Plans for a 6,000-seat performance venue go back as far as 2015, when Stan Kroenke, owner of the then-named St. Louis Rams, announced his plan to build an NFL stadium and entertainment complex on the former Hollywood Park Racetrack.[1] Construction on the stadium and theater broke ground the following year in November 2016.[2]
On June 28, 2021, it was announced that Google's video-sharing platform YouTube had acquired the naming rights to the theater for 10 years.[3][4]
The venue opened on August 9, 2021, with an official ribbon-cutting ceremony. Mexican rock band Caifanes held the first event at the theater on September 4, 2021.[5][6] The venue hosted its first esports event in late March 2022, with the Rocket League Championship Series (RLCS) Winter Major, marking RLCS's first live event in two years.[7]
Design
YouTube Theater was designed by Dallas-based architectural firm HKS, Inc.[8] The 227,000 square foot, three-story venue can seat anywhere between 3,400 and 6,000 spectators. The venue also features six luxury boxes and a 3,500 square foot club with 140 premium seats. The theater is designed to be an intimate venue, with the furthest seat being situated 164 feet from the stage.[9] The venue features a sound system designed by L-Acoustics.[10]
^Fenno, Nathan; Farmer, Sam (10 November 2016). "Rams to break ground on Inglewood stadium next week, source says". Los Angeles Times. The 70,000-seat stadium and adjacent 6,000-seat performance venue will be covered by a sail-shaped roof that's twice as big as the structure. The roof over the playing field will be made of a transparent material that's as clear as a car windshield.
^Aaron, Rebecca (2 November 2021). "Bon Iver Gets a New Sound in Los Angeles". www.culturedmag.com. The performances were the first to use L-Acoustics's L-ISA Hyperreal Sound, a new immersive technology that takes live music to its most elevated sonic experience yet.