize is that the Olympics include a lot of qualifying events before the big medal events.
Gymnastics, Swimming, Athletics (Track and Field) and the Closing/Opening ceremonies are in high demand. And, the prices reflect that. For example, here is a breakdown of the seating map and pricing structure for the Track and Field event on July 16:
The lowest two ticket tier levels are reasonably priced. But as you can see from the seat map, those are the smallest sections. The majority of tickets for this event appear to be priced over $1000! LA28 has not published a list of all the events with ticket prices, but this article gives some example pricing from locals who already had a chance at buying tickets.
So, I’m going to have to think long and hard about how much I’m really willing to pay to be in the “room where it happens” (Hamilton reference in case that phrase isn’t familiar). My husband and I have set a budget for tickets, hoping we can see a few cheaper qualifying events of less popular sports with at least one major medal event on our most desired sports (gymnastics and swimming). My goal is to use miles and points for flights and hotels so that we can have more wiggle room in our ticket budget.
What do you think of these Olympic ticket prices? How much would you pay to see the Olympics in person?
The obsession with stadiums in the US got out of hand past 15-20 years.
I wouldn’t go there with free tickets.
What’s the point of watching somebody you don’t even know exercise in a distance?
I’d rather go exercise myself, or go for a walk in the woods – spending time on bettering myself.
Greed and unhealthy obsession with “celebrities” are ruining this country.
There is nothing to celebrate at modern stadiums (it’s a Greek word that has a completely different meaning).
Happy travels!!