2028 Summer Paralympics in Los Angeles, California
Author: Disabled World (DW)
Updated/Revised Date: 2 Nov 2026
Table of Contents:
Synopsis - Definition - About This Section - FAQs - Publications - Subtopics
Synopsis
Learn about the 2028 Summer Paralympics in Los Angeles, California, including host details, the planned sports program, venues, and event information for LA28.
At a Glance
- 1 - Para climbing will make its Paralympic debut at LA28.
- 2 - The LA28 Paralympics will run from August 15 to 27, 2028, with 23 sports.
- 3 - The Paralympics will use the same four Sports Parks, the Village at UCLA, and other venues as the Olympic Games.
- 4 - Long Beach will hold the second-largest footprint outside the downtown Los Angeles hub, hosting more than a dozen events.
Topic Definition
- Summer Paralympic Games
The Summer Paralympic Games are the leading international multi-sport event for athletes with disabilities, governed by the International Paralympic Committee and held every four years, usually in the same city and shortly after the Summer Olympic Games. Competitors take part across a broad program of sports, and athletes are placed into sport classes based on the type and severity of their impairment so that results reflect skill rather than difference in function. The 2028 edition will be staged in Los Angeles, California, returning the Summer Games to the United States for the first time since Atlanta in 1996 and marking the first time Los Angeles has hosted the Paralympics, even as the city prepares to hold the Olympics for a third time. Organizers and Paralympic leaders view LA28 as a chance to grow the movement in the United States and to shift how society perceives people with disabilities.
Overview
The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has selected Los Angeles (LA) as the Host City of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, returning the Summer Games to the United States for the first time since Atlanta, 1996. The Olympic Games are scheduled to take place from July 14 to 30, 2028, in Los Angeles, California, United States. The LA 2028 Paralympics will run from August 15 to 27, 2028.
The City of Angels will be hosting the Olympics for the third time (1932, 1984, 2028) and the Paralympics for the first time. Sir Philip Craven, International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President when Los Angeles was chosen, hoped the 2028 Paralympic Games in Los Angeles would provide a platform for his Movement to experience a period of growth in the United States.
International Paralympic Committee (IPC) President Andrew Parsons has said the organization sees Los Angeles 2028 as an opportunity for the Paralympic Movement because of the Organizing Committee's desire to "make a difference". Parsons believes the 2028 Summer Paralympic Games also presents a chance for Los Angeles in terms of changing perceptions of people with disabilities.
"We think that together we can benefit the city, change the way not only Los Angeles but the whole of South California, the US, and why not the world perceive persons with an impairment," the Brazilian added.
For the 2028 Summer Olympics and Paralympic Games, Long Beach will have the second-largest footprint outside the downtown Los Angeles hub, with more than a dozen sporting events.
"The Paralympic Movement has been growing steadily in the United States, but there is nothing else like the opportunity to host the Games here on US soil that will energize this Movement and increase awareness in popular culture in the US," - Rick Adams.
"The 2028 Paralympic Games will benefit from the same four Sports Parks, Village at UCLA, and other world-class venues as the Olympic Games, offering the greatest stage to showcase the world's best athletes and change societal perceptions about disabled persons," - Statement from the Organizing Committee.
LA28 Paralympic Sports
The International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Governing Board approved 23 sports, including Para climbing as a new sport, for inclusion in the LA28 Paralympic Games. By the IPC Handbook, an Organizing Committee of a respective Game may also propose to the IPC one or more additional events in new sports, with consideration for inclusion at the absolute discretion of the IPC Governing Board. The following International Federations govern the sports approved for inclusion, along with Para climbing:
- Badminton World Federation (BWF) - Para badminton
- Boccia International Sports Federation (BISFed) - Boccia
- International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) - Blind football
- International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) - Goalball
- International Blind Sports Federation (IBSA) - Para judo
- International Canoe Federation (ICF) - Para canoe
- International Equestrian Federation (FEI) - Para equestrian
- International Table Tennis Federation (ITTF) - Para table tennis
- International Tennis Federation (ITF) - Wheelchair tennis
- International Wheelchair and Amputee Sports Federation (IWAS) - Wheelchair fencing
- International Wheelchair Basketball Federation (IWBF) - Wheelchair basketball
- World Archery - Para archery
- World Para Athletics - Para athletics
- World Para Powerlifting - Para powerlifting
- World ParaVolley - Sitting volleyball
- World Para Swimming - Para swimming
- World Rowing - Para rowing
- World Shooting Para Sport - Shooting Para sport
- World Taekwondo - Para taekwondo
- World Triathlon - Para triathlon
- World Wheelchair Rugby (WWR) - Wheelchair rugby
- Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) - Para cycling
Olympic Opening and Closing Ceremony Venues
In January 2017, before the Games were awarded, the LA 2028 bid committee proposed the use of the new Los Angeles Stadium at Hollywood Park in Inglewood, California, and the historic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum during the 2028 Games' opening and closing ceremonies. The committee recommended that a segment of the opening ceremony be held at the Coliseum, including the launch of the final stage of the torch relay. The torch would then travel to Inglewood, where the main opening ceremony (including the parade of nations and other traditional protocols) would be held.
Other entertainment would be provided to spectators at the Coliseum, including a simulcast of the main portion of the ceremony at Inglewood. Finally, the historic Olympic cauldron at the Coliseum would be symbolically re-ignited upon the lighting of the Olympic cauldron in Inglewood.
Sixteen days later, the closing ceremony would be held in reverse, with an opening segment in Inglewood and the formal protocol (including the extinguishing of the cauldron) taking place at the Coliseum.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where will the 2028 Summer Paralympics be held?
The 2028 Summer Paralympics will be held in Los Angeles, California, with additional venues including Long Beach, which will host more than a dozen events.
When will the LA28 Paralympics take place?
The LA28 Paralympics will run from August 15 to 27, 2028, following the Los Angeles 2028 Summer Olympics, which run from July 14 to 30, 2028.
Has Los Angeles hosted the Paralympics before?
No, LA28 will be the first time Los Angeles has hosted the Paralympic Games, although the city has hosted the Olympics in 1932 and 1984.
What is goalball at the Paralympic Games?
Goalball is a team sport for athletes with visual impairment in which players roll a ball with bells toward the opposing goal, and all competitors wear eyeshades to ensure fair play.
Who governs the Summer Paralympic Games?
The International Paralympic Committee governs the Paralympic Games and works with the local organizing committee and the IOC for each edition.
How do athletes qualify for the Summer Paralympics?
Athletes qualify through their national bodies by meeting sport-specific standards and completing a classification process that groups them by the type and severity of their impairment.
Which city hosted the Summer Paralympics before Los Angeles 2028?
Paris, France, hosted the Summer Paralympic Games in 2024, before Los Angeles takes on the 2028 event.
Which new sport will debut at the LA28 Paralympics?
Para climbing is set to make its Paralympic debut at LA28, bringing the program to 23 sports. Athletes will compete in classes for visual, limb, and other physical impairments.
Curated and edited by Ian C. Langtree, Founder and Editor-in-Chief, Disabled World. This section is maintained by the Disabled World editorial team. Last updated: