LA 2028
LA28 Torch Relay Timeline: Every Date So Far
From the 2017 award to the 2028 Paralympic closing, with what is set and what is still to come
September 29, 20264 min read
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The Short List
- Relay starts: Atlanta, spring 2028
- Olympic Opening Ceremony: July 14, 2028
- Paralympic Games: August 15 to 27, 2028
- Full route: 2027
- Torchbearer nominations: details due in the coming months
The full timeline is below. I update it the day anything new is announced.
What Has Happened
| Date | What happened |
|---|---|
| September 13, 2017 | The IOC awards the 2028 Games to Los Angeles |
| March 2021 | Comcast announced as an LA28 Founding Partner |
| November 6, 2025 | LA28 opens volunteer registration of interest, presented by Delta Air Lines |
| 2026 | LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover confirms a 50-state relay at a California Senate hearing |
| April 28, 2026 | JPMorganChase becomes the Official Bank of Team USA and LA28 |
| June 25, 2026 | Fresno approves a Torch Relay Agreement with LA28 (how cities join) |
| July 14, 2026 | LA28 volunteer applications open at volunteer.la28.org, for up to 60,000 volunteers |
| August 2026 | Allstate becomes an LA28 Founding Partner; Springfield, Missouri takes up its own Torch Relay Agreement |
| September 29, 2026 | LA28 announces the relay starts in Atlanta, with presenting partners Coca-Cola, JPMorganChase, Allstate and Xfinity |
What Comes Next
| When | What |
|---|---|
| Late 2026 to 2027 | Torchbearer nomination details, more relay partners and more host cities |
| 2027 | Full Olympic relay route published |
| 2027 (expected) | Nomination windows. Paris 2024's partner campaigns closed about seven months before its relay began |
| Spring 2028 | Flame lit at Olympia, Greece, and flown to Atlanta to start the relay |
| July 14, 2028 | Olympic Opening Ceremony at the LA Memorial Coliseum and SoFi Stadium |
| July 30, 2028 | Olympic Closing Ceremony at the Coliseum |
| August 2028 | Paralympic flame created at Stoke Mandeville, England; Paralympic relay |
| August 15, 2028 | Paralympic Opening Ceremony in Inglewood |
| August 27, 2028 | Paralympic Closing Ceremony at the Coliseum |
How Paris 2024 Ran Its Clock
LA28 hasn't set a lighting date. For comparison, Paris 2024's flame was lit at Olympia on April 16, 2024, handed over in Athens on April 26, and reached Marseille by ship on May 8. The Paris Games opened on July 26, about 14 weeks after the lighting.
LA28 has described its relay as running more than three months, which puts the lighting around early April 2028 if it follows the same pattern.
Frequently Asked Questions
When does the 2028 Olympic torch relay start?
In spring 2028, in Atlanta. LA28 hasn't announced the exact date.
When will the LA28 torch relay route be announced?
In 2027.
When do LA28 torchbearer nominations open?
LA28 says details are coming in the coming months. Recent Games suggest the forms open in 2027. Add your name here and I'll email you the day they do.