The 2028 L.A. Games have been engaged in “ongoing conversations with representatives of Huntington Beach” as they “look for a home for the Olympic Games beach volleyball competition after the local organizing committee broke off negotiations with Santa Monica,” according to Scott Reid of the ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER. LA28 informed Santa Monica officials on Friday that they had “decided to hold the Olympic beach volleyball competition elsewhere.” Additionally, LA28 also has “yet to secure a contract to use the Honda Center as the venue to host the Olympic indoor volleyball competition.” A 12,000-seat beach volleyball stadium in the “self-proclaimed birthplace of the beach game with the iconic Santa Monica Pier in the background was one of the cornerstones of an original venue plan.” However, a financial impact study commissioned by Santa Monica City officials revealed that hosting the event would leave the city with a $1.45M deficit. On the other hand, not hosting the beach volleyball competition would result in a $10.65M profit from tourism for the city. Huntington Beach, which has hosted more AVP events since 2000 than any other venue, is also host the 2026 NCAA beach volleyball championships. Long Beach has emerged as “another possible site” to replace Santa Monica as the beach volleyball host. According to two people familiar with the situation, Hermosa Beach and Manhattan Beach, two South Bay communities with long histories hosting beach volleyball events, “could not logistically” host the Olympic competition (ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, 4/9).
LA28 eyes Huntington Beach for beach volleyball after unsuccessful talks with Santa Monica
