This article was accepted into the corpus but its outbound wikilinks were never NER-processed — typical at the deepest BFS hop or when the run's entity cap was reached. No expansion funnel to show.
| LA Forum | |
|---|---|
| Name | Los Angeles Forum |
| Caption | Interior of the Forum during an event |
| Location | Inglewood, California, United States |
| Opened | 1967 |
| Owner | AEG (formerly), Madison Square Garden Entertainment (current) |
| Capacity | approximately 17,505 (basketball) |
| Architect | Charles Luckman Associates |
| Operator | Venue operators (varied) |
| Publictransit | proximity to Los Angeles International Airport, Inglewood transit |
LA Forum The Los Angeles Forum is a multi-purpose indoor arena in Inglewood, California, built in 1967 as a landmark sports and entertainment venue. Designed by Charles Luckman Associates and developed by Jack and Bobbie Kent Cooke, the arena became synonymous with major music tours, championship basketball, and collectible cultural moments involving the Los Angeles Lakers, The Beatles, Elvis Presley, Madonna, and other global entertainers. Over decades it has hosted events tied to National Basketball Association, National Hockey League exhibitions, and awards presentations like the Grammy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
Construction began in the mid-1960s amid a competitive Southern California arena market that included Dodger Stadium and the then-new Anaheim Arena. Financed and promoted by the Cooke family, the venue opened with fanfare in 1967, quickly attracting franchises such as the Los Angeles Lakers and the Los Angeles Kings for select events. During the 1970s and 1980s the Forum emerged as a home for high-profile tours by acts including The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, The Who, Elton John, and became an epicenter for Motown-era touring acts. Political rallies, boxing cards featuring fighters promoted by Don King and Bob Arum, and civic ceremonies added to its varied usage. The arrival of newer venues like the Staples Center in 1999 triggered tenant shifts, but the building retained historic status through concerts, reunions, and occasional sporting events. Changes in ownership—from the Cookes to corporate operators, through periods of vacancy—mirrored shifts in Los Angeles-area development policy and entertainment industry consolidation involving companies such as AEG and later Madison Square Garden Entertainment.
The Forum's domed profile and circular seating bowl reflect mid-20th-century arena design trends advanced by architects like Charles Luckman. Its use of laminated wood trusses, concentric seating tiers, and acoustical treatments catered to performers such as Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, and Queen. Exterior features include a marquee and forecourt that hosted public appearances by figures like Michael Jackson and Prince. Interior sightlines and stage rigging proved adaptable for touring productions by U2, Bruce Springsteen, and Beyoncé, while broadcast infrastructure supported televised events for networks including ABC, CBS, and MTV. The building's Art Moderne influences and material palette have been studied alongside other regional examples like Hollywood Bowl and Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.
The Forum hosted residencies, benefit concerts, and world tours by artists from The Beatles-era stadium shows to contemporary stadium-style productions: Elvis Presley, The Rolling Stones, Led Zeppelin, Madonna, Prince, Michael Jackson, Beyoncé, Jay-Z, Kiss, AC/DC, Pink Floyd, Billy Joel, The Who, Guns N' Roses, Adele, Eminem, Taylor Swift, Coldplay, Drake, Rihanna, Depeche Mode, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, Queen, Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Lizzo, The Weeknd, Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Sia, Shakira, Kendrick Lamar, Lorde, and Sting. Notable non-musical events included NBA Finals games with the Los Angeles Lakers, boxing matches promoted by Don King and Top Rank, and televised specials such as the Grammy Awards and MTV Video Music Awards.
Primary sports tenants historically included the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association and the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League for select games. The arena also hosted exhibition games for franchises such as the Los Angeles Dodgers when public appearances required indoor stages, and college tournaments affiliated with the NCAA and Pac-12 Conference. Concert promoters like Bill Graham Presents and companies such as AEG Presents regularly booked touring acts. The Forum's tenant list across decades highlights intersections with sports franchises, touring production companies, and broadcast partners including NBC Sports and ESPN.
As a site of landmark concerts and championship basketball, the arena figured in documentaries, concert films, and television specials involving directors and producers associated with Martin Scorsese, Spike Lee, Quentin Tarantino-era L.A. culture, and music filmmakers tied to Scorsese's The Last Waltz-style concert documentaries. Photographers such as Annie Leibovitz and Jim Marshall captured iconic portraits and live shots within its spaces. Its presence in popular culture appears in films shot on-location, music videos, and scripted series by studios like Warner Bros., Paramount Pictures, and Universal Pictures, often as a symbol of Los Angeles entertainment prestige.
The Forum has undergone multiple renovation phases to modernize patron amenities, rigging points, acoustics, and hospitality suites. Major capital campaigns and transactions involved entities including AOL Time Warner-era partners, AEG, and later Madison Square Garden Entertainment, each influencing upgrades to seating, concession infrastructure, and broadcast facilities. Preservation efforts balanced historical integrity with requirements from municipal permitting authorities in Inglewood and Los Angeles County agencies. Renovation projects incorporated contemporary audio systems by firms connected to producers who worked with Pink Floyd and U2.
Situated in Inglewood near Los Angeles International Airport and major freeways such as the Interstate 405 and Interstate 105, the venue benefits from proximity to regional transit corridors. Shuttle services and connections to rail projects like the Crenshaw/LAX Line and municipal bus routes improved access for attendees traveling from downtown Los Angeles, Santa Monica, Long Beach, and the San Fernando Valley. Parking, ingress and egress plans have been coordinated with the City of Inglewood and county transportation planners to manage event-day traffic patterns.
Plans for the arena's future have included adaptive reuse scenarios, partnerships with sports and entertainment conglomerates such as Madison Square Garden Entertainment and AEG, and integration into larger development initiatives near projects like the nearby SoFi Stadium complex. Potential proposals involve expanded mixed-use development, enhanced transit links, and curatorial preservation aligned with cultural heritage groups and local stakeholders including the Inglewood Historical Society and regional arts organizations.
Category:Sports venues in Los Angeles County Category:Music venues in Los Angeles County