Kia Forum facts for kids
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The Forum
Los Angeles Forum The Fabulous Forum |
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The Kia Forum
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| Address | 3900 West Manchester Boulevard |
| Location | Inglewood, California, U.S. |
| 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, often called The Forum, is a famous indoor arena in Inglewood, California. It's close to Los Angeles and has hosted many exciting events. You can find it near SoFi Stadium and the Hollywood Park Casino. It's also just a short drive from Los Angeles International Airport (LAX).
The Forum first opened its doors on December 30, 1967. It was designed by architect Charles Luckman and engineers Carl Johnson and Svend Nielsen. This building was special because it had a huge roof, about 407 feet across, without many inside support poles. This was very new for an arena of its size.
For many years, from 1967 to 1999, The Forum was the home court for the Los Angeles Lakers basketball team and the Los Angeles Kings hockey team. Both teams later moved to the Crypto.com Arena. The Los Angeles Sparks women's basketball team also played here from 1997 to 2001 before moving.
The Forum is known as one of the most famous indoor sports places in the U.S. This is partly because the Lakers were so successful there. Many Hollywood celebrities often watched games from its seats. It hosted big events like the 1972 and 1983 NBA All-Star Games. It also held the 1981 NHL All-Star Game and Olympic basketball in 1984. Besides sports, The Forum has been a stage for major music concerts and important political gatherings.
In 2000, a church bought The Forum. They used it for services and rented it out for concerts and other events. Then, in 2012, the Madison Square Garden Company bought it for $23.5 million. They spent $76.5 million to make it a top-notch concert venue. On September 24, 2014, The Forum was added to the National Register of Historic Places. In 2020, Steve Ballmer, who owns the Los Angeles Clippers, bought The Forum for $400 million.
The Forum has had other names, like the Great Western Forum and The Forum presented by Chase. It was also famously called The Fabulous Forum by the Lakers' announcer, Chick Hearn. People sometimes call it the LA Forum to tell it apart from other places with the same name.
Contents
History of The Forum
Early Years: 1960s and 1970s
The Forum was built in 1967 by Jack Kent Cooke. He owned the Lakers and started the Kings hockey team. Cooke, who loved hockey, wanted to bring the National Hockey League (NHL) to Los Angeles. When he was told he couldn't use another arena, he decided to build his own in Inglewood.
The building cost $16 million and was designed to look like old Roman coliseums. It could hold 17,505 people for basketball and 16,005 for hockey. For concerts, it could fit up to 18,000 fans. Over 70% of the seats were close to the action, making it a great place to watch.
During Cooke's time, the Lakers played in five NBA Finals at The Forum in just six years. The Boston Celtics won championships there in 1968 and 1969. The Lakers won their 1972 NBA championship at The Forum.
Many famous bands played at The Forum. Cream played their farewell tour here in 1968. The Jimi Hendrix Experience performed in 1969 and 1970. The Rolling Stones visited in 1969, 1972, and 1975. Queen played 12 concerts between 1977 and 1982, including their last U.S. show with Freddie Mercury. Led Zeppelin performed 16 times from 1970 to 1977. The Jackson 5 had record-breaking shows here, and their 1970 and 1972 concerts were recorded live.
Elvis Presley played two sold-out shows in 1970 and two more in 1974. Barbra Streisand performed a concert in 1972. Bob Dylan and The Band recorded parts of their live album Before the Flood here in 1974. Kiss made their debut here in 1976. Paul McCartney and Wings played their first Los Angeles shows since The Beatles in 1976. The Eagles recorded songs for their live album Eagles Live here in 1976.
The Los Angeles Strings tennis team also played at The Forum. The arena hosted many boxing matches, including a famous fight between Muhammad Ali and Ken Norton in 1973. In 1979, Jerry Buss bought The Forum, the Lakers, and the Kings.
The 1980s: Showtime and More
The 1980s were a golden age for the Lakers, known as the "Showtime" era. They won five NBA championships at The Forum in 1982, 1987, and 1988. Only the Philadelphia 76ers and Detroit Pistons won championships there as visiting teams. Jerry Buss's daughter, Jeanie Buss, became the general manager for the Los Angeles Strings tennis team, which played at The Forum.
In 1981, Diana Ross filmed parts 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. The Forum also hosted basketball and handball events for the 1984 Summer Olympics.
Many more music stars performed. Amnesty International held a benefit concert here in 1986 with U2, Sting, and others. Genesis played five sold-out shows in 1986. Neil Diamond set a record in 1989 with 10 sold-out shows at The Forum.
Great Western Era and the 1990s
In 1988, the arena was renamed the Great Western Forum after a bank bought the naming rights. The outside of the building was repainted blue. Even though the name changed, many locals still called it "the Forum."
A new scoreboard was installed in 1991. The Forum hosted the 1991 NBA Finals, where the Chicago Bulls won their first championship. It also hosted the 1993 Stanley Cup Finals for hockey, the only time that event was held there.
By the mid-1990s, The Forum was considered too small. It didn't have enough luxury suites or space for shops. So, plans were made for a new arena downtown. The Lakers and Kings moved to the new Crypto.com Arena (then called Staples Center) in 1999. The Kings played their last regular season game at The Forum on April 18, 1999. The Lakers' last playoff game there was on May 23, 1999.
The 2000s: New Ownership and Events
The Los Angeles Sparks played their 2000 season at The Forum before moving to the new arena. In late 2000, Faithful Central Bible Church bought The Forum. They used it for Sunday services and continued to rent it out for concerts and sports. The church had some say in which artists could perform.
In 2003, the naming rights deal ended, and the arena went back to being called "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, like the Foo Fighters' "All My Life" video.
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 after he passed away. On October 9, 2009, the Lakers returned for a special preseason game to celebrate their 50th season in Los Angeles.
2010s: Renovation and Reopening
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In 2011, Prince performed 21 shows at The Forum. After buying the arena in 2012, the Madison Square Garden Company spent $76.5 million to renovate it. The arena was renamed "The Forum, presented by Chase," and its outside was painted back to its original red color. New features included better lighting, new seats, and large video screens.
The Forum reopened in January 2014 with six concerts by the Eagles. It hosted the men's freestyle wrestling World Cup in March 2014. Boxing matches also returned, with events broadcast on HBO.
On August 24, 2014, The Forum hosted the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, a big awards show. The Foo Fighters played a concert here in 2015 to celebrate Dave Grohl's birthday, with many guest musicians. Rush played their final concert ever at The Forum on August 1, 2015.
David Gilmour of Pink Floyd played his first concert at The Forum in March 2016. The UFC 199 mixed martial arts event was held here in June 2016. The Forum also hosted the 2015, 2016, and 2018 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. It also hosted the iHeartRadio Music Awards and Teen Choice Awards.
Juan Gabriel performed his final concert here on August 26, 2016, just two days before he passed away. Kanye West performed six sold-out shows in late 2016. The 2017 MTV Video Music Awards were held here in August 2017. In April 2019, Iranian singer Hamed Homayoun set a record for Iranian singers with 14,000 people at his concert. Japanese band Babymetal became the first Japanese band to headline the arena in October 2019. Slayer played their final shows at The Forum in November 2019.
2020s: New Ownership and Recent Events
On March 24, 2020, Steve Ballmer, owner of the Clippers, bought The Forum for $400 million. This purchase helped clear the way for the Clippers to build their new arena nearby.
The Forum was closed for a while due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It reopened on July 31, 2021, with a Bellator 263 mixed martial arts event.
In February 2022, All Elite Wrestling (AEW) announced they would host a live show at The Forum in June 2022. They also held their Full Gear event here in November 2023. Dua Lipa performed two sold-out shows in March 2022.
On April 4, 2022, Kia Motors bought the naming rights to the building, renaming it the Kia Forum.
In October 2022, My Chemical Romance performed five sold-out shows. Harry Styles had a 15-night concert series at The Forum in October and November 2022. K-pop star SUGA (also known as AgustD) performed three sold-out nights in May 2023. The Forum hosted the final matches of the 2023 Valorant Champions video game tournament in August 2023.
Kendrick Lamar hosted a special concert called "The Pop Out: Ken & Friends" at The Forum on June 19, 2024. K-pop singer-songwriter IU performed a sold-out show on August 2, 2024. Olivia Rodrigo hosted four sold-out concerts in August 2024. Billie Eilish held five concerts in December 2024. The Forum co-hosted FireAid on January 30, 2025, to help with wildfire relief. On June 7, 2025, it hosted Worlds Collide, a wrestling event.
Images for kids
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The Kia Forum
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Kia Forum logo
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Aerial view of The Forum and Hollywood Park
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Great Western Forum exterior
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The Forum at night in June 2020
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Kia Forum in April 2023
See also
In Spanish: Kia Forum para niños
