Historic Birthplace of the Sport Won’t Host 2028 Events
City officials announced Friday that the city of Santa Monica and organizers of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games have officially ended discussions to host beach volleyball at Santa Monica State Beach.
After nearly two years of negotiations, the City of Santa Monica and the Los Angeles Organizing Committee for the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games (LA28) were unable to reach an agreement on key terms, including community benefits, operational logistics, and financial guarantees.
Santa Monica, widely recognized as the birthplace of modern beach volleyball, has been in talks about hosting the Games since Los Angeles submitted its first bid in 2016.
“There is no better place to host the Olympic beach volleyball competition than Santa Monica, where the sport was born,” said Santa Monica Mayor Lana Negrete. “While we’re disappointed that an agreement was not realized, we remain eager to share the excitement the Olympics will bring to our region and are looking forward to being a regional partner in this historic event.”
LA28 formally notified the city that it intends to hold the beach volleyball competition at a different location.
City officials said discussions between Santa Monica and LA28 intensified in early 2023 and continued through the fall. During an October 2024 public study session, the Santa Monica City Council directed staff to negotiate stronger protections and clearer benefits for residents and businesses, especially those near the Santa Monica Pier. LA28 declined to revise its proposal to meet those conditions.
With venue negotiations concluded, Santa Monica will now focus on supporting the Games as a regional partner through various initiatives, including potential hospitality houses, practice venues, broadcast centers, and watch parties under the city’s CELEBRATE28 program. The initiative is designed to coordinate efforts across departments and community partners in areas such as sustainability, transportation, special events, and hospitality.
“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,” said Misti Kerns, President and CEO of Santa Monica Travel & Tourism.
Local hotels, restaurants, and entertainment venues are already preparing for an expected surge in demand and are working to create new visitor experiences and packages for the 2028 summer season.
Despite stepping back as a venue city, Santa Monica remains committed to collaborating with LA28 and other regional agencies on transportation, media, and hospitality coordination in advance of the Games, which begin on July 14, 2028.
More information about LA28 is available at la28.org. To learn more about Santa Monica’s CELEBRATE28 initiative, visit santamonica.gov/topic-explainers/celebrate28.
