Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall

{{Short description|Large event venue in Los Angeles, California}}

{{Infobox venue

| name = Shrine Auditorium

| image = 250px

| image_caption = The Shrine Auditorium

| nickname =

| location = 665 W. Jefferson Blvd
Los Angeles, California

| type = Indoor theater
Convention center

| pushpin_map = Los Angeles#California#USA

| built = 1925

| opened = {{Start date and age|1926}}

| renovated = 2002

| owner = Al Malaikah Auditorium Company

| former_names =

| cost = $2.7 million

| seating_type =

| seating_capacity = 6,300
5,000 (Expo hall)

|| tenants = USC Trojans (NCAA) (1939-1972)

| publictransit = {{LACMTA link logo}}{{LACMTA icon strip|Expo}} Jefferson/USC

| website = [http://www.shrineauditorium.com/ shrineauditorium.com]

| embedded = {{Infobox NRHP

|embed = yes

|name = Al Malaikah Temple

|nrhp_type =

|coordinates = {{Coord|34|01|24|N|118|16|54|W|region:US-CA_type:landmark|display=inline,title}}

|locmapin = USA Los Angeles Metropolitan Area#California#USA

|architect = John C. Austin

|architecture = Moorish Revival

|added = April 2, 1987

|refnum = 87000577

|designated_other1 = LAHCM

|designated_other1_date = March 5, 1975

|designated_other1_number = 139

}}

The Shrine Auditorium is a landmark large-event venue in Los Angeles, California. It is also the headquarters of the Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. It was designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument (No. 139) in 1975, and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987.

History

Opened in 1926, the current Shrine Auditorium replaced an earlier 1906 Al Malaikah Temple which had been destroyed by a fire on January 11, 1920.{{cite web |title=The Shrine Auditorium Fire |url=http://www.lafire.com/famous_fires/MajorIncident-index.htm |work=Los Angeles Fire Department Historical Archive |publisher=L.A. Fire |year=1999 |access-date=25 July 2013 |archive-date=25 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125024650/http://www.lafire.com/famous_fires/MajorIncident-index.htm |url-status=live }} The fire gutted the structure in just 30 minutes, and nearly killed six firefighters in the process.{{Cite web |url=http://lafd.blogspot.com/2008/01/88-years-ago-shrine-auditorium-fire.html |title=LAFD Blog: 88 Years Ago: The Shrine Auditorium Fire |access-date=2008-01-16 |archive-date=2014-07-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140727005103/http://lafd.blogspot.com/2008/01/88-years-ago-shrine-auditorium-fire.html |url-status=dead}}

In the late 1960s, the Shrine was referred to as "The Pinnacle" by the audiences of rock concerts.

In 2002, the auditorium underwent a $15 million renovation that upgraded the stage with state-of-the-art lighting and rigging systems, and included new roofing and air conditioning for both the Auditorium and Expo Center, modernized concession stands, additional restrooms, repainting of the Expo Center, and a new performance plaza and parking garage. The entire complex follows a Moroccan architectural motif.

Architect and engineer (1922) (14595001970).jpg|The old Shrine Auditorium, 1905.

OldShrineAuditorium-1910.jpg|The old Shrine Auditorium, 1910.

Shrine Auditorium (254834418).jpg|The Shrine Auditorium in 1990, before the 2002 renovations.

Building

The new auditorium was designed in the Moorish Revival style by San Francisco-based theater architect G. Albert Lansburgh, with local architects John C. Austin and A. M. Edelman associated. When built, the auditorium could hold 1,200 people on stage and seat an audience of 6,442. An engineer who consulted on the project said that the steel truss supporting the balcony was the largest ever constructed.{{cite book |first=William D. |last=Moore |date=August 15, 2006 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TAEZopwOKNYC |title=Masonic temples: Freemasonry, Ritual Architecture, and Masculine Archetypes |publisher=University of Tennessee Press |isbn=978-1-57233-496-0 |page=107 |url-access=subscription |access-date=March 16, 2016 |archive-date=February 2, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230202025657/https://books.google.com/books?id=TAEZopwOKNYC |url-status=live }}

The Shrine Auditorium seats approximately 6,300 people (reduced during the 2002 renovation from the original 6,700 capacity) and has a stage {{cvt|194|ft|m}} wide and {{cvt|69|ft|m}} deep.

The Auditorium features two boxes above the orchestra level holding 40 people each and seven loges on the balcony holding between 36 and 47 seats each (total capacity of the loges: 274). Of the remaining seats, 2,964 are on the orchestra level and 2,982 on the balcony level.{{Cite web |last=Auditorium |first=Shrine |title=Venues {{!}} Shrine Auditorium |url=https://www.shrineauditorium.com/rental-info/venues |access-date=2021-01-31 |website=www.shrineauditorium.com |language=en |archive-date=2021-01-27 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210127224910/https://www.shrineauditorium.com/rental-info/venues |url-status=live }}

Adjacent to the Auditorium is the Shrine Exposition Hall. This is a multi-purpose event facility. It features {{convert|54000|sqft|m2}} of exhibit and meeting space—34,000 in the main level and 20,000 in an open mezzanine. The Exposition Hall has a capacity of 5,000 patrons. Trade shows, banquets, conventions and electronic music festivals, among other events, have been held there.{{cite web|url=http://www.shrineauditorium.com/facility#exposition_hall |title=Facilities : :: Shrine Auditorium & Expo Hall :: |publisher=Shrineauditorium.com |date= |accessdate=2014-05-27}}

File:Al Malaikah Temple - Shrine Auditorium, 655 W. Jefferson Blvd. University Park.jpg|View of the building from University Park.

File:Shrine Auditorium side.JPG|Southwest facade

File:Shrine Auditorium spire.JPG|South Spire

File:Al Malaikah Temple - Shrine Auditorium, 655 W. Jefferson Blvd. University Park, 6.jpg|Royal Street vestibule

File:Al Malaikah Temple - Shrine Auditorium, 655 W. Jefferson Blvd. University Park, 4.jpg|vestibule different angle

File:Al Malaikah Temple - Shrine Auditorium, 655 W. Jefferson Blvd. University Park, 5.jpg|Detail of stained glass window

Notable events

The Shrine Auditorium has hosted a number of events, mainly for entertainment:

class="wikitable" width="600" \|+ Awards ceremony events
Event ! Date
Academy Awards \| 1947–48, 1988–1989, 1991, 1995, 1997–1998, 2000–2001
Academy of Country Music Awards \| 1978, 1981
American Music Awards \| 1982–2006
BET Awards \| 2006–2012
Grammy Awards \| 1978–1980, 1982–1987, 1989–1990, 1993, 1995–1996, 1999
iHeartRadio Music Awards \| 2014–2015, 2022
Miss Universe \| 2006
MTV Movie & TV Awards \| 2001–2003, 2005, 2017
My VH1 Music Awards \| 2000–2001
NAACP Image Awards \| 2006–2013
People's Choice Awards \| 2001–2003, 2006–2009
Primetime Emmy Awards \| 1998–2000, 2002–2007
Screen Actors Guild Awards \| 1998–2020, 2024, 2025
Soul Train Music Awards \| 1989–2001
Teen Choice Awards \| 2014

class="wikitable" width="600"

|+ Awards ceremony events

Event

! Date

Academy Awards

| 1947–48, 1988–1989, 1991, 1995, 1997–1998, 2000–2001

Academy of Country Music Awards

| 1978, 1981

American Music Awards

| 1982–2006

BET Awards

| 2006–2012

Grammy Awards

| 1978–1980, 1982–1987, 1989–1990, 1993, 1995–1996, 1999

iHeartRadio Music Awards

| 2014–2015, 2022

Miss Universe

| 2006

MTV Movie & TV Awards

| 2001–2003, 2005, 2017

My VH1 Music Awards

| 2000–2001

NAACP Image Awards

| 2006–2013

People's Choice Awards

| 2001–2003, 2006–2009

Primetime Emmy Awards

| 1998–2000, 2002–2007

Screen Actors Guild Awards

| 1998–2020, 2024, 2025

Soul Train Music Awards

| 1989–2001

Teen Choice Awards

| 2014

class="wikitable" width="600" \|+ Other media events
Date ! Description
4 December 1953 \| Annual Los Angeles Examiner Christmas Show.
1 July 1995 \| Paris by Night 32: 20 Years At A Glance – Timeless Memories (Vietnamese music show)

class="wikitable" width="600"

|+ Other media events

Date

! Description

4 December 1953

| Annual Los Angeles Examiner Christmas Show.

1 July 1995

| Paris by Night 32: 20 Years At A Glance – Timeless Memories (Vietnamese music show)

class="wikitable" width="600" \|+ Sports events
Date ! Event
For 33 years \| Home court for the USC's Trojans basketball team
Briefly \| Some playoff games of the Los Angeles Lakers
7 January 2025 \|NXT: New Year's Evil{{Cite web \|title=NXT kicks off 2025 with New Year's Evil from Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7 \|url=https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/article/new-years-evil-los-angeles-january-7-shrine-expo-hall \|access-date=2024-12-11 \|website=WWE \|language=en}}

class="wikitable" width="600"

|+ Sports events

Date

! Event

For 33 years

| Home court for the USC's Trojans basketball team

Briefly

| Some playoff games of the Los Angeles Lakers

7 January 2025

|NXT: New Year's Evil{{Cite web |title=NXT kicks off 2025 with New Year's Evil from Los Angeles on Tuesday, January 7 |url=https://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/article/new-years-evil-los-angeles-january-7-shrine-expo-hall |access-date=2024-12-11 |website=WWE |language=en}}

class="wikitable" width="600" \|+ Movie shootings and premieres
Date ! Movie ! Description
1933 \| King Kong \| Scenes where Kong was displayed manacled on stage.
1954 \| A Star Is Born \| Some scenes.
9 December 2017 \| Star Wars: The Last Jedi \| World premiere.
2018 \| A Star Is Born \| The final scene was filmed at the Shrine as an homage to the earlier 1954 film.
9 July 2023 \| Barbie \|World premiere.

class="wikitable" width="600"

|+ Movie shootings and premieres

Date

! Movie

! Description

1933

| King Kong

| Scenes where Kong was displayed manacled on stage.

1954

| A Star Is Born

| Some scenes.

9 December 2017

| Star Wars: The Last Jedi

| World premiere.

2018

| A Star Is Born

| The final scene was filmed at the Shrine as an homage to the earlier 1954 film.

9 July 2023

| Barbie

|World premiere.

class="wikitable" width="600" \|+ Other shootings
Date ! Film ! Description
27 January 1984 \| Pepsi commercial \| Michael Jackson's hair was accidentally set on fire by the pyrotechnics. He suffered second-degree burns on his scalp as a result.{{cite web \|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1616411/pepsi-questions-why-michael-jackson-accident-video-was-shared/ \|title=Pepsi Questions Why Michael Jackson Accident Video Was Shared \|last=Kaufman \|first=Gil \|publisher=MTV \|date=2009-07-16 \|access-date=2014-06-14 \|archive-date=2014-05-25 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525012453/http://www.mtv.com/news/1616411/pepsi-questions-why-michael-jackson-accident-video-was-shared/ \|url-status=dead }}

class="wikitable" width="600"

|+ Other shootings

Date

! Film

! Description

27 January 1984

| Pepsi commercial

| Michael Jackson's hair was accidentally set on fire by the pyrotechnics. He suffered second-degree burns on his scalp as a result.{{cite web |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1616411/pepsi-questions-why-michael-jackson-accident-video-was-shared/ |title=Pepsi Questions Why Michael Jackson Accident Video Was Shared |last=Kaufman |first=Gil |publisher=MTV |date=2009-07-16 |access-date=2014-06-14 |archive-date=2014-05-25 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525012453/http://www.mtv.com/news/1616411/pepsi-questions-why-michael-jackson-accident-video-was-shared/ |url-status=dead }}

class="wikitable" width="600" \|+ Music events and recordings
Date ! Artist or event ! Description
May 1949 \|Art Tatum \|Solo piano performance was released by Columbia Records in 1952 as Gene Norman Presents an Art Tatum Concert{{cite news \|date=May 29, 1952 \|title=Tatum and Goodman \|work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch \|page=36}}{{cite news \|last=England \|first=Jim \|date=May 25, 1952 \|title=Toscanini Sings on Wax \|work=The Salt Lake Tribune \|page=128}}
1955 \| The Great Shrine Auditorium Concert \| Considered a major event in the histories of both American gospel and secular music.{{cite episode \|title=Marking a Great Gospel Concert's 50th Anniversary \|url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4766085 \|date=July 22, 2005 \|series=News & Notes \|network=NPR \|credits=Ed Gordon, Jack Marchbanks \|access-date=September 17, 2017 \|archive-date=September 18, 2017 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918110527/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4766085 \|url-status=live }} The event featured Dorothy Love Coates & The Original Gospel Harmonettes, Brother Joe May, The Caravans, James Cleveland, a young Sam Cooke performing with The Soul Stirrers.{{cite web \|title=Inductee Explorer \|url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/byyear/1986/ \|publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame \|access-date=September 17, 2017 \|archive-date=February 1, 2013 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201174223/http://rockhall.com/inductees/byyear/1986/ \|url-status=live }}
8 June 1956 \| Elvis Presley \| Elvis Presley's first concert at the Shrine.
3 August 1958 \| The Fourteenth Cavalcade of Jazz \| Produced by Leon Hefflin Sr.,“Fourteenth Year Jazz Cavalcade At Shrine Next” The California Eagle. July 3, 1958. featuring Ray Charles with The Cookies, Ann Fisher, Sam Cooke, William Everett Preston, Little Willie John, Bo Rhambo, and The Clark Kids. Sammy Davis Jr. crowned the Queen, Miss Jackie Joyce Simpson.{{cite book \|title=The Black Music History of Los Angeles - Its Roots: A Classical Pictorial History of Black Music in Los Angeles from 1920-1970 \|last=Reed \|first=Tom \|year=1992 \|publisher=Black Accent on L.A. Press \|isbn=978-0963290861 \|edition=1st, limited \|location=Los Angeles \|oclc=28801394}} Charles Trammel, Huggy Boy, Jim Randolph, and Hunter Hancock were the MCs for the starred event.{{cite book \|title=Dream boogie: the triumph of Sam Cooke \|last=Guralnick \|first=Peter \|year=2005 \|publisher=Little, Brown \|isbn=978-0316377942 \|edition=1st \|location=New York \|page=[https://archive.org/details/dreamboogietrium00gura/page/250 250] \|access-date=December 31, 2019 \|url=https://archive.org/details/dreamboogietrium00gura \|url-access=registration \|quote=shrine auditorium.}}
1964 \| Ray Charles \| Recorded Live in Concert at the Shrine.
24 August 1968 \| The Grateful Dead \| Recorded the live album Two from the Vault at the Shrine.
24 January 1975 \| Genesis \| Live performance of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway released in 1998.
1976 \| The Tubes \| 3-night concert
8/9 November 1995 \| Fugazi \| Concert
16 December 2000 19 December 2001 6 December 2005 \| KIIS-FM Jingle Ball \|
1998 Since 2013 \| KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas concert \| {{cite journal \|url=http://thescenestar.typepad.com/ss/2013/11/kroqs-acoustic-christmas-now-at-the-shrine.html \|title=KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas At Shrine \|journal=TheScenestar \|access-date=2013-11-06 \|archive-date=2013-11-06 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106095231/http://thescenestar.typepad.com/ss/2013/11/kroqs-acoustic-christmas-now-at-the-shrine.html \|url-status=live }}
4 & 8 August 2016 \| Radiohead \| Live performance of A Moon Shaped Pool released in 2016.
20 December 2019 \| My Chemical Romance \| Reunion concert after a seven-year hiatus{{cite web \|url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/21/us/my-chemical-romance-reunion-show-trnd/index.html \|title=My Chemical Romance play its first concert in seven years \|work=CNN \|first=Alaa \|last=Elassar \|date=December 21, 2019 \|access-date=2019-12-31 \|archive-date=2019-12-22 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222075503/https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/21/us/my-chemical-romance-reunion-show-trnd/index.html \|url-status=live }}
21 & 22 December 2022 \| The Smile \| Live performance of A Light For Attracting Attention released in 2022.

class="wikitable" width="600"

|+ Music events and recordings

Date

! Artist or event

! Description

May 1949

|Art Tatum

|Solo piano performance was released by Columbia Records in 1952 as Gene Norman Presents an Art Tatum Concert{{cite news |date=May 29, 1952 |title=Tatum and Goodman |work=St. Louis Post-Dispatch |page=36}}{{cite news |last=England |first=Jim |date=May 25, 1952 |title=Toscanini Sings on Wax |work=The Salt Lake Tribune |page=128}}

1955

| The Great Shrine Auditorium Concert

| Considered a major event in the histories of both American gospel and secular music.{{cite episode |title=Marking a Great Gospel Concert's 50th Anniversary |url=https://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4766085 |date=July 22, 2005 |series=News & Notes |network=NPR |credits=Ed Gordon, Jack Marchbanks |access-date=September 17, 2017 |archive-date=September 18, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170918110527/http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=4766085 |url-status=live }} The event featured Dorothy Love Coates & The Original Gospel Harmonettes, Brother Joe May, The Caravans, James Cleveland, a young Sam Cooke performing with The Soul Stirrers.{{cite web |title=Inductee Explorer |url=http://www.rockhall.com/inductees/byyear/1986/ |publisher=Rock and Roll Hall of Fame |access-date=September 17, 2017 |archive-date=February 1, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130201174223/http://rockhall.com/inductees/byyear/1986/ |url-status=live }}

8 June 1956

| Elvis Presley

| Elvis Presley's first concert at the Shrine.

3 August 1958

| The Fourteenth Cavalcade of Jazz

| Produced by Leon Hefflin Sr.,“Fourteenth Year Jazz Cavalcade At Shrine Next” The California Eagle. July 3, 1958. featuring Ray Charles with The Cookies, Ann Fisher, Sam Cooke, William Everett Preston, Little Willie John, Bo Rhambo, and The Clark Kids. Sammy Davis Jr. crowned the Queen, Miss Jackie Joyce Simpson.{{cite book |title=The Black Music History of Los Angeles - Its Roots: A Classical Pictorial History of Black Music in Los Angeles from 1920-1970 |last=Reed |first=Tom |year=1992 |publisher=Black Accent on L.A. Press |isbn=978-0963290861 |edition=1st, limited |location=Los Angeles |oclc=28801394}} Charles Trammel, Huggy Boy, Jim Randolph, and Hunter Hancock were the MCs for the starred event.{{cite book |title=Dream boogie: the triumph of Sam Cooke |last=Guralnick |first=Peter |year=2005 |publisher=Little, Brown |isbn=978-0316377942 |edition=1st |location=New York |page=[https://archive.org/details/dreamboogietrium00gura/page/250 250] |access-date=December 31, 2019 |url=https://archive.org/details/dreamboogietrium00gura |url-access=registration |quote=shrine auditorium.}}

1964

| Ray Charles

| Recorded Live in Concert at the Shrine.

24 August 1968

| The Grateful Dead

| Recorded the live album Two from the Vault at the Shrine.

24 January 1975

| Genesis

| Live performance of The Lamb Lies Down on Broadway released in 1998.

1976

| The Tubes

| 3-night concert

8/9 November 1995

| Fugazi

| Concert

16 December 2000
19 December 2001
6 December 2005

| KIIS-FM Jingle Ball

1998
Since 2013

| KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas concert

| {{cite journal |url=http://thescenestar.typepad.com/ss/2013/11/kroqs-acoustic-christmas-now-at-the-shrine.html |title=KROQ's Almost Acoustic Christmas At Shrine |journal=TheScenestar |access-date=2013-11-06 |archive-date=2013-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131106095231/http://thescenestar.typepad.com/ss/2013/11/kroqs-acoustic-christmas-now-at-the-shrine.html |url-status=live }}

4 & 8 August 2016

| Radiohead

| Live performance of A Moon Shaped Pool released in 2016.

20 December 2019

| My Chemical Romance

| Reunion concert after a seven-year hiatus{{cite web |url=https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/21/us/my-chemical-romance-reunion-show-trnd/index.html |title=My Chemical Romance play its first concert in seven years |work=CNN |first=Alaa |last=Elassar |date=December 21, 2019 |access-date=2019-12-31 |archive-date=2019-12-22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191222075503/https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/21/us/my-chemical-romance-reunion-show-trnd/index.html |url-status=live }}

21 & 22 December 2022

| The Smile

| Live performance of A Light For Attracting Attention released in 2022.

class="wikitable" width="600" \|+ Video games
Date ! Game ! Description
\| Midnight Club: Los Angeles \| Part of the South Central Map Expansion.{{cite web \|url=http://rockstargames.com/midnightclubLA/southcentral/ \|title=Midnight Club: Los Angeles South Central \|publisher=Rockstar Games \|access-date=2009-05-30 \|archive-date=2009-03-11 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311021308/http://www.rockstargames.com/midnightclubLA/southcentral/ \|url-status=live }}
2023 \|Valorant \|2023 Valorant Champions (Group Stage + Playoffs)

class="wikitable" width="600"

|+ Video games

Date

! Game

! Description

| Midnight Club: Los Angeles

| Part of the South Central Map Expansion.{{cite web |url=http://rockstargames.com/midnightclubLA/southcentral/ |title=Midnight Club: Los Angeles South Central |publisher=Rockstar Games |access-date=2009-05-30 |archive-date=2009-03-11 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090311021308/http://www.rockstargames.com/midnightclubLA/southcentral/ |url-status=live }}

2023

|Valorant

|2023 Valorant Champions

(Group Stage + Playoffs)

References

External links

[http://www.shrineauditorium.com/ Shrine LA! Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall Official Site]
{{glasssteelandstone|334}}
[http://digital2.library.ucla.edu/viewItem.do?ark=13030/hb1489n7dk Image of Stevie Wonder and Patti LaBelle performing at the Shrine Auditorium, 1978.] Los Angeles TimesPhotographic Archive (Collection 1429). UCLA Library Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, University of California, Los Angeles.

{{succession box

|title=Miss Universe Venue

|before=Impact Arena
{{flagicon|THA}} Bangkok

|after=National Auditorium
{{flagicon|MEX}} Mexico City

|years=2006

}}