The premier international multisport athletic competition is a global tradition that captures the world's attention every four years. Following a historic return to Western Europe in 2024, the eyes of the sporting world are now turning toward the future, specifically the upcoming 2028 iteration of the games set to take place in Los Angeles, California.
These global games represent a storied tradition that traces its roots back to ancient history. From the 8th century BC to the 4th century AD, elite athletes would converge on the ancient Mediterranean once every four years to compete in events such as chariot racing, boxing, wrestling, and discus throwing. These ancient competitions held immense cultural and religious importance.
The modern incarnation of these summer games began in 1896. For nearly a century, both the summer and winter versions of the world's premier athletic event were held in the same calendar year. In the late 1980s, the governing bodies transitioned to an alternating schedule, ensuring a major global competition occurs every two years, while maintaining a four-year cycle between each set of summer games.
The Evolution of the Games
The sports lineup for these international events is constantly evolving to reflect modern interests. Recent competitions have seen the debut of youth-oriented sports such as breakdancing, surfing, sport climbing, and skateboarding. As the games move toward Los Angeles in 2028, fans can expect a mix of traditional track and field, aquatics, and gymnastics alongside new additions that reflect the culture of the host city.
Historically, these events utilize a wide variety of venues across a host region. Major metropolitan areas often transform their infrastructure to accommodate millions of fans, utilizing everything from historic city centers to massive suburban stadiums. For example, previous host cities have utilized "zones" to group sports like equestrian events, cycling, and team sports, while a central "Village" serves as the primary residence for the competing athletes.
Symbols and Shared Ambition
The visual identity of each game typically pays tribute to the culture of the host nation. Recent emblems have focused on themes of equality, national personification, and the inclusion of women in athletics—a milestone first reached during the early 20th century. Modern branding often seeks to unify the various international competitions under a single visual message, highlighting a shared ambition for excellence and global unity.
Planning Your Trip: Tickets, Lodging, and Insurance
Attending a major international sporting event requires significant advance planning. For upcoming games like those in Los Angeles, tickets are typically released through official vendors several years in advance.
Lodging: Host cities experience a massive surge in demand. While major hotel chains and short-term rentals are plentiful, they often reach capacity a year or more before the opening ceremony. Spectators are encouraged to look for lodging in outlying suburbs and connected transit corridors.
Travel Insurance for the Summer Games
Before any international trip, it's essential that you purchase travel insurance or travel medical insurance. Travel insurance can provide coverage for prepaid, nonrefundable expenses, and can cover situations like trip cancellation, emergency medical care, trip interruption, lost luggage, emergency cash transfers, rental car coverage, and flight accidents. Travel medical insurance provides medical coverage while you're traveling abroad. Standard benefits can include coverage for necessary medical treatment, emergency medical evacuation/repatriation, return of mortal remains, accidental death and dismemberment, and ancillary benefits like ID theft assistance, terrorism and natural disaster relief. Be sure to check the fine print on your plan for all the details.
Perhaps you're unsure whether you should purchase travel insurance or travel medical insurance. Maybe you don't know what to look for when choosing a plan. Perhaps you're traveling on a budget and aren't sure if you can shoulder the additional expense. Whatever the case, our licensed and experienced representatives will be happy to answer your questions, and help you pick the best plan for your needs. See you in Paris.
