Swimming, which traditionally opened the Olympic action, will move over to the second week of the Games in order for Athletics to start and will be held at the 70,000-capacity SoFi Stadium, the futuristic $5 billion (€ 4.6 billion) home of the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers NFL teams.  The switch was welcomed by World Athletics chief Sebastian Coe, hailing it as a "visionary" change. "This change underscores our commitment to innovation in athletics and elevating the global profile of our athletes," Coe said in a statement. LA28’s proposed changes will achieve more than $150 million (€140.2 million) in combined new revenue and cost savings.

Additionally, LA28’s reliance on existing stadiums makes the Games more sustainable; enhances the field of play and warm-up areas for athletes; improves seating, hospitality, services and capacity for more fans; places competitions in the hands of experienced venue operators and staff to ensure smooth delivery and operations; and provides legacy opportunities in the City of Los Angeles. It is also in line with the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) new policy that encourages organisers to prioritise using existing or temporary venues, even if they are located outside of the host city.

"The Olympic and Paralympic Games represent the pinnacle of athletic competition and achievement, and we’re proud to host the Los Angeles 2028 Games in some of the greatest stadiums and arenas ever built," said LA28 Chairperson and President Casey Wasserman in a press release. 

"LA28’s updated venue plan will provide the ideal Hollywood stage for the world’s top athletes, and choosing from spectacular existing venues, wherever they are, rather than building new permanent or temporary stadiums, achieves more than $150 million in savings and new revenue to help maintain a balanced budget. We look forward to partnering with these venues, and their experienced operators and workforce, to deliver an unparalleled experience for athletes and fans in 2028," he added.

Under the updated venue plan, some of the most popular Olympic competitions will be held in venues considered among the finest in the world. Gymnastics will be held at the recently-renovated Arena in Downtown LA that is home to the NBA’s Lakers, NHL’s Kings, and WNBA’s Sparks; the US’ newest and most advanced pro-sports stadium, SoFi Stadium located in Inglewood —home to the NFL’s Rams and Chargers— will become the largest swimming venue in Olympic history, seating 38,000 spectators. Basketball will be held at the nation’s newest and state-of-the-art indoor arena —Intuit Dome in Inglewood— that will be home to the NBA’s Clippers. Athletics and Para Athletics will remain at the iconic and recently refurbished Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, making it the only stadium in history to host Track and Field competitions in three Olympic Games: 1932, 1984 and 2028.

Plans for opening and closing ceremonies are unchanged, with parts hosted at both the LA Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium. Additionally, to accommodate these moves, both World Athletics and World Aquatics approved LA28’s plan to adjust the traditional Olympic schedule. The men's and women's marathons, meanwhile, will continue to be held on the final weekend of the games, with medals handed out at the closing ceremony.

Diving will return to the same pool that hosted the Aquatics events in the 1932 Olympic Games, the 1932 Pool in Exposition Park, which will remain a legacy venue. The City of Long Beach will host Artistic Swimming and Para Swimming competitions, in addition to several other sports to be announced at a later date. 

Reaffirming its commitment to the San Fernando Valley in the updated plan —which was not included in either the 1932 or 1984 Games— LA28 proposed The Sepulveda Basin Recreation Area in the Valley to host the youthful, high-energy Olympic competitions for BMX Freestyle and BMX Racing along with Skateboarding Park and Street.

LA28 has also proposed venues outside the City of Los Angeles for sports that do not currently have venues that meet the Olympic competition standards: in accordance with the IOC’s Olympic Agenda 2020+5 recommendation which encourages the use of existing venues beyond the region of the host city. This includes Canoe Slalom and Softball —which are proposed to be held in Oklahoma City— Equestrian, Para Equestrian, Shooting and Shooting Para Sport will be held in venues in Southern California. 

All proposed venue changes have been assessed in consultation with each respective International Federation. The IOC Executive Board has approved these venue assignments for Olympic sports, pending approval from the City of Los Angeles.