The 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles are expected be given a Level 1 Special Event Assessment Rating (SEAR) by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Operations Coordination, a designation that is assigned to events that are deemed to be a potential target for terrorism or other criminal activity. Super Bowls, presidential inaugurations and political national conventions are permanent fixtures on this list, and past events such as the Kentucky Derby and Indianapolis 500 — which draw a high number of international participants and attendees — have also received a DHS rating.
DHS assigns a SEAR rating of 1 to 5 after local, state, and federal authorities consider the threats to and vulnerabilities of each event, as well as the potential consequences of a security incident. A federal coordination team is appointed to all SEAR 1 and select SEAR 2 events.
Last month, DHS upgraded the Formula One Heineken Silver Las Vegas Grand Prix from a Level 3 to a Level 2. The Super Bowl, scheduled to be played in February in Las Vegas at Allegiant Stadium, is a SEAR 1.
According to the SEAR application, the federal government assists and supports state and local officials and event owners in filling “capability shortfalls,” such as explosive detection canine teams, cyber risk assessments, venue screening and field intelligence teams, and air security and tactical operations support.
Events may receive one of the following ratings. Level 1, 2 and 3-rated events are considered by DHS to have “national and/or international importance.”
Level Event description
1 Requires extensive federal interagency support.
2 May require some level of federal interagency support.
3 Requires only limited federal support.
4 Limited national importance, with needs that are managed at the state and local levels.
5 Nationally recognized but generally has local or state importance.
