The Brief

Watch the best cat videos on the big screen. See sketch comedians interpret one-star reviews off the internet. Catch the Aqualillies in action at their summer show.

Events

Through Thursday, Aug. 10  

CatVideoFest 2023  
Vidiots
4884 Eagle Rock Blvd., Eagle Rock

Watch a compilation of the newest and best cat videos selected from submissions from animations, music videos and the internet. The public viewing experience is only available in theaters and simultaneously raises money for cats in need, shelters and local cat organizations (Tail Town Cat Cafe and Kitten Rescue of Los Angeles).

COST: $9 - $12; MORE INFO

Monday, Aug. 7; 6 p.m.

Spank: One Star
Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre
5919 Franklin Ave., Franklin Village
Catch a night of experimental sketch comedy as solo artists and teams reenact real one-star customer reviews found online. Performers include Freddy Boyd, Sam Cass, Madeline Cook, Maria Gnoza, Jacob Kennelly and Monique Parks, and writers are TJ Jackson, Ryan Luong, Alex Parkinson, Rachel Westra and Kate Zasowski. Ages 15+.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

Jinkx Monsoon attends the Producer Entertainment Group telethon of "Drag Isn't Dangerous" in May 2023. They return to L.A. for two shows this week.

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Araya Doheny

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Getty Images

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Monday, Aug. 7 - Tuesday, Aug. 8 

Jinkx Monsoon: Everything at Stake
Orpheum Theatre
842 S. Broadway, downtown L.A.
Jinkx Monsoon, winner of the fifth season of RuPaul's Drag Race and winner of season 7 of RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars. Expect a night of stories, music, camp and comedy.
COST: Tickets start at $51; MORE INFO

Monday, Aug. 7; 8 p.m.  

Adam Pally & Edi Patterson
Largo at the Coronet
366 N. La Cienega Blvd., Beverly Grove
Adam Pally and Edi Patterson perform a night of two-person live improvised comedy. Pally writes on his Insta: “...It will not be funny when you recount it to your friends, trust us, you gotta be there.”
COST: $35; MORE INFO

Monday, Aug. 7; 7 p.m.

Stories @ The Playhouse: In The Blink Of An Eye 
Sierra Madre Playhouse
87 W. Sierra Madre Blvd., Sierra Madre
Listen to a night of true personal stories at the playhouse’s ongoing series. With the theme In the Blink of an Eye, seven people take a deep dive into their lives and share critical moments that changed their lives. Facemasks are recommended at this event.
COST: $18 - $20; MORE INFO

Monday, Aug. 7; 11 a.m. - 12 p.m.

PRIME Studio Tour
619 S. Central Ave., downtown L.A.
Take part in a studio tour of graffiti and hip-hop architectural artist Prime’s working space. Jointly presented by Helms Bakery District, SoCalNOMA, and the A+D Museum, as part of the Close to the Edge: The Birth of Hip-Hop Architecture exhibition held at the Helms Bakery. Artist Jose "Prime" Reza discusses his life, work and process.
COST: $35; MORE INFO

Monday, Aug. 7; 7:30 p.m.

CRIME 1978 / Invasion of the Body Snatchers + Short Films
Hammer Museum
10899 Wilshire Blvd., Westwood
The UCLA Film & Television Archive screening series San Francisco Plays Itself: Scenes from the Bay presents a night of short films: In the Red (1979), San Francisco’s First And Only Rock’n’roll Movie: Crime 1978 (2018), Fine French Phrases and Other Fables (1976), plus the feature Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978) starring Donald Sutherland, Brooke Adams, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy.
COST: FREE; MORE INFO

The Aqualillies perform at The Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel on Aug. 8.

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Courtesy of the Aqualillies

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Tuesday, Aug. 8; 7:30 p.m.  

Aqualillies Summer Watershow 
The Hollywood Roosevelt
7000 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
The synchronized swimming/dance company The Aqualillies honor the late silver-screen star Esther Williams each year on her birthday. Watch a live performance while sipping on cocktails and drinks for purchase. A portion of bar proceeds will support the USA Artistic Swimming National Team as they compete for a position in the 2024 Olympic Games.
COST: FREE - $25; MORE INFO

Thursday, Aug. 10 - Sunday, Aug. 13   

Printed Matter’s LA Book Fair 2023
The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA
152 N. Central Ave., downtown L.A.
The book fair returns to L.A. for the first time since 2019. Bringing together an international array of artists’ book publishers and creators. Featuring artists and collectives, small presses, institutions, galleries, antiquarian booksellers, distributors, conversations, workshops, artist-led performances and programs. Most Fair days are ticketed, with limited tickets available at the door. No one will be turned away for lack of funds.
COST: FREE - $25 (opening night party); MORE INFO 

Thursday, Aug. 10; 7:30 p.m.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Century Park 
2049 Century Park East, Century City
The outdoor summer movie series The Screen at Century Park continues this week with the animated feature, The Super Mario Bros. The family friendly festivities begin around 7:30 p.m., depending on the sunset. Bring blankets and a picnic, but snacks will also be available for purchase onsite. RSVPs are required.
COST: FREE with RSVP; MORE INFO 

The HollyShorts Film Festival screenings take place from Aug.10-20 at the TCL Chinese Theatres.

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Courtesy of the HollyShorts Film Festival

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Thursday, Aug. 10 - Sunday, Aug. 20  

HollyShorts Film Festival 
TCL Chinese Theatres
6925 Hollywood Blvd., Hollywood
The Oscar-qualifying film festival returns to Hollywood for its 19th edition, screening more than 400 films (from 6,000 entries) during the run. The films may be short in nature but tall on talent — including Ricky Gervais, Tom Holland, Bella Thorne, Cate Blanchett, Alfonso Cuarón, Lauren Keke Palmer and Tom Hanks. HollyShorts also features workshops and panel discussions.
COST: Tickets: $20, Day passes start at $60; MORE INFO

Viewing Pick

Strange Planet
The adult animated series Strange Planet is based on the bestselling graphic novel and webcomic from Nathan W. Pyle. In this sci-fi series, blue beings try to understand and explore the absurdity of the human condition. Joining Pyle as co-creator and executive producer is Dan Harmon (Rick and Morty, Community), so you know the comedy will be sublime. The first three episodes will be available on Apple TV+ on Wednesday, Aug. 9 with new episodes debuting every Wednesday through the season finale on Sept. 27.

Camphor holds a Steak Frites Night on Aug. 9 from 5 to 9 p.m.

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Tiffanie

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Courtesy of Camphor

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Dine and drink deals

Here are a few dine and drink options to indulge in this week.

• Head to Long Beach on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 5:30 p.m. for a Taste of Downtown: Waterfront. The event features live music, DJs, bite-size food samples, beer, wine, and cocktails from the neighborhood’s bars and eateries. Located between Shoreline Village & Pine Ave., admission is free, but taste tickets can be purchased at the event or online.  
• The Michelin-starred Camphor in downtown L.A. holds a Steak Frites Night (pictured) on Wednesday, Aug. 9. From 5 to 9 p.m., the restaurant serves up the classic bistro dinner that includes an 8 oz. steak, fries and salad at $65 per person (beverages and dessert not included). 
• Natural wine lovers can enjoy five-wine flights for only $15 every Wednesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at DTLA’s Good Clean Fun. All bottles featured in the flight are specially priced if you want to enjoy them at home. In addition, happy hour runs from 3 to 6 p.m. every day and every Monday. Deals include $9 wines, $10 select cocktails and $5 lagers and pilsners.
• The Mount Gay Mobile Rum Shop sets up at Belles Beach House in Venice Beach on Thursday, Aug. 10 from 3 to 8 p.m., where those 21+ can enjoy a Mount Gay cocktail along with tasting snacks. 
• Rossblu in downtown L.A. continues its Tour of Italy Dinner series on Wednesday, Aug. 9 at 6:30 p.m. with an exploration of the Piemonte region in a four-course prix fixe dinner. Held al fresco, the meal will be served family-style with a regional wine pairing. Single dinner experiences are $95 per person (taxes & service charge not included). The next dinner explores Tuscany on Aug. 23. Reservations and info.

As Santa Ana reckons with a $16 million budget shortfall, the police and city officials on Tuesday reported that around $500,000 was spent responding to anti-ICE protests last summer — and that legal claims filed by protesters could push that cost even higher.

Around $400,000 of that amount was spent over four days last year — June 9, 10, 11 and 14 — when residents descended on the downtown area to protest ramped up immigration enforcement actions under the Trump administration.

City Attorney Sonia Carvalho said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting that the city has received four claims and one lawsuit stemming from the police department’s actions during the protests.

It’s unclear how much the claims could end up costing the city.

Call from the DOJ

Robert Rodriguez, Santa Ana’s police chief, said officers were sent out during the first day of protests after Carvalho received a call from the Department of Justice.

 ”It wasn't in a threatening manner, but it was basically if your department cannot provide the security that we need, then we're going to bring in federal resources,” she said. “We had a discussion about what that might look like in terms of safety for our community and what that would mean to people in our community.”

That’s when the police department made the decision to send in officers.

Rodriguez said the department was “ trying to create some distance between our community and the federal officers.”

How we got here

Last June, protesters took to the streets across Southern California calling out the ramped up immigration sweeps across the region. This prompted the Trump administration to send in the military and the National Guard, further inflaming tensions.

But the ensuing local police response during the protests also drew the ire of residents and community members, particularly in Los Angeles and Santa Ana.

One councilmember in Santa Ana, Johnathan Ryan Hernandez, said during a council meeting last year that police officers shot at him using rubber bullets during anti-ICE protests.

California's secretary of state announced Tuesday that a tax-chopping proposition — one backers have spent years trying to put before voters — is now officially eligible for the November ballot. Come fall, anti-tax advocates and real estate developers may have reason to rejoice; city governments, public sector unions and the city of Los Angeles could have reason to worry.

The qualification announcement for a real estate-oriented constitutional amendment also gives California's Democratic lawmakers reason to start frantically negotiating toward a deal to keep the measure off the ballot entirely, even though the measure’s backers publicly say they aren’t interested.

Branded the “Local Taxpayer Protection Act” by its sponsor, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, the newly eligible measure would both sharply cap municipal transfer taxes — fees slapped on real estate sales — and make it harder for voter-sponsored campaigns to raise taxes in local elections.

The measure would hit cities like Berkeley, San Mateo and Alameda — which rely on transfer taxes for a significant share of their funding — especially hard. According to an analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office, it would cost local governments “a couple of billion dollars” per year, with taxpayers collectively saving just as much.

Why this is also a fight about Los Angeles

But the focus of the debate, and arguably the primary target of the proposition, is Los Angeles and its controversial “mansion tax,” known as Measure ULA.

Since becoming law in 2023, the voter-backed policy has levied a 4% tax on real estate sales over $5 million and 5.5% on those above $10 million — thresholds that have since inched up to match inflation. The tax has raised more than $1 billion in three years. Last week, the city announced a $360 million award for future affordable housing projects.

But real estate interests, some elected officials in Los Angeles and a growing number of academics say the tax has triggered a sharp slowdown in new construction, including of affordable housing, across the city, compared to neighboring cities. The levy falls not just on mansions, but apartments, condos, multi-use and commercial developments, too.

The resulting ire among developers, investors and business groups over the Los Angeles tax fueled the statewide proposition campaign, said Jon Coupal, president of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, a conservative group best known for its landmark property tax limiting measure Proposition 13. “I think ULA was not just the straw that broke the camel’s back, but the redwood tree that broke the camel’s back,” he said.

The statewide proposition would trim transfer taxes to just one-twentieth of 1% of a real estate sale’s value. Measure ULA’s top rate is 100 times higher. It would also require some voter-initiated tax measures to clear a two-thirds threshold rather than a simple majority. In Los Angeles, measure ULA passed with 58%.

If the tax-chopping proposition passes, Measure ULA is first on the block.

But that’s a big “if.” More than 57% of likely voters, including a majority of Republicans, opposed the initiative when shown its title as it would appear on the ballot, according to a recent poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.

On your mark, get set … haggle!

There’s also a chance the measure won’t even make it onto the ballot.

Under California election law, sponsors can still yank a measure back after gathering enough valid signatures before the official qualification deadline of June 25. In prior election cycles, that window has become a bonanza of backroom dealing in Sacramento as Democratic lawmakers scramble to muscle unwanted measures off the upcoming ballot and deal-hungry interest groups line up to extract concessions.

A notable example: In 2018, the soda industry funded a ballot measure that would have made it harder for local governments across the state to raise taxes. They pulled it at the last minute, but only after lawmakers begrudgingly agreed to pass a 13-year ban on new soda taxes.

At the end of last year’s legislative session, a group of Southern California Democrats, working alongside Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass and former state Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg, launched a last-minute effort to exempt new apartment developments from the L.A. tax, while adding some new flexibility on how the money could be spent. The bill had a broader purpose too: It would have only taken effect if the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association removed its measure.

In the face of pushback from both business groups on one side and arch defenders of Measure ULA on the other, the effort fizzled. But now that the Howard Jarvis measure is officially headed for the ballot, Sacramento legislators may feel newly inspired to deal. Even if the electoral odds are ultimately stacked against the proposition, Democratic lawmakers and left-leaning campaign funders would be happy to avoid a costly defensive campaign.

Let’s make a deal?

In the meantime, changes may be coming out of Los Angeles itself.

Earlier this year, Councilmember Nithya Raman, who is hoping to unseat Bass as mayor, introduced a measure that would have put a series of Measure ULA changes on the June ballot. By exempting new development, it reflected many of the changes proposed in last year’s unsuccessful state bill. But a majority of the council punted.

The council instead delegated the question to a select committee chaired by Councilmember Ysabel Jurado, tasking it with recommending changes to the tax. Some of those changes would require voter approval and could go before voters in November, on the same ballot as the Howard Jarvis proposition.

The committee will also consider a set of tweaks to the law proposed by city staff that would clarify that nonprofit affordable developers are exempt from the tax, while making it easier for developers to pair ULA funds with other sources of funding. City staff say those changes could happen without going back to voters.

Tenant rights groups, some affordable housing developers and trade unions support those changes, but are urging the committee to otherwise leave the tax alone. A coalition of developers, “Yes in My Backyard” advocates and unionized carpenters has popped up to urge the city to consider a broad “fix” — before state lawmakers or anti-tax advocates do that work for them.

“We think it's really important to show that we can drive reform locally,” said Sarah Dusseault, a former city homelessness official who is now co-leading the “Mend It, Don’t End It” campaign. Making those changes locally “will go a long way to prevent more drastic measures.”

Measure ULA’s defenders counter that nothing the city or the state does will be enough to convince the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association to pull its measure.

“We’ve tried to negotiate with the funders of the measure and, both publicly and privately, they’ve been consistent that they have no intention to pull the measure,” said Joe Donlin, director of the United to House L.A. coalition. “They don't want to change taxes, they want to eliminate them.”

Coupal, from Howard Jarvis, agreed that the proposition is not a bargaining chip. “The folks on our side cannot envision any kind of deal that would give us the kind of solace that we would need,” he said.

But campaigns are expensive. Though the proposition campaign has been led by the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, much of the funding has come from the California Business Roundtable, a coalition of major businesses in California, along with a smattering of commercial real estate companies, developers and landlord groups in Los Angeles. For now, the business roundtable says this dispute should be settled by voters. In the coming months, would any of them be willing to cut a deal with desperate Democrats in exchange for dropping their support?

Some legislators in both Sacramento and Los Angeles are eager to find out.

This article was originally published on CalMatters and was republished under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives license.

Three ships came under fire in the Strait of Hormuz on Wednesday, putting the possibility of any peace talks in jeopardy, after a senior Iranian official said that President Trump's last-minute ceasefire extension "means nothing."

The first ship was attacked and damaged by Iran's paramilitary Revolutionary Guard, the British military's United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) said, though no injuries were reported.

"The Master of a Container Ship reported that the vessel was approached by 1 IRGC gun boat," according to UKMTO.

No warning was given, but it "then fired upon the vessel which has caused heavy damage to the bridge," the center said in a report.

Iran's semiofficial Tasnim News Agency confirmed the incident, saying the container ship had "ignored repeated warnings."

The UKMTO did not immediately say who was responsible for the attack on the second cargo vessel, only that there was no damage or injuries.

Iran's semi-official Fars news agency also reported Iran's Navy had attacked a third ship, the Euphoria. Iranian media reported that the Iranian navy had "seized" the two other vessels, which it identified as the MSC Francesca and the "Epaminodes," likely referring to the Epaminondas.

The attacks come after President Trump indefinitely extended the ceasefire with Iran at the 11th hour, ahead of its expiration. Trump said he was doing so at the request of mediating country Pakistan and it would give Tehran time to present a "unified proposal."

That's after a U.S. delegation had been slated to travel to Islamabad for a second round of peace talks, a plan that dissolved after Iran said it would not be attending.

Mahdi Mohammadi, an adviser to Iran's main negotiator Mohammad Bagher Ghalibaf, posted on X: "Trump's ceasefire extension means nothing, the losing side cannot dictate terms."

Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi said earlier that "blockading Iranian ports is an act of war and thus a violation of the ceasefire." He added that the U.S. seizure of an Iranian ship on Sunday was "an even greater violation."

Here are more developments on day 54 of the Middle East war:

Iran's economy | U.K.-France conference | International reaction | Fuel struggles | Points of contention

Trump says Iran flailing economically

Despite Iran's refusal to attend negotiations this week, Trump says the country is in dire economic straits.

"Iran is collapsing financially! They want the Strait of Hormuz opened immediately- Starving for cash! Losing 500 Million Dollars a day. Military and Police complaining that they are not getting paid. SOS!!!," he posted on Truth Social late Tuesday.

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent posted on X on Tuesday that under Trump's orders the U.S. Navy will continue the blockade of Iran's ports.

"In a matter of days, Kharg Island storage will be full and the fragile Iranian oil wells will be shut in. Constraining Iran's maritime trade directly targets the regime's primary revenue lifelines," he said.

Iranians walk past a mural against Israel and the U.S., in Tehran, Iran, on Tuesday.

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Atta Kenare

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AFP via Getty Images

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He also said his office would continue to "systematically degrade Tehran's ability to generate, move, and repatriate funds."

Conference seeks solution to Strait standoff

The United Kingdom and France are hosting a two-day conference starting Wednesday aimed at reopening the Strait of Hormuz. One of the challenges is to remove undersea mines Iran is believed to have planted there.

Military planners from more than 30 countries are meeting at a Royal Air Force base north of London to put together a multinational mission to safeguard the Strait of Hormuz amid global concerns over oil and energy prices.

A poll in the U.K. shows 1 in 10 people are already stockpiling fuel.

British defense officials have previously floated the idea of deploying autonomous mine-hunting systems from motherships sent to the Gulf. But they caution that whatever plan they come up with at this two-day conference will only take effect after what they call a sustained ceasefire between Iran and the U.S.

International reaction

U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres cautiously welcomed Trump's announcement of a ceasefire extension.

"This is an important step toward de-escalation and creating critical space for diplomacy and confidence-building between Iran and the United States," he said in a statement shared by his spokesperson.

"We encourage all parties to build on this momentum, refrain from actions that could undermine the cease-fire, and engage constructively in negotiations to reach a sustainable and lasting resolution."

China warned that the Middle East is at a "critical stage."

"The paramount priority remains to make every effort to prevent a resumption of hostilities," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Guo Jiakun told a news briefing Wednesday.

Kaja Kallas, the European Union's foreign policy chief, said in an online statement: "Daily U-turns, whether the Strait of Hormuz is open or closed, are reckless. Transit through the Strait must remain free of charge."

She said the EU was widening sanctions on Tehran, adding "none of us want to see a nuclear-armed Iran."

High jet fuel prices squeeze airlines

Meanwhile, the war and strait blockade are continuing to rattle global markets and push up costs, with the airline industry particularly hard hit.

On Tuesday, German airline Lufthansa said that because the price of jet-fuel had doubled since the start of the war, it was cutting 20,000 flights through October in an attempt to save fuel.

United Airlines has also been impacted, with Reuters news agency reporting the Chicago-based carrier had forecast second-quarter and full-year profits below Wall Street estimates.

Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation says it is taking "a look" at Spirit Airlines at the request of Trump. Spirit filed for bankruptcy protection in August for the second time in less than a year.

Now soaring fuel costs tied to the Iran war are adding more uncertainty about the carrier's ability to keep operating. It's not the only one:last week a trade association for low-cost carriers sent a letter to Congress asking for temporary tax relief.

What are the major sticking points?

For officials in Washington, the main points of contention remain control over the Strait of Hormuz and the future of Iran's nuclear program.

Diggers remove the rubble of buildings destroyed in Israeli strikes as they look for survivors buried underneath in the southern Lebanese coastal city of Tyre on April 21, 2026. Israeli defence minister said on April 21 that his country's campaign in Lebanon relied on both military and diplomatic pressure to disarm Iran-allied Hezbollah. Though a truce between Israel and Lebanon took effect on April 17, Israeli troops are still present and actively fighting Hezbollah militants in Lebanon's south.

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The Trump administration has said it wants commercial shipping through the strategic waterway to be fully restored. Around 20% of the world's crude oil and natural gas typically passes through the strait.

After the U.S. and Israel attacked Iran on Feb. 28, Iran began to exert control over the Strait of Hormuz. It has prevented most commercial ships from transiting and has collected steep tolls from some of the few that did.

Vice President Vance said the first round of ceasefire talks held over a week ago broke down because Iran would not commit to forgoing a nuclear weapon.

"The simple fact is that we need to see an affirmative commitment that they will not seek a nuclear weapon, and they will not seek the tools that would enable them to quickly achieve a nuclear weapon," Vance said.

For Tehran, the key demands for extending the ceasefire include an end to the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports and guarantees that the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah will not resume.

Israel and Lebanon agreed on a 10-day ceasefire last week, pausing fighting between Israel's military and the Iran-backed Lebanese militant group Hezbollah. Israel and Lebanon are due to hold fresh talks in Washington on Thursday.

Lauren Frayer in Glasgow, Scotland, Joel Rose in Washington, Jane Arraf in Amman, Jordan, and Kate Bartlett in Johannesburg contributed to reporting.

Copyright 2026 NPR

In the flurry of ticket-buying that engulfed Los Angeles when Olympics sales started earlier this month, questions about the coming re-sale market loomed large.

As locals balked at ticket prices that averaged in the hundreds and went as high as $5,500, some wondered if re-sale would push costs for prospective fans even higher. Others wanted to know if they'd be able to easily recoup their money for the tickets they had splurged on. And then there was that 24% service fee — would that be charged on the resale market, too?

Officials with Olympics organizing committee LA28 have been tight-lipped about how the official resale market will work, saying only that it will launch in 2027 and have an "official marketplace" by AXS and Eventim and other platforms, including Ticketmaster and Sports Illustrated Tickets.

But re-sale policies for past Olympic Games and the coming World Cup's eye-popping price tags could provide hints as to what's coming for the L.A. Olympics ticket market.

If these touchstones are any indication, fans could see even higher prices when the L.A. Olympics re-sale market opens next year. And fees — both ubiquitous and loathed across live music and sports events — will likely keep popping up every time a ticket sells or re-sells.

How have Olympics tickets been re-sold in the past?

The International Olympic Committee told LAist that host committees and host country's laws dictate rules around ticket re-sale — and in the U.S., major hikes in ticket prices on secondary markets are the norm.

The two most recent Olympic Games did not allow tickets to be re-sold for a profit on official platforms, in compliance with Italian and French local laws, according to the I.O.C. Instead, Olympics organizers in Milano Cortina in 2026 and Paris in 2024 provided a re-sale market where fans could put up their tickets at face value.

In Paris and Milan, ticket re-sellers came out in the red after being charged a 5% service fee to re-sell the ticket. LAist reviewed one person's receipt from the Paris Games who re-sold two 100 euro tickets to an archery event for €200, and got back €190. A number of fans struggled to re-sell their tickets, according to news reports.

"A lack of demand in the secondary market has left many holding tickets they cannot sell, while organisers have continued to release more tickets," the Financial Times reported just before the 2024 Olympics began.

Tickets that were re-sold included a fee for 10% of the ticket value for the new purchaser.

Olympics tickets have been re-sold for higher prices when the host country allows it, though.

At the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, Canadians could re-sell their tickets at any price, according to the New York Times. An article from the time declared, "Olympic Ticket Business Gets a Taste of Internet Capitalism." The Vancouver organizing committee also charged a fee on each transaction.

The L.A. Games seem poised to look more like Vancouver than Paris, since the L.A. lacks the ticket regulations of recent European hosts. In all recent cases, organizers charged fees on resold tickets, indicating the 24% service fee on 2028 tickets could be on secondary markets, too.

At a Los Angeles City Council meeting last week, LA28 CEO Reynold Hoover said he didn't know how much of that fee would be going back to LA28. Hoover has repeatedly pointed out to critics that LA28 needs to deliver the Olympic Games under budget, otherwise taxpayers in L.A. and California will end up paying for cost overruns.

Will LA28 go the way of the World Cup?

Ticket sales for this summer's World Cup provide another window into where Olympics ticket prices could go.

FIFA decided not to cap re-sale prices in the U.S. and Canada for 2026 — a change in policy compared to past World Cup tournaments, according to The Athletic. (In Mexico, ticket re-sales are limited at their face value). That led tickets to be listed for way higher than their original price on the resale market, with FIFA making 30% in fees on each ticket that was re-sold.

The price tag for tickets to this summer's tournament has stoked indignation in fans and local officials alike. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani even launched an effort during his campaign asking FIFA to cap resale prices.

FIFA has also caught flak for increasing ticket prices using dynamic pricing, adjusting ticket prices based on demand. A Congressional coalition led by L.A. Democrat Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove wrote FIFA President Gianni Infantino a letter in March asking him to change course on ticket prices.

"The extreme high demand for World Cup tickets should not be a green light for price gouging at the expense of the people who make the World Cup the most-watched sporting event in the world," the coalition asserted.

Infantino has defended the prices, calling the U.S. market "very special."

Ticket prices under scrutiny

The spotlight on Olympics tickets comes as ticket sales and the companies that control them in the U.S. face growing scrutiny.

Just this month, a jury found that Live Nation and Ticketmaster, which merged in 2010, overcharged customers and acted as a monopoly. California was one of dozens of states that sued the company.

" What we've seen is the public reaching their own breaking point," said Morgan Harper, with the American Economic Liberties Project, a progressive group that has pushed to break up Ticketmaster and Live Nation. "The prices were getting so high that people were like, 'Wait a second. Is it now also gonna be unaffordable to even go to a concert?'"

In California, lawmakers are considering legislation to limit ticket prices, including one bill to cap re-sale at just 10% above face value. Assemblymember Matt Haney (D-SF) introduced the bill, which is aimed at preventing price gouging. In an interesting twist, Live Nation has backed the bill, and critics say it will ratchet up prices by limiting competition.

Even if that bill passes, it won't apply to L.A. in 2028. The legislation specifically excludes sports and the Olympic Games.