Two Years Out, LA28 Opens the Door for 60,000 Volunteers
Applications for the biggest volunteer workforce in LA28's plans opened on the two-years-to-go milestone — here's who qualifies and what the gig involves.
The road to Los Angeles just got a lot more crowded — by design. LA28 opened Games-time volunteer applications on July 14, exactly two years before the Olympic opening ceremony, launching the recruitment of roughly 60,000 volunteers to power the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games, per NBC Los Angeles.
Who can apply
The bar is deliberately broad. Applicants must be at least 18 years old by the time of the Games and able to read and write in English — but U.S. citizenship and California residency are not required. According to NBC Los Angeles, volunteers need to be present in one of the Games' host areas, from Greater Los Angeles to co-host venue cities including Oklahoma City and New York.
What the job actually is
This is a real commitment, not a lanyard and a selfie. Volunteers must work a minimum of 10 shifts of roughly 8 hours each — and those signing up for both the Olympics and Paralympics owe 10 shifts for each. The roles span eight categories: communications, driving, experience, medical, ceremonies, operations, sport and technology, with applicants ranking their top three preferences. The positions are unpaid, and travel and lodging are on the volunteer.
Why it matters
Volunteer recruitment is one of the clearest signals that an Olympics is moving from planning documents to real-world logistics. LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover framed the volunteer crew as the backbone of the Games, saying their impact will be felt behind every event, venue and moment, per the LA28 announcement. The launch also headlined a busy July for organizers, who earlier this month named two Los Angeles studio campuses to help power Games broadcasting operations.
For fans who can't make a team but want to be inside the Games anyway, this is the way in — and with 60,000 spots against a global applicant pool, per the IPC, the smart money says applying early beats applying perfect.