LA28 publishes first look at the Paralympic competition schedule

On Wednesday (19 November), LA28 marked 1,000 days until the Opening Ceremony of the LA 2028 Paralympic Games, a historic milestone that will forever define Los Angeles’ first Paralympic Games. In celebration of this occasion, LA28 shared an initial preview of the Paralympic competition schedule, outlining competition days and sessions across the 23 sports and 560 medal events.

“We’re excited to mark 1,000 days from the LA28 Paralympic Games as we set the stage for athletes, fans and the global community to unite in a celebration of sport, resilience and human potential,” said Reynold Hoover, LA28 Chief Executive Officer.

“The Paralympic competition schedule reflects our athlete-first approach in planning and creating unforgettable competition moments across the region as we prepare to welcome the Paralympic Games to Los Angeles for the very first time.”

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass said, “In just 1,000 days, we will make history by hosting the first-ever Paralympic Games in Los Angeles, one that will feature the most women athletes ever competing on this world stage. 

“I can’t wait to celebrate the elite athleticism and determination of some of the world’s greatest athletes and to see Los Angeles shine.”

The 2028 Paralympic Games competition schedule was developed in close collaboration with each sport’s International Federation and Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS), with the support of the International Paralympic Committee. 

The schedule reflects LA28's commitment to an athlete-first approach by prioritising the needs and wellbeing of participants at the forefront of the 294 sessions, while making strategic choices to maximise spectator and viewership opportunities for all sports, both domestically and internationally.

Leading up to the 2028 Games, the competition schedule will continue to evolve as planning progresses, with a more detailed schedule by event to be released in 2026. All events and sessions of the Paralympic competition schedule are subject to change leading up to the competitions and until the end of the LA28 Paralympic Games. 

LA28 competition schedule highlights

First LA28 Paralympic medals

The first five sports to name LA28 Paralympic champions on Day 1 will be Para athletics, wheelchair fencing, shooting Para sport, Para equestrian and Para cycling track.

Opening and Closing Ceremonies

The 2028 Paralympic Opening Ceremony will take place on 15 August 2028, at 20:00 ET/17:00 PT, in 2028 Stadium, and the Closing Ceremony will take place 27 August 2028 at 21:00 ET/18:00 PT at LA Memorial Coliseum.

Para climbing’s Paralympic Debut 

In 2028, Para climbing will make its historic Paralympic debut across four days of competition, starting on Day 9. This milestone follows LA28's groundbreaking achievement in 2024, when it became the first Organising Committee to propose and successfully add a new sport to the Paralympic sports program.

Starting the action before the Opening Ceremony

LA28 will be the first Paralympic Games to have sports starting before the Paralympic Opening Ceremony held on Day 0, with wheelchair rugby starting on Day -2 and boccia starting on Day -1. This creates a unique opportunity for these sports to lead Paralympic coverage and showcase Paralympic sports across more days than ever before, all while ensuring that no athletes are eliminated before the Opening Ceremony.

Extended formats

Both wheelchair rugby and sitting volleyball will feature extended formats with the addition of a play-in round, where teams that do not automatically qualify for the semifinals after the preliminary round have one more chance to qualify in a thrilling winner-takes-all matchup.

Finals-filled finale

The final weekend of the Games, spanning Days 10-12, will feature finals in an unprecedented 17 sports taking place across nearly every competition zone. Ahead of the Closing Ceremony, on Day 12, finals will take place in blind football, Para athletics, Para badminton, Para climbing, Para powerlifting, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball, ensuring an unforgettable finale for Los Angeles’ first-ever Paralympic Games.

Downloadable PDFs of the current Paralympic competition schedule by day and by session are now available at LA28.org

*All events and sessions of the Paralympic competition schedule are subject to change leading up to the competitions and until the end of the LA28 Paralympic Games

Learn more about the Games by visiting our LA28 Paralympic Games page