The Olympics and Paralympics are coming back to Los Angeles after forty-four years, providing an extraordinary opportunity for locals to volunteer at the world’s biggest sporting event. Tens of thousands of volunteers are recruited for each Games to ensure smooth operations and a welcoming environment for athletes from around the world.
If you’re interested in learning about how to volunteer for the Olympics and Paralympics in 2028, read on for a breakdown of everything we know so far.
🗓️ Save the dates:
- LA28 Olympic Games: July 14-30, 2028
- LA28 Paralympic Games: August 15-27, 2028
How do I apply to volunteer for the LA28 Olympic & Paralympic Games?
LA28 has officially launched the LA28 Volunteer Portal and is actively seeking applicants for roles in the following categories:
- Ceremonies: Support preparation and delivery of the Opening and Closing Ceremonies
- Communications: Support media and press operations, language translation, and interpretation
- Driving: Manage transport of accredited personnel between venues and key locations
- Experience: Create a welcoming environment for guests by providing information, navigation, and managing crowd flow
- Medical: Deliver medical care and support to athletes, teams, workforce, and spectators
- Operations: Keep spaces clean and well-organized
- Sport: Assist with field-of-play operations, equipment, and competition readiness
- Technology: Support digital and broadcast services, timekeeping, and results
It will take about 30 minutes to fill out and submit your application. Be ready with your clothing and footwear sizes, preferred location for volunteering, and information about your past sports and volunteering experiences.
🌐 Learn more and apply: Volunteer.LA28.org
What are the requirements for volunteering at the Olympics?
Volunteer requirements are as follows:
- Age: You must be at least 18 years old at the time of your application.
- Languages: You must be proficient in English (reading and writing).
- Time commitment: You must be available for at least 10 non-consecutive shifts (80 hours) during either the Olympic or Paralympic Games period.
- Location: You must be present at one of the Games locations (Greater L.A., Oklahoma City, New York City, Columbus, Nashville, St. Louis, San José, or San Diego)
- Accommodation: Usually, applicants are expected to arrange their own travel and accommodation close to the venues.
Volunteers are often assigned roles based on their skills and preferences.
If you’re a licensed medical professional seeking a medical volunteer position, you can also apply to support Team USA through the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee (USOPC) Sports Medicine Volunteer Program.
How competitive is the volunteer selection process?
Snagging a volunteer role at the Olympics is no easy feat. Paris 2024 selected 45,000 volunteers from around 300,000 applicants, which comes to about a 15% acceptance rate. Milano Cortina 2026 selected 18,000 volunteers from 130,000 applications, or about 14%.
Most volunteers are usually from the Games’ home country, but it’s not uncommon for international volunteers to participate. In Paris, about 20% of volunteers were from foreign countries.
What are some of the perks of volunteering for the Olympics?
Volunteers are not paid to work at the Olympics, but the experience will create memories for a lifetime. Here are some of the perks you can look forward to as a volunteer at the Games.
- Access to some sporting events during shifts: While volunteers don’t get any special tickets for the Games, their job may place them in a venue that allows them to watch the action up close.
- Official uniforms and gear: Each volunteer will get a complete kit and uniform designed specifically for the Olympics and representing elements of the host country. And yes, you get to keep them! Paris uniforms were designed by Decathlon, and included trousers, T-shirts, a jacket, a sun hat, socks, shoes, and a bag. Milano Cortina uniforms will be designed by Salomon, but details are still TBA.
