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Stadiums Key To 2024 Olympics
Organizers hoping to secure the 2024 Olympic Games for Los Angeles would include the Rams’ new football stadium for the games’ festivities along with the historic
Rams Stadium Site Inglewood – Preliminary work is under way at the future site of the NFL’s Rams stadium complex near the
Damian Dovarganes/AP – Rams Stadium Site
Preliminary work is underway at the future site of the NFL’s Rams stadium complex near The Forum in Inglewood, Calif.
The NFL stadium being built in Inglewood next to the Forum would be linked with the Coliseum for ceremonies, as part of the committee’s plan to create a “new games for a new era,” LA2024 said Jan. 16.
The Inglewood stadium is expected to hold 100,000 spectators for a Hollywood-produced spectacle of music performances and a live viewing and virtual-reality experience of all ceremonies at the NFL facility. The torch relay would begin at the 70,000-seat Coliseum and pass L.A. landmarks until it reaches the Inglewood stadium. It would mark the first time the Opening Ceremony encompassed two stadiums.
The Coliseum would then host closing ceremonies, including the parade of athletes, the Olympic flag handover and the extinguishing of the Olympic flame.
Simultaneously, the Inglewood stadium would host spectators for live viewing and high-tech entertainment.
“Hosting Olympic ceremonies across two iconic stadiums has never been done,” LA2024 CEO Gene Sykes said. “But L.A.’s wealth of stadiums and technology mean we can think about ‘What’s next?’ instead of just asking what has been done before.”
The new stadium is expected to open in 2019 as the home of the NFL’s Rams and Chargers. The venue has already has been named host of the 2021 Super Bowl. Next year the Coliseum is to undergo a $270 million renovation funded by the University of Southern California, whose football team plays there.