Kentish Town Forum Theatre (1934–1963) ABC Kentish Town (1963–1970) Forum Dancehall (1984–1985) Town & Country Club (1985–1993) London Forum (1993–2007) The Forum (2007–2009) HMV Forum (2009–2013) The Forum (2013–2015)
The venue was built in 1934 and was originally used as an art deco cinema. After the cinema was closed, the venue re-opened as an Irish dance hall. In the 1980s, it changed directions from a bingo hall, to a dance hall and then to a live music venue under the name Town & Country Club.[1] In 1993, Mean Fiddler Music Group purchased the venue and renamed it the London Forum. The final show at the T&C was Van Morrison on 21 March 1993.[2] From 2009-2013 the venue was named the HMV Forum.[citation needed]
In 2007, MAMA & Company purchased the Forum from Mean Fiddler and spent £1.5 million on renovations, increasing the capacity to 2,300. In 2015, the venue was acquired by Live Nation, and re-branded as O2 Forum Kentish Town as part of the O2 Academy Group.[3]
The venue has standing downstairs and benches seating in booths on the upstairs balcony, or a fully seated layout for certain shows.