Countdown to
The Summer Olympics
The world's biggest sporting festival, staged once every four years.
Today is the Summer Olympics.
620 days until the Summer Olympics, on Friday, July 14, 2028.
The Summer Olympics is Friday, July 14, 2028. Happens every four years, on dates set by the IOC.Provisional date — not yet officially confirmed.
The Summer Olympics are the largest recurring event in world sport: for a little over two weeks every four years, more than 10,000 athletes from roughly 200 nations gather in a single host city to compete across dozens of sports. The modern Games were revived in Athens in 1896 and have grown from a few hundred competitors into a global spectacle followed by billions. The next edition is Los Angeles 2028, whose opening ceremony is scheduled for July 14, 2028.
Why the Games come only once every four years
The four-year gap is the defining rhythm of the Olympics. That span is called an Olympiad, a unit the ancient Greeks used to reckon time and one the modern movement deliberately revived. Holding the Games so rarely is part of what makes them feel momentous — a swimmer or a sprinter may get only two or three shots across an entire career. The cycle has run almost unbroken since 1896, pausing only for the First and Second World Wars, which wiped out the 1916, 1940 and 1944 Games, and bending once more when the COVID-19 pandemic pushed Tokyo 2020 into 2021 while keeping its original name.
How we get this date. An Olympic schedule can’t be produced by a formula — the host city, and then the exact dates, are chosen years ahead by the International Olympic Committee together with the local organisers. So instead of computing anything, this page reads the next Games from a small, hand-verified table of confirmed dates and counts down to the one that hasn’t happened yet. Los Angeles 2028 is next, with Brisbane 2032 to follow. The moment one edition passes, the countdown rolls forward to the next entry on its own.
What’s new for Los Angeles 2028
LA 2028 will be the third Games hosted by Los Angeles, after 1932 and 1984 — a distinction shared only with London and Paris. The programme adds five sports for the occasion: cricket returns for the first time since 1900 and lacrosse for the first time since 1908, baseball and softball come back, and flag football and squash make their Olympic debuts. The opening ceremony breaks new ground too, splitting the celebration across two venues — the historic LA Memorial Coliseum and the stadium in Inglewood. Until the flame is lit, the countdown above tracks exactly how long the wait will be.
🏅 Fun facts about the Summer Olympics
- The modern Olympics were revived in Athens in 1896 by Pierre de Coubertin and have been held every four years since, interrupted only by the two World Wars, which cancelled the 1916, 1940 and 1944 Games, and postponed once when Tokyo 2020 slipped to 2021.
- Los Angeles 2028 will be the third time the city has hosted the Summer Games, after 1932 and 1984 — a distinction it shares only with London and Paris.
- LA 2028 adds five sports for the occasion — cricket returns for the first time since 1900 and lacrosse for the first time since 1908, baseball and softball come back, and flag football and squash make their Olympic debuts.
- The 2028 opening ceremony is scheduled for July 14, 2028, and for the first time will be split across two venues, the historic LA Memorial Coliseum and the stadium in Inglewood.
- The four-year span between Games is called an Olympiad, and each edition keeps its number even when it is not held, which is why the cancelled 1916, 1940 and 1944 Games still count toward the sequence.
Upcoming Summer Olympics dates
| Date | Days away |
|---|---|
| 620 days | |
| 2,090 days |
How people mark the Summer Olympics
- Watching the opening ceremony and the Parade of Nations
- Following the medal table day by day
- Cheering on your national team
- Staying up for marquee finals across time zones
Frequently asked
When are the next Summer Olympics?
The next Summer Olympics are Los Angeles 2028, with the opening ceremony scheduled for July 14, 2028. The countdown above shows the exact days remaining.
How is the date calculated?
The Olympic schedule is fixed years in advance by the International Olympic Committee and the host organisers, so it cannot be derived from a formula. This page reads the next Games from a hand-verified table of confirmed dates and counts down to it.
How often are the Summer Olympics held?
Every four years. The cycle has held since the modern Games began in 1896, broken only by the two World Wars and the COVID-delayed Tokyo 2020.
Where are the Olympics held after 2028?
Brisbane, Australia, hosts the 2032 Summer Games. Los Angeles 2028 comes first, with Brisbane following four years later.