Kia Forum facts for kids
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"The Fabulous Forum"
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The Kia Forum
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| Address | 3900 West Manchester Boulevard |
| Location | Inglewood, California |
| Coordinates | 33°57′30″N 118°20′30″W / 33.95833°N 118.34167°W |
| Public transit |  Downtown Inglewood Metro Local 212 from Hawthorne/Lennox |
| Owner | Steve Ballmer |
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| Construction | |
| Broke ground | July 1, 1966 |
| Opened | December 30, 1967 |
| Renovated | 1988, 2012–2014 |
| Construction cost | US$16 million ($140 million in 2022 dollars ) 2014 renovation: $76.5 million |
| Architect | Charles Luckman Associates (original) Brisbin Brook Beynon (renovation) |
| Structural engineer | Johnson & Nielsen Associates (original) Severud Associates (renovation) |
| General contractor | C.L. Peck Contractors (original) Clark Construction (renovation) |
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Forum
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| NRHP reference No. | 14000661 |
| Added to NRHP | September 24, 2014 |
The Kia Forum, also known as the Forum, is a large indoor stadium in Inglewood, California, United States. It's located near Los Angeles, close to SoFi Stadium and the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
This famous building opened on December 30, 1967. It was designed by architect Charles Luckman and engineers Carl Johnson and Svend Nielsen. It was special because it didn't need many inside support pillars, which was unusual for such a big arena.
From 1967 to 1999, the Forum was the home of the Los Angeles Lakers (basketball) and the Los Angeles Kings (hockey). Both teams later moved to the Crypto.com Arena. The Los Angeles Sparks (women's basketball) also played here from 1997 to 2001 before moving.
The Forum was once one of the most famous indoor sports places in the U.S. This was partly because the Lakers were so successful. Many Hollywood celebrities were often seen watching games there. It hosted big events like the NBA All-Star Games in 1972 and 1983, and the NHL All-Star Game in 1981. It also held Olympic basketball in 1984. Besides sports, the venue hosted tennis, boxing, major music concerts, and political events.
In 2000, a church bought the Forum. They used it for church services and rented it out for other events. In 2012, the Madison Square Garden Company bought it for $23.5 million. They planned to make it a top concert venue. On September 24, 2014, the Forum was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2020, Los Angeles Clippers owner Steve Ballmer bought it for $400 million.
The Forum was also known as the Great Western Forum for a time. Lakers announcer Chick Hearn gave it the nickname "the Fabulous Forum." People sometimes call it the LA Forum to tell it apart from other places with "Forum" in their name.
History of the Kia Forum
Building the "Fabulous Forum"
The Forum was built in 1967 on an old golf course. Jack Kent Cooke, who owned the Lakers and started the Kings hockey team, built it. Cooke, who loved ice hockey, wanted to bring the National Hockey League (NHL) to Los Angeles.
In 1966, the NHL decided to add six new teams. Cooke wanted one for Los Angeles. But the group that ran the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena didn't want him to use their building. So, Cooke decided to build his own arena in Inglewood. He paid $2 million for the Los Angeles team, which he named the Kings.
The building cost $16 million and was designed to look like old Roman coliseums. It can hold 17,505 people for basketball, 16,005 for hockey, and up to 18,000 for concerts. Over 70% of the seats are close to the action.
Early Years: Sports and Music Stars
During Jack Kent Cooke's time, the Forum hosted five NBA Finals in its first six years. The Boston Celtics won championships there in 1968 and 1969. The Lakers won the 1972 NBA Finals at the Forum.
Many famous bands played at the Forum. Cream played shows in 1968, and Deep Purple opened for them. The Rolling Stones performed there in 1969, 1972, and 1975. Three Dog Night recorded a live album there in 1969.
Queen played 12 concerts at the Forum between 1977 and 1982. David Bowie also performed there in 1978. The Jimi Hendrix Experience played in 1969 and 1970. Chicago played a big show in 1971.
Led Zeppelin performed 16 times at the Forum between 1970 and 1977. Part of their live album, How the West Was Won, was recorded there.
The Jackson 5 played many times at the Forum. Their 1970 show broke attendance records with over 18,000 people. They released a live album called Live at the Forum.
Elvis Presley played sold-out shows in 1970 and 1974. Barbra Streisand performed a concert there in 1972. Bob Dylan's live album Before the Flood was mostly recorded at the Forum in 1974.
Kiss played their first show there in 1976. They also recorded live songs for their album Alive II at the Forum in 1977. Paul McCartney and Wings played three shows in 1976. The Eagles performed three shows in 1976, with some songs appearing on their Eagles Live album.
The Los Angeles Strings tennis team played home matches at the Forum from 1975 to 1978. The Forum also hosted many boxing matches. In 1979, Jack Kent Cooke sold the Forum, the Lakers, and the Kings to Jerry Buss.
The 1980s: Lakers' Golden Age
The Lakers were very successful in the 1980s. They won five NBA championships and reached the NBA Finals almost every year. They won championships at the Forum in 1982, 1987, and 1988.
In 1981, Diana Ross filmed part of her TV special at the Forum. In 1982, the Kings hockey team had a famous comeback called the "Miracle on Manchester." They won a playoff game after being down 5–0.
Queen played their last U.S. concert ever at the Forum in 1982. Fleetwood Mac played two shows in 1982. Sting and Genesis also performed there.
Olympic Games and Big Concerts
In 1984, the Forum hosted the basketball tournaments for the 1984 Summer Olympics. It also held a big Amnesty International benefit concert in 1986 with stars like U2 and Sting.
In 1989, Neil Diamond set a record for the most sold-out shows at the Forum, with 10 concerts.
The Great Western Era
In 1988, the Forum's name changed to the Great Western Forum. This happened when Jerry Buss sold the naming rights to Great Western Savings & Loan. The outside of the building was repainted blue. This kind of naming deal was new at the time. People still often called it "the Forum."
In the early 1990s, a new scoreboard was installed. The Forum hosted the 1991 NBA Finals, where the Chicago Bulls won their first NBA championship. It also hosted the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals for the Kings.
By the mid-1990s, the Great Western Forum was seen as too small. It didn't have enough luxury suites or shopping areas. So, plans were made for a new arena downtown. The Lakers and Kings moved to the new Staples Center when it opened in 1999.
New Ownership and Renovations
The Los Angeles Sparks played their 2000 season at the Forum before moving to the Staples Center. In 2000, a church called Faithful Central Bible Church bought the Great Western Forum. They used it for Sunday services and rented it out for concerts and other events.
In 2003, the naming rights deal with Great Western ended. The venue's name went back to "the Forum." In 2004, Madonna started her Re-Invention World Tour at the Forum. The building was also used for filming movies and music videos.
In 2009, Michael Jackson rehearsed at the Forum for his This Is It concert series. Footage from these rehearsals was used in the movie Michael Jackson's This Is It.
In 2011, Prince performed 21 shows at the Forum. In 2012, the Madison Square Garden Company bought the arena and spent $50 million to renovate it. The outside was painted back to its original red color. New features included better lighting, new seats, and large video screens. The arena was renamed "The Forum, presented by Chase."
Events After Reopening
The Forum reopened in 2014 with six concerts by the Eagles. It also hosted the men's freestyle wrestling World Cup. The Forum hosted its first boxing match since 2001 in May 2014.
On August 24, 2014, the Forum hosted the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards. This was the first major awards show held there. The Foo Fighters played a concert there in 2015 to celebrate Dave Grohl's birthday. Many famous musicians joined them on stage.
In 2015, the band Rush played their final concert at the Forum. In 2016, Pink Floyd member David Gilmour played his first concert at the Forum. The Forum also hosted the UFC 199 mixed martial arts event.
The Forum has hosted many awards shows, including the Kids' Choice Awards and the iHeartRadio Music Awards. Juan Gabriel performed the last concert of his career there in 2016.
In 2019, Iranian singer Hamed Homayoun set a record for Iranian singers with 14,000 people at his concert. Japanese band Babymetal also became the first Japanese band to headline the arena in 2019. Slayer played their final shows at the Forum in November 2019.
The 2020s: New Ownership and Future Plans
On March 24, 2020, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer bought the Forum for $400 million. This purchase was important for building the Clippers' new arena, the Intuit Dome, in Inglewood.
The Forum was closed from March 2020 to July 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on July 31, 2021.
In February 2022, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced a live wrestling show at the Forum. On April 4, 2022, Kia Motors bought the naming rights, and the venue was renamed the Kia Forum.
Harry Styles performed 15 shows at the Forum in late 2022. The Forum will also host the final matches for the Valorant video game world championship in August 2023.
Future Olympic Events
The Kia Forum is set to host the Gymnastics events for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
Images for kids
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Kia Forum in July 2022, as seen from SoFi Stadium.
See also
- List of entertainment events at Kia Forum
