For seven years, the promise of the 2028 Olympic Games has shone on the horizon as a source of pride and celebration for Los Angeles. There were concerns: the homelessness crisis, cost overruns, comparisons with last year’s successful edition in Paris. But for the most part, 2028 held out hope of providing as much of a boost to the region’s economy and international image as the 1984 Olympics.
All of this was thrown into doubt within the space of a week.
The fires that devastated the region presented Los Angeles with a challenge that would test the capacity and resources of any city: how to host a 17-day, US$7 billion (R$42.2 billion) spectacle, expected to attract up to 15 million visitors to a region of 18 million people, all while entire neighborhoods destroyed by fire are rebuilt?
No one is suggesting that the Games be postponed or canceled in response to the fires. But concerns are growing that an already challenging undertaking, both for Los Angeles, the main host city, and for LA2028 — the private committee responsible for raising the bulk of the money and managing the Games — has become even more complex. .
Mike Bonin, a former City Council member who voted in favor of the Olympics when the effort came before Los Angeles’ governing body for approval in 2017, said the fires represent a “nightmare scenario.”
“This calls into question the city’s ability to hold the Olympics,” he said.
Across the region, people are shocked by the extent of the destruction. Many lost homes and belongings or fled in the middle of the night in the face of mandatory evacuations. They watched the tragedy unfold on television as well as the glow of nearby fires, smoke-darkened skies and the wail of firetruck sirens.
When the Games take place in July 2028, officials say, Los Angeles will still be immersed in rebuilding what was destroyed: homes, businesses, offices, places of worship, municipal buildings and parks.
The Games will take place in nearly 50 locations spread across a vast territory, from Temecula to the San Fernando Valley. Even before the prospect of massive reconstruction projects, there were concerns about the logistics of moving large crowds through a region overwhelmed by traffic and a troubled transportation system.
Now, Los Angeles faces the unexpected expense of millions of dollars in overtime for firefighters and police officers, plus the costs of repairing or rebuilding city-owned structures.
The organizing committee is responsible for raising the estimated budget of US$7 billion (R$42.2 billion) for the Games, counting on revenue from ticket sales, sponsorships and contributions from the IOC (International Olympic Committee).
But under the Olympic contract approved by the Los Angeles City Council, the city is responsible for the first $270 million of any cost overruns. The state of California would pick up the next $270 million, and any additional overruns would go back to Los Angeles.
Donald Trump’s victory in November has left city officials and the Olympic movement apprehensive about how much they will be able to turn to Washington for help, especially to complete a multibillion-dollar road expansion that Los Angeles officials have promised the IOC.
Officials pointed to one reason for consolation, given an expected shortage of construction workers in the coming years: Almost all events will be held in existing buildings.
Still, the situation remains volatile. The fire has so far spared stadiums and other Olympic venues. But the UCLA campus in Westwood, which will theoretically house the Olympic Village, is at risk of mandatory evacuation.
Virginia Tech professor Jadrian Wooten, who has studied the economics of sports, said the central question will be “how much of the city’s resources will be dedicated to revitalizing areas for the Olympics and how much will be dedicated to fire response.”
“Balancing these two priorities will be crucial in determining whether Los Angeles will have both the money and capacity to handle an event of this scale alongside the wildfire response,” he said.
Casey Wasserman, president of LA2028, said he is confident that Los Angeles will recover from the wildfires and that they will not harm the Olympics. “Los Angeles is defined by its resilience and determination,” he said. “The strength of our communities and our unity in difficult times make this city extraordinary, and when Los Angeles welcomes the world in 2028, our spirit will shine brighter than ever.”
“I’ve seen what people can do,” said Wendy Greuel, a former city controller and City Council leader who had to leave her home over the weekend. “The Olympics are positive for this region, and we must ensure not only that they can happen but that they will help us literally rise from the ashes with the aim of rebuilding this city.”
Los Angeles will also host the World Cup in 2026 and the Super Bowl (final of the NFL, the national American football league) in 2027. But these events do not overload a city like the Olympic Games, which will have competitions in several locations over two weeks.
“People are going to want to come to be part of the rebuilding process,” said John Rennie Short, professor emeritus at the University of Maryland School of Public Policy. “Furthermore, the Games could become part of what I will call the ‘renewal narrative,’ as city advocates will use the Games as a way to focus local, national and international attention on urban renewal, on the ‘new’ Los Angeles. Angeles and the captivating image of a city emerging from the ashes.”
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a California Democrat who has been frequently attacked by Trump, suggested the new president could eventually see a benefit in helping Los Angeles.
“This is an opportunity for him to shine, for this country to shine, for California and this community to shine,” Newsom said. For him, the Games offer the world an opportunity to unite in support of Los Angeles and provide the city with an opportunity to rebuild itself.
