Kia Forum (formerly The Forum) is a multi-purpose
indoor arena
An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre, musical performances, or sporting events. It is composed of a large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectator ...
in
Inglewood, California
Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County, California, in the Los Angeles metropolitan area. As of the 2020 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 107,762. It was incorporated on February 14, 1908. The city is in the South Bay ...
,
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 U.S. state, states, a Washington, D.C., federal district, five ma ...
, adjacent to
Los Angeles
Los Angeles ( ; es, Los Ángeles, link=no , ), often referred to by its initials L.A., is the largest city in the state of California and the second most populous city in the United States after New York City, as well as one of the wor ...
. Located between West
Manchester Boulevard, across
Pincay Drive and
Kareem Court, it is north of
SoFi Stadium
SoFi Stadium () is a 70,240-seat sports and entertainment indoor stadium in the Los Angeles suburb of Inglewood, California, United States. SoFi occupies the former site of the Hollywood Park Racetrack, from Los Angeles International Airport ...
and the
Hollywood Park Casino, and about east of the
Los Angeles International Airport
Los Angeles International Airport , commonly referred to as LAX (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary international airport serving Los Angeles, California and its surrounding metropolitan area. LAX is located in the W ...
(LAX). From 1967 to 1999, the Forum was home to the
Los Angeles Lakers of the
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball sports league, league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues i ...
(NBA) and the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) before both teams joined the NBA's
Los Angeles Clippers
The Los Angeles Clippers are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Clippers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the Pacific Division in the league's Western Conference. The Clipper ...
(who had played at the
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...
) at the new Staples Center (now
Crypto.com Arena). From 1997 to 2001, the Forum was also the home of the
WNBA's
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...
until they moved to Crypto.com Arena as well.
The Forum opened on December 30, 1967. Architect Charles Luckman's vision was realized by engineers Carl Johnson and
Svend Nielsen. It was a groundbreaking structure without extensive internal support pillars that was unique in an indoor arena the size of the Forum.
Alongside
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, colloquially known as The Garden or by its initials MSG, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in New York City. It is located in Midtown Manhattan between Seventh and Eighth avenues from 31st to 33rd Street, above Pennsyl ...
in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...
, the Forum was once one of the best-known indoor sports venues in the U.S., largely due to the Lakers' success and the
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
celebrities often seen there. It was the site of the
1972 and
1983 NBA All-Star Game
The 33rd National Basketball Association All-Star Game was played on February 13, 1983, at The Forum in Inglewood, California. The Eastern Conference defeated the Western Conference, 132–123. The Most Valuable Player was Julius Erving. Bill ...
s, the
1981 NHL All-Star Game
The 33rd National Hockey League All-Star Game was held in The Forum in Inglewood, home to the Los Angeles Kings, on February 10, 1981.
Game summary
*MVP: Mike Liut, St. Louis Blues
Notes
*Bryan Trottier named to Campbell team, but did not pl ...
, 1984
Olympic basketball, and the
Big West Conference
The Big West Conference (BWC) is an American collegiate athletic conference whose member institutions participate in the National Collegiate Athletic Association's Division I. The conference was originally formed on July 1, 1969, as the Pacific ...
(from 1983 to 1988) and 1989
Pacific-10 Conference
The Pac-12 Conference is a collegiate athletic conference, that operates in the Western United States, participating in 24 sports at the NCAA Division I level. Its football teams compete in the Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS; formerly Divis ...
men's basketball tournaments. The venue also hosted tennis and boxing matches, as well as major music concerts and political events.
In 2000, the Forum was acquired by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which used it for occasional
church service
A church service (or a service of worship) is a formalized period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day S ...
s and leased it for sporting events, concerts, and other events. In 2012, the Forum was purchased by the
Madison Square Garden Company
Madison Square Garden Sports Corp. (also known as MSG Sports) is an American sports holding company based in New York City.
MSG Sports manages professional sports teams. These include the National Basketball Association's New York Knicks and t ...
(MSG), owners of Madison Square Garden, for $23.5 million; MSG announced plans to renovate the arena as a world-class concert venue.
On September 24, 2014, the Forum was listed on the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
. On March 24, 2020, Los Angeles Clippers owner
Steve Ballmer
Steven Anthony Ballmer (; March 24, 1956) is an American business magnate and investor who served as the chief executive officer of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. He is the current owner of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Assoc ...
purchased The Forum from MSG for $400 million.
The Forum has previously been known as the Great Western Forum, and was nicknamed "the Fabulous Forum" by long-time Lakers play-by-play announcer
Chick Hearn.
It is also known informally as the L.A. Forum to distinguish it from other places with the name "Forum".
History
1960s and 1970s
On the site of a former golf course, the "fabulous" Forum (as it was colloquially known to locals)
[Heisler, Mark. ''Madmen's Ball: The Inside Story of the Lakers' Dysfunctional Dynasties'' (2004) ] was built in 1967 by
Jack Kent Cooke (owner of the Lakers and founding owner of the Kings). The Canadian Cooke, who enjoyed ice hockey, was determined to bring the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey sports league, league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranke ...
(NHL) to Los Angeles.
Jack Kent Cooke ownership
In 1966, the NHL announced that it was
adding six new franchises for 1967, and Cooke prepared a bid. The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission, which operated the
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...
, supported a competing bid headed by
Los Angeles Rams
The Los Angeles Rams are a professional American football team based in the Greater Los Angeles, Los Angeles metropolitan area. The Rams compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC Wes ...
owner
Dan Reeves
Daniel Edward Reeves (January 19, 1944 – January 1, 2022) was an American football running back and coach in the National Football League (NFL). During his 38 years in the NFL, Reeves participated in nine Super Bowls, the third most for an ...
—who already had a hockey team at the Arena, the
Western Hockey League
The Western Hockey League (WHL) is a major junior ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern United States. The WHL is one of three leagues that constitutes the Canadian Hockey League (CHL) as the highest level of junior ...
's
Los Angeles Blades. The Commission told Cooke that if he won the franchise, he would not be allowed to use the facility. In response, Cooke planned to build a new arena in the Los Angeles suburb of
Inglewood Inglewood may refer to:
Places
Australia
*Inglewood, Queensland
* Shire of Inglewood, Queensland, a former local government area
*Inglewood, South Australia
*Inglewood, Victoria
* Inglewood, Western Australia
Canada
* Inglewood, Ontario
*Inglewo ...
. Nearly 30 years later, Cooke told ''
Los Angeles Times
The ''Los Angeles Times'' (abbreviated as ''LA Times'') is a daily newspaper that started publishing in Los Angeles in 1881. Based in the LA-adjacent suburb of El Segundo since 2018, it is the sixth-largest newspaper by circulation in the ...
'' sportswriter Steve Springer that he remembered "one official representing the commission laughing at him" when Cooke said he would build in Inglewood. Cooke won the franchise, paying $2 million for the Los Angeles club, which he called the Kings. According to Springer, "Cooke went to Inglewood and built the Forum. Goodbye, Lakers. Goodbye, Kings."
The round, $16 million building was designed by Los Angeles architect
Charles Luckman
Charles Luckman (May 16, 1909 – January 26, 1999) was an American businessman, property developer, and architect known for designing landmark buildings in the United States such as the Theme Building, Prudential Tower, Madison Square Garden, ...
to be “reminiscent of Roman coliseums.”
The arena seats 17,505 for basketball, 16,005 for hockey and up to 18,000 for musical concerts; although it has no luxury suites, it had 2,400
club seats for events. More than 70% of the seats are between the goals, and no seat is more than from the playing surface.
During the Cooke era, the Forum hosted five NBA Finals in its first six years (1967–73). The
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics ( ) are an American professional basketball team based in Boston. The Celtics compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Atlantic Division. Founded in 1946 as one of ...
celebrated both the and championships in the arena, the latter of which marked the final games
Bill Russell
William Felton Russell (February 12, 1934 – July 31, 2022) was an American professional basketball player who played as a center for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA) from 1956 to 1969. A five-time NBA Most V ...
ever played. The Lakers won the
1972 NBA Finals at the Forum in Game 5, while the
New York Knicks
The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associa ...
' second and most recent championship was also clinched in a Game 5 at the same venue
the following season.
Cream
Cream is a dairy product composed of the higher-fat layer skimmed from the top of milk before homogenization. In un-homogenized milk, the fat, which is less dense, eventually rises to the top. In the industrial production of cream, this process ...
played two shows during the band's farewell tour, on October 18–19, 1968, with
Deep Purple the opening act. The band's show of October 19 produced the live tracks on their farewell LP, ''
Goodbye''. Deep Purple also recorded their part of the show, which was later released as a live album entitled ''
Inglewood – Live in California''.
Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young recorded shows in June and July 1970, including at the Forum. Some of them ended up on their 1971 live album, ''4 Way Street''.
The Rolling Stones
The Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for six decades, they are one of the most popular and enduring bands of the rock era. In the early 1960s, the Rolling Stones pioneered the gritty, rhythmically d ...
performed at the Forum during their 1969, 1972 and 1975 North American tours.
Steppenwolf played there during their ''
At Your Birthday Party'' tour on July 14, 1969, with
Three Dog Night
Three Dog Night is an American rock band formed in 1967, with founding members consisting of vocalists Danny Hutton, Cory Wells, and Chuck Negron. This lineup was soon augmented by Jimmy Greenspoon (keyboards), Joe Schermie (bass), Michael ...
the opening act. Three Dog Night recorded their set, which was later released as a live album entitled ''
Captured Live at the Forum''.
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
played a total of 12 concerts from the
A Day at the Races Tour on March 2, 1977, through the
Hot Space Tour on September 15, 1982.
David Bowie
David Robert Jones (8 January 194710 January 2016), known professionally as David Bowie ( ), was an English singer-songwriter and actor. A leading figure in the music industry, he is regarded as one of the most influential musicians of the ...
played concerts here on April 3 and 4, 1978, and again on April 6, 1978.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
James Marshall "Jimi" Hendrix (born Johnny Allen Hendrix; November 27, 1942September 18, 1970) was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. Although his mainstream career spanned only four years, he is widely regarded as one of the most ...
performed at the forum for the first time on April 26, 1969. A soundboard recording of this concert has been released on Experience Hendrix's Dagger Records, an official bootleg record label. The Experience later performed there again the following year on April 25, 1970, as part of their final U.S. tour. The concert has been widely circulated thanks to 3 available bootleg audience recordings.
Between 1970 and 1977
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin were an English rock band formed in London in 1968. The group comprised vocalist Robert Plant, guitarist Jimmy Page, bassist/keyboardist John Paul Jones, and drummer John Bonham. With a heavy, guitar-driven sound, they are c ...
performed 16 times at the Forum, including a run of six sold-out dates in 1977. Part of their live album, ''
How the West Was Won'', was recorded at the arena. The band's first 1977 show is the source of the
bootleg ''
Listen to This Eddie
''Listen To This, Eddie'' is a bootleg recording of a rock concert by English band Led Zeppelin, performed on June 21, 1977, at the Los Angeles Forum in Los Angeles, California. The first concert of a six-night stint. It is often noted as o ...
''. Another bootleg from the Forum shows, ''
For Badgeholders Only'', contains one of the last live performances by
Keith Moon on drums, with his surprise performance there.
The Jackson 5
The Jackson 5 (sometimes stylized as the Jackson 5ive, also known as the Jacksons) are an American pop band composed of members of the Jackson family. The group was founded in 1964 in Gary, Indiana, and for most ...
performed twice at the Forum: on June 20, 1970, during their
first national tour and on August 26, 1972, during their third national tour. The 1970 show broke attendance records, with 18,675 paid admissions and a gross income of $105,000 (when the Jackson 5 had released two albums and three singles). By 1972, they had released seven albums on
Motown
Motown Records is an American record label owned by the Universal Music Group. It was founded by Berry Gordy Jr. as Tamla Records on June 7, 1958, and incorporated as Motown Record Corporation on April 14, 1960. Its name, a portmanteau of ''mot ...
, in addition to
Michael and
Jermaine Jackson
Jermaine La Jaune Jackson (born December 11, 1954) is an American singer-songwriter and bassist. He is best known for being a member of the Jackson family. From 1964 to 1975, Jermaine was second vocalist after his brother Michael of The Jacks ...
's solo albums. Both shows were recorded and released as ''
Live at the Forum''.
On November 14, 1970,
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
played afternoon and evening shows, with 18,700 and 18,698 paid admissions. He returned for two more sold-out shows on May 11, 1974, with 18,500 paid admissions each.
The Osmonds
The Osmonds were an American family music group who reached the height of their fame in the early to mid-1970s. The group had its best-known configurations as a quartet (billed as the Osmond Brothers) and a quintet (as the Osmonds). The group ...
performed two shows on December 4, 1971, which were recorded and released as ''
The Osmonds Live''.
Barbra Streisand
Barbara Joan "Barbra" Streisand (; born April 24, 1942) is an American singer, actress and director. With a career spanning over six decades, she has achieved success in multiple fields of entertainment, and is among the few performers awar ...
performed on April 15, 1972, during
Four for McGovern
Four for McGovern, also known as McGovern, was a benefit concert held on April 15, 1972, produced by actor Warren Beatty to assist the 1972 presidential campaign of George McGovern, running as the anti-war candidate. The concert, held at The ...
, a fundraiser for
George McGovern's presidential campaign. Although ticket prices ranged from $5.50 to $100 and the event grossed $300,000, after expenses were deducted McGovern's campaign received only $18,000. During her set, Streisand asked the audience to choose between "Second Hand Rose" and "
Stoney End" for her next song; the latter was the overwhelming choice. Her performance was recorded and released as ''
Live Concert at the Forum''.
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan (legally Robert Dylan, born Robert Allen Zimmerman, May 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. Often regarded as one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Dylan has been a major figure in popular culture during a career sp ...
's live album ''
Before the Flood'' with
The Band was compiled from songs performed at the Forum over the course of three shows on February 13 and 14, 1974. The only song on the album not recorded at the Forum was "
Knockin' on Heaven's Door", which was recorded in New York City.
Jethro Tull played five sold-out shows in a seven-day stretch in 1975, here at The Forum. The dates were February 3+4, 8–10.
Kiss
A kiss is the touch or pressing of one's lips against another person or an object. Cultural connotations of kissing vary widely. Depending on the culture and context, a kiss can express sentiments of love, passion, romance, sexual attraction, ...
had their debut there in 1976 on February 23 for two consecutive nights, three days after getting their footprints outside
Grauman's Chinese Theatre in
Hollywood
Hollywood usually refers to:
* Hollywood, Los Angeles, a neighborhood in California
* Hollywood, a metonym for the cinema of the United States
Hollywood may also refer to:
Places United States
* Hollywood District (disambiguation)
* Hollywoo ...
and played three more consecutive nights shows the following year, 1977, on August 26–28 (the first of these shows sold out), with live tracks from these 1977 shows included on their second live album, ''
Alive II'', released in October of that same year.
On June 21, 1976,
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney (born 18 June 1942) is an English singer, songwriter and musician who gained worldwide fame with the Beatles, for whom he played bass guitar and shared primary songwriting and lead vocal duties with John Lennon. On ...
and
Wings
A wing is a type of fin that produces lift while moving through air or some other fluid. Accordingly, wings have streamlined cross-sections that are subject to aerodynamic forces and act as airfoils. A wing's aerodynamic efficiency is exp ...
began a three-night stand at the Forum during their
Wings Over the World tour. The shows were McCartney's first live performances in Los Angeles since he played at the Hollywood Bowl in 1964 and 1965 with
the Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, formed in Liverpool in 1960, that comprised John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr. They are regarded as the most influential band of all time and were integral to the developm ...
. Some songs played at the Forum appeared on the ''
Wings Over America
''Wings over America'' is a triple live album by the British–American rock band Wings, released in December 1976. The album was recorded during the American leg of the band's 1975–76 Wings Over the World tour. It peaked at number 8 on the U ...
'' live LP released later that year and re-released in 2013.
The
Eagles
Eagle is the common name for many large Bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Ou ...
performed three shows during their ''
Hotel California
"Hotel California" is the title track from the Eagles' album of the same name and was released as a single in February 1977. Writing credits for the song are shared by Don Felder (music), Don Henley, and Glenn Frey (lyrics). Joe Walsh came up ...
'' tour on October 20–22, 1976. The shows were recorded, with some songs appearing on ''
Eagles Live
''Eagles Live'' is the first live album by the American rock band Eagles, a two-LP set released on November 7, 1980. Although the Eagles were already in the process of breaking up, the band owed Elektra/ Asylum Records one more album and fulfille ...
''.
The
Bee Gees
The Bee Gees
were a musical group formed in 1958 by brothers Barry, Robin, and Maurice Gibb. The trio were especially successful in popular music in the late 1960s and early 1970s, and later as prominent performers in the disco music era i ...
appeared at the Forum during their ''
Children of the World'' tour on December 20, 1976; the show was recorded and released as ''
Here at Last... Bee Gees... Live''.
Parliament-Funkadelic recorded half of their live album, ''
Live: P-Funk Earth Tour'', at the arena on January 19, 1977.
Alice Cooper
Alice Cooper (born Vincent Damon Furnier, February 4, 1948) is an American rock singer whose career spans over five decades. With a raspy voice and a stage show that features numerous props and stage illusions, including pyrotechnics, guilloti ...
brought his big productions of ''
Billion Dollar Babies'', ''
Welcome To My Nightmare'' and ''
Mad House Rock'' to the Forum.
The
Los Angeles Strings of the
World Team Tennis league played home matches at the Forum from 1975 to 1978, led on the court by
Chris Evert
Christine Marie Evert (born December 21, 1954), known as Chris Evert Lloyd from 1979 to 1987, is an American former world No. 1 tennis player. Evert won 18 major singles titles, including a record seven French Open titles and a joint-record s ...
. The team was owned by Los Angeles businessman
Jerry Buss.
The Forum hosted several boxing fights, most notably the second
Muhammad Ali vs. Ken Norton
Muhammad Ali fought three professional boxing matches against Ken Norton between 1973 and 1976. Ali won the series 2–1, though the final fight (judged a unanimous decision in Ali's favor) was highly controversial.
First match
Still rebuildin ...
on September 10, 1973. Several events featured Latin American fighters like
José Nápoles,
Chucho Castillo,
Rubén Olivares,
Carlos Zárate Serna and
Alfonso Zamora.
In 1979, Cooke sold the Forum, the Lakers and the Kings to Buss for a then-record $67.5 million.
1980s
The Lakers were successful during the 1980s, winning five NBA championships and making the
NBA Finals
The NBA Finals is the annual championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western Conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is aw ...
every year except
1981
Events January
* January 1
** Greece enters the European Economic Community, predecessor of the European Union.
** Palau becomes a self-governing territory.
* January 10 – Salvadoran Civil War: The FMLN launches its first major off ...
and
1986. They won the , and championships at the Forum. The
Philadelphia 76ers
The Philadelphia 76ers, colloquially known as the Sixers, are an American professional basketball team based in the Philadelphia metropolitan area. The 76ers compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Ea ...
and
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...
were the only visiting teams to win a championship at the Forum during this period; both teams clinched the title in a Game 4 sweep in and respectively.
The Lakers' owner, Jerry Buss, also purchased the
Los Angeles Strings expansion franchise of the second incarnation of TeamTennis (the original team and league having folded in 1978) and appointed his 19-year-old daughter
Jeanie Buss as the tennis team's general manager, with all home matches played at the Forum.
In 1981,
Diana Ross
Diana Ross (born March 26, 1944) is an American singer and actress. She rose to fame as the lead singer of the vocal group the Supremes, who became Motown's most successful act during the 1960s and one of the world's best-selling girl groups o ...
filmed the concert portion of her ''Diana'' television special at the Forum, entering the arena through the audience and singing her 1980 Billboard top-five hit "
I'm Coming Out". Guests included
Quincy Jones
Quincy Delight Jones Jr. (born March 14, 1933) is an American record producer, musician, songwriter, composer, arranger, and film and television producer. His career spans 70 years in the entertainment industry with a record of 80 Grammy Award n ...
(who conducted a performance of "Home" from ''
The Wiz
''The Wiz: The Super Soul Musical "Wonderful Wizard of Oz"'' is a musical with music and lyrics by Charlie Smalls (and others) and book by William F. Brown. It is a retelling of L. Frank Baum's children's novel ''The Wonderful Wizard of Oz'' ...
'') and
Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson (August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, and philanthropist. Dubbed the "King of Pop", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. Over a ...
, who joined Ross onstage for a performance of her 1980 number-one song "
Upside Down". The special began with Ross in a photo session atop the Forum in a silver
lamé bodysuit with large, silver-lamé wings.
On December 10, 1981,
Devo
Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio
Akron () is the fifth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Summit County. It is located on the western edge of the Glaciated Allegheny Plateau ...
performed at the Forum during their
New Traditionalists tour.
In April 1982, the Forum was the site of the "
Miracle on Manchester", in which the Kings overcame a 5–0 deficit in a first-round
Stanley Cup playoff game against the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
to win 6–5 in overtime. With additional upset wins in Games 1 and 5 of the five-game series, the Kings eliminated the heavily favored Oilers to reach the second round.
In September 1982, on their
Hot Space Tour,
Queen
Queen or QUEEN may refer to:
Monarchy
* Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom
** List of queens regnant
* Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king
* Queen dowager, the widow of a king
* Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...
played their final U.S. concert ever at the Forum.
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British-American rock band, formed in London in 1967. Fleetwood Mac were founded by guitarist Peter Green (musician), Peter Green, drummer Mick Fleetwood and guitarist Jeremy Spencer, before bassist John McVie joined the li ...
played two shows during its ''
Mirage
A mirage is a naturally-occurring optical phenomenon in which light rays bend via refraction to produce a displaced image of distant objects or the sky. The word comes to English via the French ''(se) mirer'', from the Latin ''mirari'', meani ...
'' tour on October 21–22, 1982, with
Dave Mason
David Thomas Mason (born 10 May 1946) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist from Worcester, who first found fame with the rock band Traffic. Over the course of his career, Mason has played and recorded with many notable pop and rock m ...
opening. The shows, originally scheduled for October 4–5, were postponed when
Stevie Nicks
Stephanie Lynn Nicks (born May 26, 1948) is an American singer, songwriter, and producer known for her work with the band Fleetwood Mac and as a solo artist.
After starting her career as a duo with her then-boyfriend Lindsey Buckingham, releasi ...
developed
walking pneumonia. They were recorded for the band's tour video, which was televised in 1983.
Genesis
Genesis may refer to:
Bible
* Book of Genesis, the first book of the biblical scriptures of both Judaism and Christianity, describing the creation of the Earth and of mankind
* Genesis creation narrative, the first several chapters of the Book o ...
played five consecutive sold out concerts at the Forum from October 13–17, 1986, during the first leg of their
Invisible Touch Tour.
Mexican boxer
Julio César Chávez fought at the venue against
Ruben Castillo in 1995, Vernon Buchanan in 1988 and
Roger Mayweather in 1989.
Rock bands
AC/DC and
Cinderella
"Cinderella",; french: link=no, Cendrillon; german: link=no, Aschenputtel) or "The Little Glass Slipper", is a folk tale with thousands of variants throughout the world.Dundes, Alan. Cinderella, a Casebook. Madison, Wis: University of Wisconsi ...
performed on November 13, 1988.
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
on July 12, 1988
Summer Olympics
In 1984, the Forum hosted the
basketball tournaments and the men's
handball finals of the
1984 Summer Olympics. The arena hosted
Amnesty International's June 6, 1986
A Conspiracy of Hope benefit concert, headlined by
U2 and
Sting and featuring
Bryan Adams
Bryan Guy Adams (born 5 November 1959) is a Canadian musician, singer, songwriter, composer, and photographer. He has been cited as one of the best-selling music artists of all time, and is estimated to have sold between 75 million and mor ...
,
Jackson Browne,
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel (born 13 February 1950) is an English musician, singer, songwriter, record producer, and activist. He rose to fame as the original lead singer of the progressive rock band Genesis. After leaving Genesis in 1975, he launched ...
,
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan Reed (March 2, 1942October 27, 2013) was an American musician, songwriter, and poet. He was the guitarist, singer, and principal songwriter for the rock band the Velvet Underground and had a solo career that spanned five decades. ...
,
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez (; born January 9, 1941) is an American singer, songwriter, musician, and activist. Her contemporary folk music often includes songs of protest and social justice. Baez has performed publicly for over 60 years, releasing more ...
and
the Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers were an American R&B/soul/ funk group, formed in 1976 in New Orleans, Louisiana.
History
The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art (1937–2019), Charles (1938–2018), Aaron (b. ...
.
In 1989,
Neil Diamond
Neil Leslie Diamond (born January 24, 1941) is an American singer-songwriter. He has sold more than 130 million records worldwide, making him one of the best-selling musicians of all time. He has had ten No. 1 singles on the Hot 100 and Adul ...
set the all-time attendance record at the Forum by surpassing his already leading record of seven sold-out shows (in 1983) with 10 sold-out shows. For doing so, Diamond was presented with a gold plaque, stating his accomplishment(s).
Great Western era
On December 5, 1988, it was announced that Jerry Buss sold the arena's
naming rights
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...
to
Great Western Savings & Loan, coinciding with the arrival in Los Angeles of hockey star
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
. The building exterior was repainted blue, replacing its original "California sunset red." It was renamed the Great Western Forum; the name was retained for several years, even after Great Western was acquired by
Washington Mutual
Washington Mutual (often abbreviated to WaMu) was the United States' largest savings and loan association until its collapse in 2008.
A savings bank holding company is defined in United States Code: Title 12: Banks and Banking; Section 1842: D ...
(now
Chase) and ceased to exist. Although naming-rights agreements are now commonplace in major American sports, they were rare at the time of Buss's deal with Great Western. There was some initial criticism of the name change, and local residents continued to call the arena "the Forum." Adverse reaction was eventually muted; Great Western Forum sounded like a natural name because of the arena's location in the western United States.
1990s
Before the 1991–92 NBA and NHL seasons, a new scoreboard was installed, replacing the one in use since the building opened in 1967. The original scoreboard, designed by All American Scoreboards in
Pardeeville, Wisconsin
Pardeeville is a village in Columbia County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 2,115 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Madison Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Geography
Pardeeville is located at (43.536575, -89.298045).
Accordin ...
, had a two-line message board on each side (the third electronic message board in the NHL, and the second in the NBA). The new scoreboard, designed by
Daktronics, kept the two-line message boards and added a
Sony
, commonly stylized as SONY, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan. As a major technology company, it operates as one of the world's largest manufacturers of consumer and professional ...
Jumbotron scoreboard on each side.
The Forum hosted the
1991 NBA Finals and was the site of the
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on Januar ...
' first NBA championship victory. It also hosted Games 3 and 4 of the
1993 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1993 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 1992–93 season, and the culmination of the 1993 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Los Angeles Kings and the Montreal Canadiens. I ...
between the Kings and
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
, the only time the
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, french: Finale de la Coupe Stanley) is the National Hockey League's (NHL) championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, North America ...
was held at the arena. Coincidentally, Montreal's home rink at the time was also called
the Forum.
By the middle of the decade the Great Western Forum was considered too small; it lacked
luxury box
The luxury box (or skybox) and club seating constitute the most exclusive class of seating in arenas and stadiums, and generate much higher revenues than regular seating. Club ticketholders often receive exclusive access to an indoor part of th ...
es and had insufficient retail and commercial space. Los Angeles officials, seeking to redevelop the city center, began planning a new downtown sports arena and entertainment complex and hoped to attract the Lakers and Kings from Inglewood.
The Kings' owners, who were real-estate developers, agreed to develop the complex; Buss agreed to move the Lakers into the new arena as co-tenants with the Kings and a third tenant, the NBA's
Clippers, who would move there from the
Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was a multi-purpose arena at Exposition Park, in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. It was located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and just south of the campus of the University of ...
. The new Staples Center (now
Crypto.com Arena) opened on October 17, 1999; as part of the deal, Buss sold the Great Western Forum to the L. A. Arena Company (which was controlled by the Kings' owners).
Final games
On April 18, 1999, the Kings played their final regular-season NHL game at the Forum, a 3–2 loss to the
St. Louis Blues
The St. Louis Blues are a professional ice hockey team based in St. Louis. The Blues compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference. The franchise was founded in 1967 as one of the ...
, on the day that former King and Blue
Wayne Gretzky
Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...
played his final NHL game as a member of the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its ho ...
; their last game altogether at the Fabulous Forum was an 8–1 preseason win over the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim on September 20 of that year. Staples Center was still under construction, so the Kings played their remaining preseason home games at the
San Diego Sports Arena and the
MGM Grand Garden Arena
The MGM Grand Garden Arena (originally known as the MGM Grand Garden Special Events Center) is a 17,000-seat multi-purpose arena located within the MGM Grand Las Vegas on the Las Vegas Strip.
Sporting events
From its opening on December 18, 199 ...
in
Las Vegas
Las Vegas (; Spanish language, Spanish for "The Meadows"), often known simply as Vegas, is the List of United States cities by population, 25th-most populous city in the United States, the most populous city in the U.S. state, state of Neva ...
. The Lakers' 118–107 playoff loss to the eventual NBA champion
San Antonio Spurs
The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...
on May 23, 1999, was their last regular or postseason game played at the Forum; they played two preseason games there the following year before they moved to Staples Center.
2000s
The
Los Angeles Sparks
The Los Angeles Sparks (LA Sparks) are an American professional basketball team based in Los Angeles. The Sparks compete in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) as a member club of the league's Western Conference. The team was foun ...
played their 2000 season at the arena before following the Lakers and Clippers to Staples Center. The Great Western Forum hosted live events, offices and training facilities for the 2000–2001 Women of Wrestling season.
Faithful Central Bible Church, with a congregation of over 12,000, purchased the Great Western Forum at the end of 2000 and began holding
church service
A church service (or a service of worship) is a formalized period of Christian communal worship, often held in a church building. It often but not exclusively occurs on Sunday, or Saturday in the case of those churches practicing seventh-day S ...
s there on Sunday mornings.
Unlike Houston's Lakewood Church, which converted the former Lakewood Church Central Campus, Summit into their church, Faithful Central representatives said that they never intended to convert the arena for religious purposes; in 2009, the church discontinued tihe regular use of the Forum for services.
During the Faithful Central ownership, the arena was available for concerts, sporting events and other activities requiring a large venue. It was owned by the church's for-profit entity, Forum Enterprises, which accommodated secular and pop-music artists. The church influenced the approval of performers, however; in 2005 and 2009 the Forum refused to allow performances by heavy metal music, heavy metal band Lamb of God (band), Lamb of God, whose former name was Burn the Priest.
On February 14, 2003, Phish began their first post-hiatus tour at the Forum. A fan jumped onstage during "AC/DC Bag", and they performed a cover of Dr. Hook & the Medicine Show's "The Cover of Rolling Stone" after appearing on the magazine's cover.
In 2003, Great Western Bank (1919–97)#Other, Great Western's naming-rights contract on the building expired (despite being bought by Washington Mutual in 1997, their name had been retained in the interim), and Forum Enterprises changed the venue's name back to "the Forum". The Great Western corporate logo and the words "Great Western" remained on portions of the exterior, including the roof (with a logo visible to planes landing at LAX), and were slowly removed over time. The roof, which was the last part of the building to contain the "GW" logo and "Great Western Forum" name, would not be repainted until the MSG remodeling, when it was overlaid with the new "Forum Presented by Chase" logo.
In 2004 Madonna premiered the Re-Invention World Tour at the Forum, which was filmed for the documentary ''I'm Going To Tell You A Secret''.
The Forum was made available for film use, including interior shots for the 2002 film ''Like Mike''. The Foo Fighters used the building as a setting for the music video for "All My Life (Foo Fighters song), All My Life" in 2003, featuring the building's exterior in its opening and closing shots. In 2008, a scene for the 2009 film ''Hannah Montana: The Movie'' and the video for Weezer's "Troublemaker (Weezer song), Troublemaker" (from their 2008 ''Weezer (2008 album), Red Album'') were filmed outside the Forum.
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harri ...
appeared during their Somewhere Back in Time World Tour on February 19, 2008, with Lauren Harris their opening act. Their live version of "The Number of the Beast (song), The Number of the Beast" was included on the documentary ''Iron Maiden: Flight 666''.
In May and June 2009, Michael Jackson rehearsed at the Forum for his This Is It (concerts), This Is It concert series in London. After Jackson died on Death of Michael Jackson, June 25, 2009, footage of these rehearsals and those at Staples Center became part of ''Michael Jackson's This Is It''.
On October 9, 2009, the Lakers returned to the Forum for a preseason game against the Golden State Warriors to celebrate the team's 50th season in Los Angeles; the Lakers lost, 110–91.
2010s: MSG era
In 2011, Prince (musician), Prince began a 21-show run at the Forum.
After acquiring the arena in June 2012, the Madison Square Garden Company announced plans for a $50 million renovation. The City of Inglewood made an $18 million commercial-rehabilitation loan, contingent on MSG's $50 million investment.
The arena was renamed "The Forum, presented by Chase" to reflect its sponsor, Chase (bank), Chase Bank (which had incidentally purchased Great Western's legal successor, Washington Mutual, a few years earlier), and its exterior returned to the original red. New features also included new lighting, new seating, LED video systems and HD screen and new retail.
Events after reopening
The Forum reopened with six concerts by the
Eagles
Eagle is the common name for many large Bird of prey, birds of prey of the family Accipitridae. Eagles belong to several groups of Genus, genera, some of which are closely related. Most of the 68 species of eagle are from Eurasia and Africa. Ou ...
during their History of the Eagles – Live in Concert tour on January 15, 17, 18, 22, 24 and 25, 2014.
On March 15–16, the Forum hosted the 2014 FILA Wrestling World Cup – Men's freestyle, men's freestyle wrestling World Cup.
On May 17, 2014, the Forum hosted its first boxing card since 2001. Mexican Juan Manuel Márquez defeated Mike Alvarado for the WBO international welterweight championship, for the right to challenge world champion Manny Pacquiao. The event was broadcast by HBO's ''Boxing After Dark'', the first time since its 1996 premiere that the series presented a card from the Forum. On May 16, 2015, Gennady Golovkin defeated Willie Monroe Jr. during a live broadcast on HBO Boxing. Golovkin returned the following year on April 23, 2016, to battle Dominic Wade, which resulted in a second-round KO.
On August 24, 2014, the arena hosted the 2014 MTV Video Music Awards, the first major awards show at the Forum. The arena was added to the
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the United States federal government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects deemed worthy of preservation for their historical significance or "great artist ...
on September 24, 2014.
The Foo Fighters performed on January 10, 2015, to celebrate singer Dave Grohl's 46th birthday. Paul Stanley from Kiss, Tenacious D, Slash, Alice Cooper, Zakk Wylde, Perry Farrell, Trombone Shorty, David Lee Roth, and Motörhead's Lemmy all got up and performed with the band.
On August 1, 2015, to complete their R40 Live Tour, Canadian rock band Rush (band), Rush performed their final concert at the Forum.
On March 27, 2016, former Pink Floyd member David Gilmour played his first ever concert at the Forum as the third show on the US leg of his Rattle That Lock Tour marking the first time a member of Pink Floyd ever played the Forum (Pink Floyd never played the Forum so Gilmour's appearance was the first and to date only time a Pink Floyd member played the venue).
On June 4, 2016, the UFC 199 mixed martial arts event was held at The Forum.
On October 8, 2016, The Dixie Chicks recorded a DVD registration of their DCX MMXVI World Tour.
The Forum was also the venue of the 2015 Kids' Choice Awards, 2015, 2016 Kids' Choice Awards, 2016 and 2018 Kids' Choice Awards, 2018 Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards. In addition, the Forum hosted the 2016, 2017, and 2018 iHeartRadio Music Awards, 2016 American Country Countdown Awards and the 2016 Teen Choice Awards, 2016 and 2018 Teen Choice Awards.
Juan Gabriel performed the final concert of his career on August 26, 2016, dying two days later.
It hosted the 2017 MTV Video Music Awards on August 27, 2017.
On February 24, 2018, the Forum hosted the world championship Super Flyweight boxing match between Juan Francisco Estrada and Srisaket Sor Rungvisai.
The Forum has also hosted the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas since 2014.
On December 29, 2018, the UFC 232 mixed martial arts event was held at the Forum as part of a short notice decision.
On April 4, 2019, the Mexican promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide announced that its second event named AAA Invading LA in the United States with the event being its professional wrestling event in the venue.
On April 6, 2019, Iranian singer Hamed Homayoun held a concert for 14,000 people at the venue, a record for all Iranian singers who have performed here, including Mohammad-Reza Shajarian and Ebi. Forum management mentioned this performance as one of the venue's most memorable, and prepared a cake with Homayoun's image to commemorate the event.
On October 11, 2019, Japanese kawaii metal band Babymetal performed at The Forum, making them the first Japanese band to headline the arena. The show is part of the Metal Galaxy World Tour 2019, a promotional tour for the group's third album ''Metal Galaxy'', which released on October 11, 2019; simultaneously with the show.
On November 29 and 30, 2019, American thrash metal band Slayer performed at the Forum, this event being their final show as the band headlined the area on the Slayer Farewell Tour which was the final tour for Slayer.
2020s: Acquisition by Steve Ballmer
On March 24, 2020, Clippers owner
Steve Ballmer
Steven Anthony Ballmer (; March 24, 1956) is an American business magnate and investor who served as the chief executive officer of Microsoft from 2000 to 2014. He is the current owner of the Los Angeles Clippers of the National Basketball Assoc ...
announced that he had agreed to acquire the Forum from MSG for $400 million. The acquisition was needed in order to enable the construction of the Clippers' new Intuit Dome in Inglewood; the Clippers accused MSG of using litigation to block construction of the new arena, which they feared would cannibalize the Forum's live events business.
The venue was closed from March 2020 to July 31, 2021 due to COVID-19 pandemic in California, COVID-19.
The Forum reopened on July 31, 2021, hosting Bellator 263. A concert by the Foo Fighters on July 17, 2021, was originally scheduled to be its first event, but it was postponed due to COVID-19 cases within the band's staff.
In February 2022, it was announced that All Elite Wrestling (AEW) would host a live broadcast of ''AEW Dynamite, Dynamite'' from the Forum on June 1, 2022, marking its first professional wrestling event since 2015.
On March 22 and 23, Dua Lipa performed two sold out shows, as part of her Future Nostalgia Tour.
On April 4, 2022, Kia Motors acquired the
naming rights
Naming rights are a financial transaction and form of advertising or memorialization whereby a corporation, person, or other entity purchases the right to name a facility, object, location, program, or event, typically for a defined period of t ...
to the facility, renaming it Kia Forum.
Harry Styles performed a 15-night residency at The Forum in October and November of 2022 as a part of his "Love On Tour, Love on Tour" tour.
2028 Summer Olympics
The Forum is slated to host the Gymnastics events for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
See also
*List of entertainment events at Kia Forum
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Forum
American Basketball Association (2000–present) venues
Basketball venues in California
Boxing venues in California
Boxing venues in Los Angeles
Defunct college basketball venues in the United States
Defunct indoor soccer venues in the United States
Defunct National Hockey League venues
Former National Basketball Association venues
Gymnastics venues in California
Indoor arenas in California
Indoor ice hockey venues in California
Indoor soccer venues in California
Indoor track and field venues in California
Los Angeles Aztecs sports facilities, f
Los Angeles Blades
Los Angeles Kings arenas
Los Angeles Lakers venues
Los Angeles Sparks venues
Madison Square Garden Sports
Mixed martial arts venues in California
Music venues in Los Angeles
National Register of Historic Places in Los Angeles County, California
North American Soccer League (1968–1984) indoor venues
Olympic basketball venues
Olympic gymnastics venues
Sports venues completed in 1967
Sports venues in Inglewood, California
Sports venues on the National Register of Historic Places in California
Tennis venues in California
Venues of the 1984 Summer Olympics
Venues of the 2028 Summer Olympics
Wrestling venues in Los Angeles
1967 establishments in California
Esports venues in California