Los Angeles eyes two-stadium opening ceremony for 2024 Olympics
A 2024 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles would feature a groundbreaking opening ceremony using not only the Memorial Coliseum but also a new state-of-the-art NFL stadium. The group backing Los Angeles' bid announced Monday they believe the plan, which would be a first for the Games, would attract "the largest in-stadium, citywide and TV audiences in Olympic ceremonies history." The proposed plan would feature a program at the Coliseum -- which hosted the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1932 and 1984 Olympics and is located within the city limits of Los Angeles -- to begin the Games with a torch relay, live entertainment and musical performances. The torch relay would then make its way to Inglewood, in suburban Los Angeles near its international airport, which is being referred to as Los Angeles Stadium even though it isn't within the city limits. The formal opening ceremony would be held at the newer stadium, a $2.6-billion venue that will be the home of the NFL's Rams and Chargers starting in 2019. The Coliseum would host the official closing ceremony, while Los Angeles Stadium will simultaneously host spectators for live viewing and entertainment. "Hosting Olympic ceremonies across two iconic stadiums has never been done. But LA's wealth of stadiums and technology mean we can think about 'What's next?' instead of just asking what has been done before," LA 2024 chief executive Gene Sykes said. It comes after some members of the Los Angeles City Council expressed concern about too many events, in particular opening and closing ceremonies, being moved out of the city limits. At a City Council ad hoc committee meeting last month, Councilman Paul Krekorian said moving too many Olympic venues outside the city limits would change the "value equation" of the Games for the council, and in particular said he hoped no one "was even thinking" about moving the opening and closing ceremonies to Inglewood. The plan announced on Monday appears to be a compromise. The Coliseum is still slated to host track and field events for the Games, as it did in 1932 and 1984. Both Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti and Council President Herb Wesson expressed support for the split ceremony plan. Los Angeles is vying with Paris and Budapest to host the 2024 Games, with LA and Paris widely seen as the front-runners. The International Olympic Committee will make its decision in September at a meeting in Lima.
