The rich history of
The Kia Forum
The Kia Forum is an Inglewood landmark. It is the only arena-sized venue dedicated to music and entertainment in the United States. The venue attracts a wide variety of premier events including the biggest names in music and entertainment, award shows, combat sports and more. It consistently ranks in the top two United States arenas and in the top four worldwide by both Pollstar and Billboard Box Office Reports. The Kia Forum was named Pollstar’s Arena of the Decade for the 2010s.
The Early Years
The Kia Forum first opened its doors for a Los Angeles Kings hockey game on December 30, 1967. It was the brainchild of renowned architect Charles Luckman and then-Kings owner Jack Kent Cooke. The Forum was home to both the Kings and Los Angeles Lakers during the latter half of the 20th century. It even played host to both the men’s and women’s basketball tournaments and the men’s handball finals during the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles.
The Kia Forum was established early on as a world class music destination. Aretha Franklin was the first musical act in January of 1968. Over the following years, performances included Queen, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John, KISS, Led Zeppelin, Neil Diamond, Eagles, Rod Stewart, Rush, Van Halen, and Genesis. These iconic acts helped to cement the arena’s reputation as a music destination.
Present Day
In 2012, the Kia Forum underwent a substantial renovation to recreate the musical magic through an array of upgrades. The acoustics were dramatically upgraded. The locker rooms were redesigned to become artist dressing rooms. The floor was transformed into one of the country’s largest general admissions sections. Multiple hospitality offerings were also added to improve the guest experience.
In January of 2014, the Kia Forum celebrated its grand reopening. The Eagles kicked off with six sold out shows. Since then it consistently plays host to the world’s biggest names in music. The Kia Forum stage Former acts include Harry Styles, Lady Gaga, Drake, MANÁ, Jennifer Lopez, John Mayer, Bon Jovi, The Weeknd, Tame Impala, Bad Bunny, Billie Eilish and more.