What opportunities - and liabilities - does Manhattan Beach need to prepare for with the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Olympics quickly approaching? 

On Tuesday night, the Manhattan Beach City Council agreed to explore plans for public safety as well as potential revenue opportunities for businesses and homeowners.

By a vote of 4-1, with Steve Charelian as the "no" vote, the Manhattan Beach City Council agreed to move forward with surveying residents on allowing short-term rentals outside the "coastal zone" (essentially the two or three westernmost blocks of the city) for short periods of time around the major events. The city would ask the question within an already-planned statistically significant True North survey, and also through the city's new FlashVote instant surveys. 

Councilmembers also agreed, 5-0, to move forward with a public safety and preparedness assessment for the upcoming events. 

The upcoming international sporting events are expected to draw major crowds. The 2026 FIFA World Cup will feature eight matches in the U.S. between June 12 and July 10, drawing an estimated 5 million attendees. 

Meanwhile, the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics and Paralympics, to be held between July 12 and August 27, are projected to draw around 3 million unique attendees, with an $18 billion projected economic output for the greater Los Angeles area. 

Given that multiple events during this time frame will be held within 20 miles of Manhattan Beach, the city is expecting to welcome throngs of visitors who are interested in all that a prime beach destination has to offer. 

"The question isn’t whether they’ll come, it’s how they’ll experience our city," said Kelly Stroman, executive director of the Downtown Manhattan Beach Business and Professionals Association. 

In addition to the plans discussed on Tuesday night, the Manhattan Beach City Council has established an Olympics/FIFA World Cup Subcommittee and has had ongoing conversations with the Chamber of Commerce and other local business organizations. 

City staff has also proposed a variety of community showcase opportunities such as special live broadcasts of high-profile events, sports-themed installations on the Volleyball Walk of Fame on the Manhattan Beach Pier and elsewhere around town, and youth sports events and engagement opportunities. Those proposals are expected to be considered in more detail and community input will be solicited in the coming months.