Orlando and Montreal Among Hosts for Expanded Olympic Q-Series Pre-LA28

The International Olympic Committee has confirmed that Orlando, Montreal, Tokyo and Shanghai will host the Olympic Q-Series, formerly known as the Olympic Qualifier Series, in an expanded format on the road to the LA28 Olympic Games.

The sports program for each stop will be confirmed at a later date, with 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball, BMX freestyle, climbing, flag football and skateboarding due to feature in the Series.

Rebranded from the Olympic Qualifier Series, it is the result of a collaboration between the IOC and the six international federations whose sports feature in the program. The Series is designed to form a central pillar of the qualification pathway, giving athletes an important opportunity to secure direct quota places for LA28.

The four-stop series will feature two back-to-back events, first in Asia in May 2028 and then in North America a month later. It will open in Tokyo before heading to Shanghai, where the Q-Series began two years ago, before crossing over to Montreal and finishing up in Orlando.

The calendar will be as follows:

• Stop 1: Tokyo, May 4–7, 2028
• Stop 2: Shanghai, May 11–14, 2028
• Stop 3: Montreal, June 1–4, 2028
• Stop 4: Orlando, June 8–11, 2028

The sports to feature in each of the stops will be revealed in due course, according to the IOC.

Olympic Qualifier Series Expansion

Two years after the inaugural Olympic Qualifier Series in 2024, the IOC wanted to elevate and expand the event that was held in Shanghai and Budapest. The Series brought together multiple sports in compact, festival-style urban settings that were designed to deliver the highest level of competition, and the goal now is to continue building spectator attendance, driving innovative partner activations and broaden global broadcast and digital engagement.

In doing so, the IOC wants to place athletes and sports at the forefront in the lead-up to the LA28 Games, by enhancing the visibility of the qualifiers, supporting the international federations and creating a vibrant atmosphere to connect with the next generation of young fans.

“The Q-Series is an exciting global event on the road to the LA28 Olympic Games,” said IOC President Kirsty Coventry. “It’s one format, four stops, six sports. The goal is to boost athlete visibility and global fan engagement. We cannot wait for the series to kick off.

“We believe the Olympic Q-Series will be really exciting for fans and for the host cities. The fans will be right there with the action – the festival feel, the sport, music, culture – coming to life in iconic cities. It will be fast paced and high energy, with lots of action, world-class athletes and a huge focus on youth.”

LA28 Preparations

The LA28 Olympic Summer Games will take place from July 14, 2028, through July 30, 2028. In total, it will bring together more than 15,000 athletes from around the world, with Los Angeles becoming the third city to host three Olympic Games, after 1932 and 1984.

Last month, it was confirmed that more than four million tickets had already been sold for the LA28 Olympic Summer Games in the opening window of sales, the earliest on-sale period for an Olympic Games. Fans were able to log in to the ticketing platform during their designated window of Drop One and purchase up to 12 tickets for any Olympic event subject to availability.