The race for tickets to the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles has officially begun, and residents of Ventura County are in a prime position to secure their seats. Registration for the LA28 Ticket Draw is now open through March 18, 2026. While the general public will have to wait for the first round of sales in mid April, those living in Ventura and four other Southern California counties will have an exclusive early access window to purchase tickets before everyone else.
The Power of the Zip Code
The special locals' pre-sale event is based strictly on billing zip codes. Residents of Ventura, Los Angeles, Orange, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties are automatically entered into a separate draw for this early access window, which is scheduled to run from April 2 to April 6, 2026. This gives locals a one week head start on the general public, whose first ticket drop begins on April 9. Notably, residents in neighboring Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties are not eligible for this specific pre-sale, though they can still register for the general ticket lottery.
Olympic organizers have emphasized that at least one million tickets will be priced at 28 dollars, with roughly a third of all seats costing less than 100 dollars. This tiered pricing is part of an effort to ensure the games remain accessible to the communities hosting the events. Each registered account will be limited to purchasing a maximum of 12 tickets during their assigned time slot, which will be randomly generated and assigned via email starting in late March.
A Historic Return to Los Angeles
The 2028 Games will mark the third time Los Angeles has hosted the Summer Olympics, following the 1932 and 1984 games. While the 1984 events featured some venues in Ventura County, the current 2028 plan focuses most competitions within the greater Los Angeles area. However, with millions of fans expected to converge on the region from July 14 to July 30, 2028, local residents are encouraged to act early.
Registration for the ticket draw does not require immediate payment or any obligation to buy. It simply secures a place in the lottery for a 48 hour purchase window. In recognition of a long standing partnership with the games, Visa has been named the official way to pay for all ticket transactions. Fans who miss the March 18 registration deadline will have to wait for subsequent ticket drops later in 2026 and 2027, when availability for high demand events like the Opening Ceremony may be significantly limited.