The Forum

As a Suns fan, growing up I just knew The Great Western Forum as the place where the evil Lakers played. Now I can say I know it as a great concert venue with an awful parking problem.
My husband and I saw Dead & Co. here on New Year’s Eve. Not being from LA and also wanting to enjoy some drinks at the show, we took Über to the event. They were supposed to have designated parking areas for the Ubers, but our poor Über driver kept getting sent from one place to another by the parking staff.
We finally made it, and I enjoyed the set up, especially the outdoor area. We grabbed some beers before getting our seats, and I didn’t think the beers were that outlandishly priced.
The show itself was great, and I enjoyed the sound quality. I thought most of the staff and security were pretty friendly, especially considering they had to deal with a bunch of drunk and stoned hippies dancing all over the place.
The bathroom lines were long, and the bathrooms were kind of gross, but thankfully I had liquid courage to comfort me.
The worst part of the night was trying to get home. They herded everyone taking Über or Lyft into one area. It was kind of chaotic, and after I requested an über, my phone died and then so did my husband’s. With a giant crowd it was impossible to find my Über driver, and my husband and I had to settle for the cab line.
Honestly, I was kind of happy to take a cab considering the Über pool was going to be close to $ 90 ($ 20 to get there– thanks surge pricing). After a few minutes of waiting, we noticed one problem– there were no cabs coming. You would think if you were going to go through the trouble of having a cab line that you might, I don’t know, have some cabs on hand?
After waiting about 30 minutes with no cabs coming, we ended up paying a random guy selling t-​shirts to drive us back to where we were staying. Thankfully, the guy was super cool and we didn’t get murdered, but the lack of logistical coordination on the part of the Forum kind of left a bad taste in my mouth.

I attended Night 1 of KROQ’s Almost Acoustic Christmas here last year and the experience was overall pleasant!
We donated three canned food items and paid $ 10 less for parking ($ 15, normally $ 25– steep, but that’s LA for ya). Lots of handicapped parking close to the entrance, which was great.
However, finding the ramp up to the security checkpoint was a bit tough, had to ask about 6 employees where we could get up and I ultimately got up from my chair and my friend lifted it up over the curb since we were being sent in circles, not cool. The security check was a breeze and we found our seats quickly, but the security guard supervising the wheelchair zone was pretty rude. My friend parked me in an open space and asked him which seats were ours, and their conversation went like this:
Security: You can’t put her there, that’s not her seat.
Friend: Could you let us know which seats are ours, please? I know that’s not her seat, we just don’t know which folding chair to move out of the way.
Security: *shows us to our seats* Can you move her? Another chair is coming in.
Friend: I KNOW THAT, CAN YOU MOVE THE FOLDING CHAIR SO SHE CAN PARK?
After all that, I decided to check in my wheelchair at Guest Services and transfer to the folding chair (which flips up like a movie theater seat… I didn’t know and almost broke my wrist while trying to sit). The staff at Guest Services was really nice, and the person monitoring the restroom line let me through without waiting in line at one point.
Restrooms next to the First Aid office were very spacious and clean, apart from the beer cup on the sink (it’s to be expected at a concert though).
The show was fantastic! 13 performers including Bastille, Weezer, and Disclosure put on an amazing show that I’ll have memories of forever! The sound was perfect and the big screens on either side of the stage were a great touch for people up in the nosebleeds.
One thing that was a bit of a bother was the lighting; a few times throughout the night, a light would hit us directly in the eyes, felt a bit like staring into the sun for a second. Just something to consider if you’re very sensitive to bright lights!
Leaving the parking lot was a breeze, since a lot of people left after Weezer and there were only about 30 cars left in the section where we parked.
Overall, definitely a decent venue! I’ll more than likely return.

Brought three canned goods for $ 10 off the outrageous $ 25 parking, which helped the overall experience. Saw an iteration of the Dead last night and while you can’t escape the feeling of that aging late sixties, early seventies vibe that the Forum, Brendan Byrne, The Spectrum (and others) all have, the show’s first set was still fun. Can’t get past Mayer and the one bathroom was not kept as clean or stocked as the Greek, the Bowl or the SBB. Didn’t buy any refreshments, adult or otherwise but the pubescent, local (Inglewood) seat jockey wasn’t having that sweet green going up in smoke on his watch, thus his repeated flashlight beams to both the group in front and behind us was but a minor nuisance during the show. The mix was not that strong and the set break was too long but will attribute both shortcomings to the act and not the venue.

Really nice redesign, good place to see a show. The floor area does a good job of feeling small while being big enough to allow for some space. They did a lot of work on the sound quality too and you can really tell the difference. Quality place to see your next show.
Parking is pretty easy, the lot is HUGE but it takes forever to get out, this shouldn’t be a surprise.
Great to see an LA Classic revamped and still standing!

I like this venue a lot. Saw Above and Beyond here in February.
Only bad thing is that they turn up the AC so much. I feel like they do it on purpose so that you can go there and buy their sweaters. What a stupid waste of money.
Parking lot is nearby across the street. Plenty of parking available, but it’s not free.
Seats are good. You can view the stage from anywhere, even in the nosebleeds.

The Staples Center and Honda Center are my usual go-​tos for concerts and sporting events. However, it seems as if a lot of artists are starting to have their concerts hosted by the Forum lately. I’ve been here twice already (once for Sam Smith and once for the KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas) and I’m just not impressed. The acoustics in this venue were average at best and did not do Sam Smith’s voice any justice. I had difficulty hearing what Sam Smith or the other artists were trying to say. I would also like to point out the lack of leg room space. The seats are not comfortable and its awkward trying to maneuver around people to get to my seat.
The parking was 25 dollars which is ridiculous in my opinion. It is messed up because they know that the concert goers have nowhere else to park besides the lot. The surrounding area appears really unsafe but the parking lot isn’t any safer. There have been several reports of cars in the lot getting broken into. You would think they would hire more security if they are charging 25 for each vehicle.
I don’t recommend this venue.

Came here with my boyfriend on Wednesday night for The Weeknd’s Beauty Behind The Madness Tour and we had an amazing time!
We had VIP Parking (Reserved Parking) so parking was not a problem for us. Literally parked right in front of The Forum. The staff was friendly and was nice about showing us where to park.
Before entering you’ll go through security and metal detector for safety purposes of course.
This was our first time coming here so I’m not sure how the place looked like prior to the renovation. All I can say is that it looks very nice and they have big number signs for each section so it’s not easy to get lost here. Although, their bathrooms signs are a little bit misleading because you have to take stairs to go down there (I figured that out after the 3^rd bathroom sign I saw). Their seats were comfortable, a lot of leg room and cup holders were available as well (we were in Section 111). I’m not sure if floor seats have cup holders or comfortable seats.
Also, in our section we had our own server– I believe her name was Melissa? I couldn’t really hear her name cause it was super loud inside (sorry!). She was very nice, attentive & accommodating to us throughout the concert. Heads up, if you like alcoholic drinks expect to pay $ 14 each.
Overall, this place is great for concerts and it’s a bit more intimate than the Staples Center which is a plus.

Nice place, definitely better than the staples Center, just very unorganized.
Great for concerts!
Parking is $ 25

I attended Madonna’s concert here at the forum. It’s a huge venue. Great for these type of event.
The booth to get drinks were way too long. Not enough bartenders to accommodate the sold out concert. But as the drinks started coming, it was all forgiven…
I had the best of time … Section 133 seat 1 – 4 was pretty awesome.

Finally got the chance to check out the renovated Forum October 27^th for Madonna’s Rebel Heart Tour. Thank you for another phenomenal show Madonna. You’re still the Queen!
It’s been 5 years or so since I’ve been to the Forum to see George Michael, and I was very excited to see the changes to the Forum. 4 stars overall for the new and renovated Forum. Nice to see The Forum face-​lifted. Looks almost like a new venue. Also the sound has never been better! Seats are all new and comfy. The dismal and grimy bathrooms are also now history since the bathrooms were also renovated. Finally!
Would have given The Forum 5 stars if they did add more legroom between the rows of seats. I’m not tall at all, and I was wishing for more legroom! Also, the hallways where the concessions are located remain very narrow. With the place sold out for Madonna, it was elbow to elbow at times and it was a little difficult just getting to the bathroom. I think they need to do a better job wrangling the lines for concessions so that they don’t get in the way of people just moving through. Perhaps put all concessions on the outside ring of the hallway or even outside to relieve crowd congestion?
Parking was priced at $ 20. There were a few entrances and exits, and we got in and out pretty fast. Not at all like the parking nightmares that I’ve experienced at Dodger Stadium. Pretty surprised that we were on the freeway within 10 to 15 minutes after exiting the building.

The place is amazingly huge, great light performance. The concert was awsome but the surround sound was awful if you are seated way on the top. Sadly we had to seat all the way up there due to waiting for the rest of our party, who were super late.
The staffs were friendly and very organized, plenty of restrooms… good because after a few drinks and seated you know you gotta make a few trips. Now the seats are to to to close together no elbow room and no drink holder or at least where we were. I would of gave it a four star but a three is more suitable due to the surround sound and seats to close.

Good venue, easy parking and plenty of bars/​food options. They set up screens for the playoffs so I got to fit in some baseball while waiting for the concert to start too — awesome.
The bars have happy hour, which meant $ 9 brandy or vodka cocktails, $ 8 beers or wines. Or something like that. Anyway, they only had the brandy left so we ordered that which tasted like goddamn Cherry Kool-​aid. We had to get back in line, buy another shot to add to the drink AND another shot to take of Jameson’s. We are not alcoholics, I promise. My buzz was gone by the time the concert started. Lame. I’d suggest pre partying elsewhere before coming here. They do have Loteria Grill and Pink’s at the food stands though.
I would return to this venue but I usually stick to outdoor venues. Of all the venues in LA, I’d say this was my least favorite but that’s only because LA has so many awesome ones. Kinda reminded me of the Coliseum back home.

With all of my years in the Los Angeles area I have never visited the Forum so I cannot compare the old forum to the new forum after the remodel.
When I heard the ‘Foo Fighters’ when coming to town during the ‘broken leg’ tour, I knew that visit to the Forum was coming sooner than later. Having never been to this venue I did not know where the choice seats would be, I elected to play it safe and went with seats on the 2^nd level on the side of the stage.
On the night of the concert a friend and I drove to the Forum. I have a thing against paying astronomical rates to park so I began to fan out and look for parking. As I was doing this the meter maids were setting up ‘local only’ roadblock signs on the streets surrounding the Forum I of course ignored these signs and continued my search.
I found a great deal of parking surrounding the Forum but it was all ‘permit’ required from 7pm-​10pm which was the time of the concert so that was a no go. I expanded the search and did find ‘free’ parking that was not ‘permit’ parking on the corner of N. Hillcrest Blvd & E. Queen Street. After parking it was a short walk down Queen St to Prairie to the Fourm. At the end of the night simply follow the crowd up E. Manchester Blvd and you are back at your car with no worries.
Once we passed through the security check line & presented our tickets we were inside. The 2^nd level concourse area was carpeted, packed with people, everywhere you looked there were concession stands and/​or bars. The walls of the concourse were lined with pictures from the history of the Forum. I found the inside to be nice but nothing spectacular.
As for the view from our seats, side stage, row 5 on the 2^nd level, they were perfect. These seats gave an excellent view of the stage, the artists & the performance. With the side stage seats we were able to stay out of direct range of the forward facing speakers in a closed roof venue (used to concerts at the Greek & Hollywood Bowl where it is much easier on the ears).
This was my first time in quite a while attending a concert that was in a ‘closed venue’ where I wasn’t seated in a luxury box and had the walls of the box to save my ears. If you are attending a concert here and your seats are located directly in front of the stage no matter the section floor, 1^st level or 2^nd level bring ear plugs because it is loud.
Above I am giving away my ‘free’ parking spot because chances are unless the ‘Foo Fighters’ (which by the way was a GREAT concert) come back to the Forum chances are extremely high I won’t be coming back to a closed roof venue. If driving here and trying to plan ahead follow the below link.
At the end the end of the night we were able to walk back to our parked car within 10 minutes. During this walk we passed folks selling concert t-​shirts for a fraction of what they cost inside of the Forum. We also came across many push wagon carts selling bacon wrapped hot dogs, all of which smelled delicious but were given a pass=)
Overall I was pleased with the visit. The folks seated around us were good people with good vibes which lead to a more enjoyable time.

We came here for the Janet Unbreakable Tour and left half way through. Why? The sound system is terrible. This venue should not be used for concerts. A circus maybe, a mime show, anything where you don’t care about the sound. Geez Louise, it was like Janet was mumbling when she talked, I could only decipher the words when it was a song that I was familiar with. I am more than certain that there are only speakers in the very front of the stage and those speakers are in need of servicing.
They get one star because the employees were friendly and helpful, the Happy Hour food and drinks were decent (I had chicken tacos, 3 for $ 12). I thought the parking fees were typical and the area isn’t as bad as everyone tries to make it out to be. The area has a history, but from what I can tell nothing is going on and I observed people outside praying and things were quiet. I would not be afraid to stop to eat or go into the Ralph’s which was near the venue.

This place is huge. Clean. Organized staff. They have a über section for drop off’s and pick ups — very cool and useful.
Just caught the Foo Fighters on their world tour!!! Great venue. My only complaint is they ran out of stuff from particular beers to the additional 30mins wait for the chicken and beef to cook for their tacos… hot dogs it is :/​
Convenient but just note that this is not the best part of town, so keep that in mind when planning your trip/​night.

Its crazy that I have never been here considering what a huge Laker fan I am. Well that all changed friday night when I went to the Kevin Hart, What Now show.
I think the setup of the forum is very organized. There’s tons of employees in the parking lot and inside directing you where to park and where to sit. The 25 dollars for parking is very steep but avoids a long walk.
Right outside the forum are a few drink vendors to choose from. Inside there’s a selection of food and drink choices that are also overpriced. If you’re hungry, Id suggest getting a Pink’s hotdog which is always delicious and about the same cost as Pink’s storefronts.
The Forum is huge and I was surprised at how late people show up for the shows. The production was pretty awesome. It really got people pumped up. The sound is much louder for effects and music than when the comedians are talking.
All in all a wonderful evening and I’m grateful I finally got to see where the Laker magic started.

I’m not a fan of this location. Trying to get parking is a complete nightmare! With no guidance from parking attendants and limited cones, it took us 40 minutes to park. Everyone is cutting each other off. It was a complete zoo! Getting into the venue was easy, with ticket takers at the door and attendants with flashlights to help us find our destination. We stopped by the concession stands and for $ 13, you get a Stella that they pour into a plastic cup. The seats are small with no am rest. I was touching my neighbors am the entire time. The sound and lighting were excellent! The Kevin Hart show amazing!

I’ve been to The Forum three times – once in high school back in the 90s, then saw Red Hot Chili Peppers circa 2004-​ish and then (probably) my last time yesterday. With almost two decades in between the visits, my opinion of The Forum still has not changed. I can forgive a lot of things, like INSANE parking prices (carpool with friends and tailgate before the show, if you can) and doll furniture seating (go back in time and grow shorter, I guess), but yesterday The Forum saw my line in the sand, took one giant step forward and found itself on the wrong side.
Spoiler alert: the concession stand policy at The Forum is belligerently, aggressively dumb. I didn’t set up a 401K in advance so that I could afford alcohol at The Forum and so I was only gonna spend my shekels on water and maybe a coke.
Get ready. Apparently, vendors (who handle money) HAVE to open your water bottles for you and then hold the caps hostage. What now??? You can’t close your water once you take a sip and you have to drink from a water bottle the neck of which just got mauled by a saleslady who’s handling a bunch of cash from the thousands of people at the Forum.
Ewwwwwwwwwww.
If you want a coke, you can only get a tepid, warm can. No ice for you! You’ll get a big plastic glass into which they pour (some) of the soda that you just purchased and your pleas for ice fall on deaf ears. And when you ask where the rest of your $ 5 soda just went, you get a blank stare and some «policy at The Forum» talk.
Whateeeever.
I’ve come to accept the fact that most concert venues generally suck and so my borderline acceptable bar for rating them is already low. For The Forum to plunk down to one star should tell you something. I mean, I appreciate the recent remodel and all but, as they say, you can’t really polish a turd.

Me experience at the Forum is not your typical one. I recently came here for the Earth Wind & Fire /​Chicago concert with a friend who works with one of the bands. Parking was pretty easy but EXPENSIVE! If I lived close enough, I’d just Über to the venue. For this concert we had floor seats and Forum Club access.
The food in the Forum Club was pretty good and more substantial than I thought it would be. I also appreciated the bags for complimentary popcorn and candy. I made sure to fill a bag to snack on during the show! The beer was reasonably priced, in my opinion, at $ 9 each. I was flabbergasted when someone said they paid $ 20 for a tiny cup of vodka and oj. I was also not happy about the $ 14 for my small cup of wine. Needless to stay, I stuck with the beer.
The floor seats were foldable chairs. They weren’t super comfy and I was really cozy with the people next to me. Plus when people in from of you stood up, you have a hard time seeing the stage. The general restroom lines were quite ridiculous so I was thankful to have Forum Club access to avoid the line.
I didn’t live in LA before this venue was remodeled, but I’d have to say it’s a decent venue. I really have no complaints. It looked good and served it’s purpose.

I have not been here since the Lakers used to play here. The rebuild is excellent and the new sound system is perfect. We saw Maroon 5 and it was an excellent concert.
We took Über to keep the parking simple. I would highly recommend the Forum for events and concerts.