Santa Monica Will Not Host 2028 Olympic Beach Volleyball Tournament

The city of Santa Monica announced Tuesday that it will not host beach volleyball during the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Summer Games in Los Angeles and that LA28 had ended formal talks to host the event at Santa Monica State Beach following nearly two years of negotiations.

“Despite good-faith efforts to reach a deal that would benefit both the Santa Monica community and work for LA28, ultimately the two parties were not able to agree to terms around community benefits, operational details and financial guarantees,” the city said in a statement on Tuesday morning. LA28 informed the city Friday that it plans to host beach volleyball elsewhere.

“There is no better place to host the Olympic beach volleyball competition than Santa Monica, where the sport was born. We would have loved to be a venue city in 2028,” Mayor Lana Negrete said. “While we’re disappointed that an agreement was not realized, we remain eager to share in the excitement the Olympics will bring to our region and are looking forward to being a regional partner in this historic event.”

As the birthplace of the sport, Santa Monica has been in discussions about hosting beach volleyball since Los Angeles’ first bid for the Games in 2016. The city said in its release “Santa Monica will focus efforts on bringing a host of exciting opportunities surrounding the Games as a regional partner. City teams have been exploring ideas for related events and revenue-generating prospects, including hospitality houses for numerous countries, broadcast centers, practice venues and watch parties to name just a few opportunities. The city also remains committed to partnering with LA28 and neighboring agencies to coordinate the Games in the region, including collaboration and support around transportation, hospitality, media, events and more.”

Beach volleyball had originally been slated for Santa Monica beach but the process to have a venue use agreement had been drawn out for a long time. The Los Angeles Times reported in October 2024 that city officials were close to a deal with LA28 as a 36-page study “outlined the risk of incurring” a $12.1 million net loss, but officials noted a chance to recoup expenses if the Games are “financially successful.”

“When the world shows up to Los Angeles for the 2028 Summer Olympics, we look forward to welcoming hundreds of thousands of participants and sports enthusiasts to Santa Monica for an iconic California experience,” Santa Monica Travel and Tourism President and CEO Misti Kerns said. “With our key location and proximity to LA28 venues, our beachside city is already seeing strong demand for the summer months of 2028. Our hotels, restaurants, attractions, and shopping areas are working to create additional packages and experiences while looking forward to hosting Olympic visitors during this exciting time for the region.”

LA28 wanted to have a temporary 12,000 seat stadium with practice courts north of the Santa Monica Pier. LA28’s beach volleyball follows the astonishing backdrop of the Eiffel Tower for the beach competition at the 2024 Games in Paris.

Councilmember Dan Hall issued a statement Tuesday morning that said, “I’m really disappointed that we couldn’t make the Olympics work for Santa Monica. It is tough to close this door with LA28. However, as a leader who has a fiduciary responsibility to the City and community, we needed the financial backstop guarantee to provide the security, safety, and cleaning services hosting such a massive event would’ve required, especially while we face a financially distressed budgeting cycle.”

OKC City Council Votes on LA28 Guarantees

The Oklahoma City Council is scheduled tonight to provide $34.5 million in guarantees to LA28, The Oklahoman reported, as the host for canoe slalom and softball. The canoe slalom competition will be held at the Riversport Rapids complex along the Oklahoma River and softball competition at Devon Park, home of the Women’s College World Series.

The guarantee would be paid if the city does not host the events and provide promised services and venues. LA28 calculated the amount based on what it would cost Los Angeles to step in and host the events. Mayor David Holt told The Oklahoman “It’s not a check we expect to write out.”

The resolution would pledge use of city venues including the McClendon Whitewater Center, Devon Park, the Oklahoma City Convention Center, Scissortail Park, Paycom Center and other venues as needed and that the two event venues will have maintenance and improvements in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.