Kia Forum

What Kia Forum does

Kia Forum is a single-site music and entertainment arena located at 3900 W Manchester Blvd in Inglewood, California, operated by Kia Forum Entertainment LLC. Originally opened in 1967 as The Forum and substantially renovated and rebranded under the Kia naming in January 2014, it is described in the source material as the only arena-sized venue in the United States dedicated solely to music and entertainment. The venue serves live-event attendees of headlining concert tours across pop, rock, hip-hop, Latin, K-pop, and electronic genres, along with combat sports, family shows, comedy festivals (e.g., Netflix Is a Joke), and broadcast award shows. It consistently ranks in the top two U.S. arenas and top four worldwide per Pollstar and Billboard Box Office Reports, and was named Pollstar's Arena of the Decade for the 2010s. The arena serves premium-box buyers (City National Bank Legends Boxes, minimum 8–10 guests), corporate and private event renters, and accessibility-requiring guests through ADA seating, wheelchair access, and on-request signed performances.

The arena operates on a fully cashless infrastructure with mobile-only ticketing routed exclusively through Ticketmaster, multi-layer security screening (walk-through metal detectors, metal-detecting hand wands, x-ray bag screening, AED-equipped medical response), and two state-of-the-art checkout-free convenience stores for in-venue food, snacks, and both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. Following the 2012–2014 renovation, acoustics were upgraded, former locker rooms were redesigned as artist dressing rooms, and the floor was converted into one of the country's largest general-admission sections. Accessible services include ADA seating, wheelchair, aisle-transfer, and semi-ambulatory seating options, plus signed performances available with 10 business days' advance notice.

Kia Forum generates revenue across six streams: (1) transaction fees on event ticketing shared with promoters via Ticketmaster and the on-site Box Office (open Fridays 12pm–6pm and on event days from 12pm through show start); (2) high-margin premium seating rentals for the City National Bank Legends Boxes with VIP parking, fast-pass entry, dedicated servers, and optional branded décor; (3) sponsorship and advertising revenue from a multi-year official partner portfolio spanning Kia (naming rights), City National Bank, Ticketmaster, Lyft, Pepsi, and a deep beverage stack (Jack Daniel's, Don Julio, Casamigos, WhiteClaw, Tanqueray, Ketel One, Seaglass Wine); (4) food and beverage concessions featuring local vendors such as Carney's and Papa Cantella's alongside alcohol partners, limited to 2 drinks per customer per transaction; (5) cashless on-site parking and prepaid event parking via JustPark; and (6) B2B venue rentals for corporate, private, and special events. GTM is hybrid — direct-to-consumer ticketing through the venue's owned calendar, social channels (@TheKiaForum), and email newsletter, paired with inside/field sales for premium seating and venue rentals, and extensive co-marketing through the official sponsor ecosystem.

Name

Kia Forum

Legal name

Kia Forum Entertainment LLC

Website

https://thekiaforum.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Kia Forum is a single-site arena in Inglewood, California dedicated solely to music and entertainment. It serves live-event attendees, premium-box buyers, and corporate renters with concerts, sports, comedy, and award shows, ranking among the top two U.S. arenas.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Live Entertainment Venue

NAICS

Promoters of Performing Arts, Sports, and Similar Events with Facilities (71131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arena & Stadium Operations (Large-Capacity Venues) (MPAGALAA)

Keywords

• Live music venue
• Entertainment arena
• Event hosting
• Concert ticketing
• Premium seating

Headquarters

HQ city

Inglewood

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Premium seating (City National Bank Legends Boxes): Private box rentals (minimum 8-10 guests) including VIP parking, fast-pass entry, dedicated server, preferred parking, and optional branded décor; revenue is event-night, high-margin recurring rental income sold through direct sales outreach.
2. Event ticketing (commission/share with promoters): Mobile tickets sold through Ticketmaster and on-site Box Office for concerts, sports, family shows, comedy, and award shows; venue earns its share of ticket revenue across arena events.
3. Sponsorship and official partner rights: Multi-year sponsorships and official partner designations across beverage (Jack Daniel's, Don Julio, Casamigos, WhiteClaw, Tanqueray, Ketel One, Seaglass), consumer (Pepsi), automotive naming (Kia), financial (City National Bank), ticketing (Ticketmaster), mobility (Lyft), and parking (JustPark), plus advertising placements on site.
4. Food & beverage concessions: Concession sales featuring local brands (Carney's, Papa Cantella's hot dogs) and alcohol partners (Casamigos Tequila, Ketel One Vodka, Jack Daniel's) sold through traditional POS and two checkout-free stores; alcohol limited to 2 drinks per customer per transaction.
5. Parking (via JustPark): Cashless on-site parking (rates vary by event, open ~3 hours before start, close 1 hour after end, no overnight) plus prepaid event parking routed through JustPark as the Official Parking Partner. Vehicles over 18 ft length or 9 ft width are charged extra.
6. Venue rentals and hosted events: B2B rentals of the arena for corporate, private, and special events marketed through the Connect/Venue Rentals pages.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Kia Forum is a 17,500+ capacity music and entertainment arena in Inglewood, CA, hosting headlining concerts, multi-night residencies, comedy, family shows, combat sports, and award shows. Its core commercial offerings are mobile event tickets sold via Ticketmaster, City National Bank Legends Boxes premium private suites, on-site food & beverage concessions (including two checkout-free stores), cashless event parking, and B2B venue rentals for corporate and private events.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• City National Bank Legends Boxes (Premium Private Boxes) Premium private box rental product for high-spend individuals, groups, and small corporate hosts attending concerts, sports, family shows, and special events at the Kia Forum. Includes VIP parking, fast-pass entry, a dedicated server, and optional branded décor customization.
• Concert and Event Tickets (mobile-only via Ticketmaster) Mobile-only digital tickets for headlining concerts, multi-night residencies, comedy, family shows, combat sports, and award shows, sold via Ticketmaster and the on-site Box Office for individual consumers.
• Food & Beverage Concessions (including two checkout-free stores) On-site food and beverage concessions featuring local SoCal brands (Carney's, Papa Cantella's) and named alcohol partners, sold through traditional cashless POS and two checkout-free convenience stores, available to all event attendees.
• Event Parking (cashless on-site and prepaid via JustPark) Cashless on-site and prepaid event-day parking for Kia Forum guests, with rates varying by event and oversized-vehicle surcharges, available to individual consumers attending events.
• Venue Rentals (B2B corporate, private, and special events) Full-arena rental service for corporations, brands, and event organizers hosting private functions, brand activations, and large-scale corporate gatherings inside the Kia Forum.
• Accessibility Services (ADA seating, signed performances, companion seating) Accessibility services for guests with disabilities, including ADA seating, wheelchair, aisle transfer, semi-ambulatory seating, companion seating up to three seats, and on-request signed performances for the deaf and hard of hearing.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• KiaflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNaming-rights partner — the venue carries the 'Kia' name (Kia Forum). The arena was substantially renovated in 2012 and re-opened in January 2014 under the Kia naming. The site is owned and operated by Kia Forum Entertainment LLC.
• City National BankflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-branded 'City National Bank Legends Boxes' — the venue's premium private box experience (minimum 8-10 guests) carries CNB branding, with VIP parking, fast-pass entry, dedicated server, and branded décor option.
• TicketmastercoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial ticketing partner; all Kia Forum tickets are mobile and routed through Ticketmaster. ADA seating is also purchased via Ticketmaster.
• LyftcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Rideshare Partner of the Kia Forum; drop-offs permitted at all entrances. New Lyft users get a promo code for 50% off first two rides (up to $10/ride).
• JustParkcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOfficial Parking Partner; resells prepaid event parking for Kia Forum (and SoFi Stadium) through JustPark's event parking platform.
• Jack Daniel'scoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor; Jack Daniel's whiskey is featured as an alcohol offering across the venue, including on-site banner advertising.
• Don JuliocoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor; Don Julio Tequila is featured in the venue's spirits lineup with on-site banner advertising.
• CasamigoscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor; Casamigos Tequila is part of the venue's alcohol offerings, with dedicated banner placements on the Food & Drink page and throughout the site.
• WhiteClawcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor featured on the venue's sponsors strip alongside other beverage partners.
• PepsicoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor; Pepsi appears on the venue's sponsors strip and on the Accessibility page banner, indicating a non-alcoholic beverage partnership.
• TanqueraycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor; Tanqueray gin is part of the venue's spirits offerings, listed on the sponsors strip.
• Seaglass Wine CompanycoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor; Seaglass Wine is part of the venue's alcohol lineup with on-site digital banner advertising.
• Ketel OnecoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial sponsor; Ketel One Vodka is part of the venue's spirits offerings with on-site banner advertising (e.g., on event pages such as RÜFÜS DU SOL).
• NBA (Los Angeles Clippers / Intuit Dome)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperational / affiliate linkage — the Kia Forum careers page and footer link to the LA Clippers' careers site, and the Connect page links to Intuit Dome Events. The NBA also uses the Kia Forum as a venue for All-Star programming (NBA All-Star Pitch Competition, Ruffles Celebrity Game, HBCU Classic).
• TikTok (WORSHIP event co-promotion)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-marketing on TikTok is reflected on the WORSHIP event page footer, suggesting a digital content partnership for select events.
• NBA (multi-venue All-Star 2026 programming)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExecutive Kelly Flatow outlined expanded All-Star programming spanning an entire week including NBA Crossover, Celebrity Game, HBCU Classic, Rising Stars mini-tournament, and G League events across multiple venues including the Kia Forum; broadcast in 200 countries with 27 marketing partners and the largest merchandise village in All-Star history.
• Papa Cantella'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal food vendor partnership — premium hot dogs from Papa Cantella's (family-owned Vernon, CA manufacturer since 1980) are served throughout the venue as part of the local food lineup alongside Carney's.
• Carney'scoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal food vendor partnership — Carney's is featured as one of SoCal's celebrated local food brands available to guests at the Kia Forum.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The Greek Theatre: Smaller but iconic LA live-music venue also in the LA basin; overlaps with Kia Forum on headlining concert demand and ticket buyer base.
• The O2 Arena (London): One of the world's busiest music-focused arenas; closely comparable to Kia Forum in dedicated-music positioning, premium hospitality, and Pollstar/Billboard global rankings.
• Intuit Dome: Newly opened arena in Inglewood, CA operated by the same affiliated LA Clippers organization; directly competes for the same touring artist bookings and corporate events in the same submarket as Kia Forum.
• Madison Square Garden: Iconic New York arena and benchmark for arena revenue per event night; comparable in scale, premium-seat monetization, and top-tier global concert and awards-show bookings.
• Chase Center: San Francisco arena serving as home to the Golden State Warriors with substantial concert and event programming; comparable in scale, premium experience design, and high-margin sponsorship structure.
• SoFi Stadium: Adjacent Inglewood venue and part of the same Hollywood Park destination complex; overlaps with Kia Forum on large-format concerts and special events and shares JustPark as a parking partner.
• Crypto.com Arena: Premier downtown Los Angeles arena and one of the highest-grossing venues globally; competes head-to-head with Kia Forum for headlining tours, awards shows, and premium hospitality bookings in the LA basin.
• T-Mobile Arena: Las Vegas-based arena with similar music-first event programming, premium suites, and shared sponsors (e.g., beverage and ticketing partners); competes for top-tier US touring routings.

Emerging players

• Sphere: New Las Vegas experiential entertainment venue attracting premium residencies and immersive event programming; partial overlap with Kia Forum on high-spend, premium live experiences and could absorb touring and residency demand.

Broad incumbents

• AEG / AEG Presents: Global venue operator and concert promoter that owns/operates Crypto.com Arena and other venues; competes with Kia Forum as a promoter and venue partner and shapes artist routing decisions across the LA market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/TheKiaForum
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheKiaForum
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kiaforum

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Kia Forum