Olympics-LA28 plans citywide Cultural Olympiad built around local artists, communities

By Rory Carroll

LOS ANGELES, May 6 (Reuters) – Organizers of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics plan to use the Games’ Cultural Olympiad to showcase the city’s neighborhoods, artists and immigrant ​communities, with programming spanning film, food, fashion, music, performance ‌and visual arts, LA28 officials said.

The Cultural Olympiad is a multi-year program designed to meld sports and culture in the host city.

The program, required of Olympic host cities, will be built “from the community level up,” said Nora Halpern, ‌executive ​director of LA28’s Cultural Olympiad, who said ⁠organizers have met with more ⁠than 300 local arts organizations over the past two years.

“The 2028 Cultural Olympiad will be a celebration of culture by and for Los Angeles, which we will share with the world,” ​Halpern told reporters on Wednesday.

LA28 said the program would emphasize access for residents and visitors, including those without tickets to events. ⁠Organizers aim to reduce or eliminate ⁠admission fees for some cultural programming and to highlight ​existing free events across the region.

A digital calendar and mapping tool, ​scheduled to launch in January 2028, will guide residents and ‌visitors to cultural events across greater Los Angeles before, during and after the Games. LA28 said the platform is intended to remain as a legacy resource for the city.

Organizations will be able to ⁠apply in 2027 for an official Cultural Olympiad mark at no cost, allowing their events to be included in LA28 marketing, officials said.

LA28 also ⁠plans to commission ‌16 official Cultural Olympiad posters — eight for the ⁠Olympic Games and eight for the Paralympic Games — ​from ‌local artists. The posters are expected to be ​unveiled in ⁠July 2027.

Programming is expected to include outdoor film screenings, live performances, community stages, art exhibitions and events in parks and other public spaces. Officials said the effort would use Los Angeles landmarks and neighborhood venues while highlighting local food, artists and cultural groups.

(Reporting by Rory CarrollEditing ​by Toby Davis)