Showbiz
Ben Winston to produce ‘epic’ LA Olympics opening ceremony spectacle
The Emmy award-winning producer will oversee the opening and closing ceremonies for LA28
November 3, 2025 12:11
The Emmy award-winning producer will oversee the opening and closing ceremonies for LA28
November 3, 2025 12:11Ben Winston, the Jewish Emmy-award winning producer best known for his work overseeing James Corden’s late-night US talk show, has been named as the creative director of the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games in Los Angeles.
Marking the biggest assignment of his career to date, the acclaimed British producer and director will be in charge of pulling off both spectacles at the LA summer games, in what is expected to be a duo of big-budget, all-singing all-dancing affairs.
Winston, who was responsible for orchestrating the Paris-to-LA Olympic handover in 2024 said of the gig: ““The Olympic Games and Paralympic Games represent the pinnacle of human achievement, and Los Angeles, the home of storytelling, offers a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reimagine what these ceremonies can be.”
Winston’s career highlights to date include executive producing numerous Grammy Awards telecasts and concert specials, collaborating with the likes of Elton John, Adele and Harry Styles.
He has garnered 33 Emmy nominations, winning 13 for his work on programmes including The Late Late Show with James Corden.
For his forthcoming task, Winston will partner with Scott Givens, who has produced previous Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies and who will serve as executive producer for production on both events in 2028.
During the 2024 handover at the end of the French games, Winston orchestrated an audacious Mission Impossible-style stunt that saw Tom Cruise jump from a stage in Paris before the broadcast cut to a prerecorded clip of him skydiving into LA.
The 2028 opening ceremony will be staged mainly at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and in part at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium on July 14. The closing ceremony will take place just over a fortnight later on July 30. The Paralympic Games will follow on August 15, ending on August 27.
Peter Rice, who is serving as LA28’s head of ceremonies and content, said that the combination of Winston and Givens sets the stage for an “epic” live production.
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