Los Angeles is a city defined by its traffic. Except when CicLAvia is happening.
That’s when huge swaths of LA streets are packed with roller skaters gliding through intersections, cyclists cruising down the middle of the street, and people walking freely as music carries from one block to the next.
That transformation will return June 28, when CicLAvia, in partnership with LA Metro, will host a 3.6-mile route connecting Leimert Park to Exposition Park. The same day, SoFi Stadium will host a World Cup match, putting CicLAvia alongside one of the world’s largest global events.
Despite the overlap in timing, CicLAvia’s goal remains the same: opening the streets to people so they can enjoy the city.
“There will be World Cup-related pop-ups at the Leimert Park hub led by community partners,” said Romel Pascual, Executive Director of CicLAvia. “We’re the ones closing the streets, bringing people into that experience.”
That goal isn’t to compete with these global spectacles but to complement them. While fans head toward stadiums, CicLAvia will offer another way to engage with the event, one rooted in movement rather than seats and screens.
“You don’t always have to sit down and watch it,” Pascual said. “You can experience the spirit of the World Cup by being active.”
The open streets experience is a significant undertaking that takes months of planning. The nonprofit organization is the largest open streets event in the United States, with organizers saying more than 1.8 million people have experienced its car-free streets across Los Angeles.
Pascual said each CicLAvia can cost roughly $500,000 to produce, with resources going toward outreach, permits and coordination with city and county agencies.
“My team goes out weeks and months beforehand, walking both sides of the street, knocking on doors, talking to businesses and letting them know what’s coming and how they can engage,” Pascual said. “We do it again a second time, and then a third time right before the event. That’s why it works — there’s direct outreach.”
As part of that effort, CicLAvia staff also provide businesses with materials and ideas on how to participate, from setting up outdoor activations to engaging directly with the flow of visitors passing through.
CicLAvia encourages businesses that are typically closed during the day to open their doors, with some setting up DJ booths or offering samples to passersby. Pop-up stations offer free bike repairs. CicLAvia serves as a reminder that streets belong to people, not just cars.
“It’s not just about the day of fun or increasing sales,” Pascual said. “We’re introducing people to local businesses and cultural institutions. LA is about discovering new places that have existed for a long time.”
As a nonprofit, CicLAvia relies on a mix of public funding and private support to sustain its events, and in a recent blog post, the organization highlighted the mayor’s proposed 2026–2027 budget, which includes support for open streets programming. The organization said that with the proposed budget, LA could see between seven and 12 events across Los Angeles by summer 2027.
“Budgets are powerful statements of what we value as a community,” the organization wrote, framing open streets as an investment in social infrastructure alongside parks, libraries and public transit.
The proposal is not yet final, and CicLAvia is encouraging public support as the City Council reviews funding priorities in the coming weeks.
As Los Angeles prepares for a wave of major global events, with the World Cup underway and the Olympics just two years away, CicLAvia is already thinking ahead.
“The opportunity with CicLAvia isn’t just about the day of these mega-events — it’s preparing all of us ahead of time,” Pascual said. “We help get communities ready for the excitement.”
