Get Them To The Forum: What Does It Mean To Play L.A.’s Kia Forum?

When actor/comedian Jimmy O. Yang unveiled the poster for his “Big & Tall Tour” in October, there was just one venue featured in between the list of cities and dates (and in a larger font to boot): LA’s one and only Kia Forum on Feb. 28.

The routing, which starts with two performances at New York City’s Carnegie Hall on Nov. 9, is concentrated in theaters but also includes arena shows at the Kia Forum in Inglewood, California, and Honolulu’s Neal S. Blaisdell Arena.

Asked how he knew it was the right time in Yang’s career to book a few arenas, agent Matt Blake, who serves as Head of Comedy Touring at CAA, says, “We make decisions based on prior sales and the specific options we have in any given market. These buildings made sense for Jimmy and he has always admired the iconic Forum so it was a no-brainer.”

As for what the Forum play means to Yang, Blake says, “As an immigrant coming to L.A., playing the Forum didn’t feel possible but it means dreams can come true. Being there live for others, like Jo Koy, has inspired him in his career and he hopes to inspire others just like he was. He now aspires to play MSG next!”

After all, while moving up in capacity to play any arena is an impressive feat, there is something extra special about booking a gig at the Kia Forum or New York’s Madison Square Garden.

“Both buildings are steeped in history,” Michi B Founder Michele Bernstein says. Reminiscing, she adds, “I still have sticky passes that I showed Jonathan Moreno [Director, VIP Services] at the Forum [to be] able to get into the Forum Club. … As a kid, I went to Lakers games there. You go to MSG and Penn Station’s right there. These are destination places.”

The history of the round Kia Forum venue, which was designed in the style of Roman coliseums by Los Angeles architect Charles Luckman and first opened its doors in December 1967, includes hosting shows from some of the most acclaimed artists of all time like Elvis Presley, Led Zeppelin and the final performance from Mexican icon Juan Gabriel, as well as a 21-date residency from Prince in 2011.

The Forum’s status as a destination venue has continued over the years including Harry Styles setting up shop to play a 15-night residency in October and November 2022 as part of his “Love On Tour.”

The Kia Forum ranked No. 2 on Pollstar’s 2023 Year End Arenas chart, just behind Madison Square Garden, with a gross of $145,332,301.80 and 1,100,855 tickets sold. Looking at the most recent data, Kia Forum ranked No. 4 on Pollstar’s 2024 Q3 Worldwide Top Arena Grosses.

The Kia Forum sold an average of 14,549 tickets per show so far this calendar year with an average gross of $2,034,053 based on 47 reports submitted to Pollstar Boxoffice.

The highest total ticket count of 2024 belongs to Madonna, who played five shows between March 4-11 on her “Celebration Tour,” selling a combined 64,493 tickets and grossing a total of nearly $13.4 million.

Other multi-night runs this year include four nights from the Eagles, three nights from Hozier and two nights each from Bruce Springteen & The E Street Band, Justin Timberlake, Pearl Jam, Niall Horan and Jo Koy.

And then there’s cover artist John Summit, who is set to play three shows at the Forum Nov. 14-16. Becky Colwell, general manager of Kia Forum and vice president of music and events at Intuit Dome, notes that while the venue has a strong history with booking EDM shows, this will mark the Forum’s first three-night stand for a single artist in this genre.

In addition to Jo Koy, the Forum has hosted comedy shows in 2024 by Gabriel Iglesias and Andrew Schulz (who all happen to be clients of Blake), as well as multiple performances as part of the Netflix Is A Joke festival.

With the Kia Forum and MSG being based in major markets, it may seem easy to sell tickets, but Bernstein points out that these markets also have “a ton of noise” and you have to find a way to rise above. This is often where the creative process and clever marketing come in.

The Forum or MSG are often the perfect spot for special events like a record release show. In June the Forum hosted a cultural moment with Kendrick Lamar’s Juneteenth “Pop Out.”

“The point of it was to bring the West Coast together. And really show out. … Kendrick did something at that [event] that was spectacular.” Bernstein says. “He united a city that was riddled for years, where he came from, in gang violence. They all came out on stage with him. There were Crips, Bloods, Pirus … There is no other person who could have gotten all those people up there together. And I think that’s what’s special about those buildings. Where else were we going to do that show? Riverside? I mean, come on.”