LA28 Cultural Olympiad is preparing a major citywide arts celebration that will showcase the culture, creativity, and communities of Los Angeles before the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Organisers say the programme will involve more than 300 local arts organisations and community groups across the region. The Cultural Olympiad will include events linked to music, film, fashion, food, visual arts, theatre, and live performances.
The project is part of a long Olympic tradition that combines sport with culture in host cities around the world.
According to LA28 officials, the programme is designed to celebrate the real identity of Los Angeles by highlighting local artists, immigrant communities, neighbourhood venues, and cultural institutions.
Nora Halpern said organisers spent the past two years meeting with hundreds of local arts groups while building the programme from the community level upward.
The Cultural Olympiad will feature events in parks, public spaces, theatres, and community centres throughout greater Los Angeles.
Plans include outdoor film screenings, public performances, cultural festivals, art exhibitions, and neighbourhood stage events. Officials also want to reduce or remove ticket fees for some activities to make events more accessible for residents and visitors.
A digital calendar and mapping platform is expected to launch in January 2028. The system will help people locate Cultural Olympiad events across the city before, during, and after the Games. Organisers say the platform will remain as a long-term community resource after the Olympics end.
The programme will also include 16 official art posters created by local artists. Eight posters will represent the Olympic Games and eight will represent the Paralympic Games. The designs are expected to be revealed in July 2027.
Maria Arena Bell is leading the Cultural Olympiad project. She was appointed chair in 2024 and has worked with Los Angeles arts organisations, educators, and community leaders to shape the programme.
LA28 officials say the Cultural Olympiad will focus strongly on inclusion and accessibility, especially because the 2028 Games will mark the first time Los Angeles hosts the Paralympic Games.
The organisers also want the programme to leave a long-lasting impact beyond the Olympics by supporting local artists and strengthening cultural connections across the city.
Los Angeles previously hosted major Olympic arts festivals during the 1932 and 1984 Games. Those programmes helped shape the city’s global image in music, film, and visual arts.
The Cultural Olympiad comes as preparations for the 2028 Games continue expanding across Southern California.
LA28 has also launched volunteer programmes, venue planning, and community outreach projects ahead of the Olympics. Organisers expect tens of thousands of volunteers to participate during the Games period.
The upcoming Olympics are expected to become one of the biggest sporting and cultural events ever held in Los Angeles.
Officials say the Cultural Olympiad will help ensure the Games reflect the city’s diversity, creativity, and local identity while sharing that culture with a global audience.
