May 2026 News Roundup: Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Switzerland, USA
- House Party
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
25 months to go until the next edition of the Summer Olympic Games! Here's a roundup of the latest Hospitality House news unfolding for Los Angeles 2028.
Belgium: Belgium House
We missed this bit of news in our Winter 2026 roundup: in October 2025, LA Mayor Karen Bass confirmed there will be a Belgian House in downtown Los Angeles for the duration of LA28.
It appears that an exact location has not yet been announced, but the Minister of Foreign Trade, Theo Francken, was noted to be pleased that the location was in the city centre.
Lotto Belgium House is a perennial Hospitality House at the Olympic Games, opening in the past editions at Milano-Cortina 2026, Paris 2024 and prior.
Ireland: Team Ireland House
It's already been confirmed that Team Ireland House will be opening at Ovation Square in Long Beach for the LA28 Summer Olympic Games.
The City of Long Beach has noted that the Irish organizers will partner with two local restaurants for food offerings: The Ordinarie and The Auld Dubliner (which happens to have one of California's largest whiskey offerings!) We love when Hospitality Houses partner with local businesses to infuse a little local flair.
Japan: Japan House
In mid-May, Los Angeles City Councillor Ysabel Jurado filed a motion to open a Japan House in Little Tokyo during LA28. Located in downtown Los Angeles, this community is home to the largest Japanese-American population in North America.
The motion notes the collaborators of this Hospitality House include the Japanese Olympic Committee, alongside Little Tokyo Service Centre and Little Tokyo Investment Partners, in partnership with Tokyo Dome and Mitsui Fudosan.
If approved by Los Angeles City Council, the temporary Hospitality House would be located at the Mangrove Parking Lot on East Temple Street. It would include a temporary dome structure, indoor and outdoor facilities, a commercial village for local businesses and Olympic athlete programming, fan engagement and other Japanese cultural experiences.
Japan House was last open at Paris 2024.
Switzerland: House of Switzerland
It appears a venue confirmation is imminent for the House of Switzerland!
In late May, Santa Monica City Council reviewed an exemption resolution involving the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA) to operate the House of Switzerland at the Camera Obscura building during the Los Angeles 2028 Olympics.
The negotiation involves the Camera Obscura building, located in Palisades Park overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It also involves an option to extend to the grass areas adjacent to Camera Obscura to the North and West, setting up a potential indoor/outdoor experience for Swiss and international visitors.
The exemption resolution indicates that the FDFA would use the space from June 14, 2028 through to September 21, 2028, covering the duration of both the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Staff recommended that City Council adopt the exemption and proceed with the licensing agreement with the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs. The minutes indicate that it was adopted and approved — it's likely the House of Switzerland has a home in LA!
Keeners can walkthrough the Camera Obscura space via this link from the Santa Monica government website. That view.
USA: Team USA House
In a closed Santa Monica City Council session at the end of April, city councillors received an update from the city real estate negotiator involving the US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC).
In the meeting minutes, it appears that the USOPC is in negotiation with the City of Santa Monica to license the Santa Monica Pier, "Sandbox South" (which is defined as "85,000 square feet of sand area south of the Santa Monica Pier to Acadia Terrace and bordered by the beach bike on the east to the Pacific Ocean on the west") and the Beach Parking Lots (noted as "1 South, 1SA and 2S"). No dates were mentioned.
It was noted that the matter was heard with no reportable action — meaning no definitive actions were taken by City Council that would require reporting to the public.
If for Los Angeles 2028, this would be a iconic and showstopping Hospitality House venue for Team USA. Very exciting!
What Hospitality House news are you most excited about?
Belgium House
Team Ireland House
Japan House
House of Switzerland
Have you read something interesting or do you have intel about a Hospitality House at LA28? We're always keen to hear... share with us!
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