The International Olympic Committee (IOC) confirmed that each city will stage one stop of the series in 2028, with the final sports programme for each event to be announced later. The competition is expected to feature 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball, BMX freestyle, climbing, flag football and skateboarding.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry described the Q-Series as “an exciting global event” leading up to LA28. “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,” she said.
Coventry added that the series would combine sport, music and culture in a festival-style atmosphere designed to bring fans closer to the action. “It will be fast-paced and high-energy, with lots of action, world-class athletes and a huge focus on youth,” she said.
The Olympic Q-Series is a joint initiative between the IOC and six International Federations and will serve as a key part of the qualification pathway for LA28, giving athletes an opportunity to secure direct quota places shortly before the Games begin.
The four-stop series will begin in Asia in May before moving to North America in June. Tokyo — where 3×3 basketball, BMX freestyle, climbing and skateboarding made their Olympic debut at the 2020 Summer Olympics — will host the opening stop, followed a week later by Shanghai, which previously staged the inaugural Q-Series event in 2024.
The competition will then move to Montreal, returning to the city’s iconic Olympic Park, before concluding in Orlando on the final stretch towards LA28.
Olympic Q-Series 2028 schedule:
- Stop 1: Tokyo — 4–7 May 2028
- Stop 2: Shanghai — 11–14 May 2028
- Stop 3: Montreal — 1–4 June 2028
- Stop 4: Orlando — 8–11 June 2028
The 2028 edition will include six sports and disciplines:
- 3×3 basketball
- Beach volleyball
- BMX freestyle
- Climbing
- Flag football
- Skateboarding
BMX freestyle, climbing and skateboarding all return after featuring in the inaugural 2024 edition, while the addition of 3×3 basketball, beach volleyball and flag football reflects the continued evolution of the Olympic programme, particularly in youth-focused sports.
The expanded series builds on the success of the first Olympic Qualifier Series in 2024, when events in Shanghai and Budapest showcased the appeal of compact, festival-style urban competitions that combined elite sport with entertainment and fan engagement.
According to the IOC, the revamped Q-Series underlines its commitment to innovation, athlete development and creating more visible and engaging qualification pathways ahead of the Olympic Games. Further details, including ticketing, broadcasting and the sport-specific schedule for each stop, will be announced at a later date.
