Some Southern California venues have gained recognition on Billboard Magazine’s 2023 Year in Touring.
Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium has been ranked as the No. 1 stadium in the world for concert tours.
The Kia Forum, which is right next door, came in at No. 3 under Top Venues with a capacity of over 15,001.
Across the way to the YouTube Theater, that venue has been ranked No. 8 under Top Venues with a 5,001 to 10,000 capacity. Los Angeles’ Greek Theatre followed right behind at No. 9.
SoFi stadium “topped the charts for gross ticket sales and attendance with a record-breaking 19 concerts and over one million fans,” a media release explained.
The venue opened in September of 2020, the middle of the pandemic, and has hosted many large events and famous names to fill the 70,240-seat stadium.
This year was a big one for the home of the Los Angeles Rams and Chargers. It hosted the College Football Playoff National Championship, Wrestlemania 39 and international soccer competitions with the CONCACAF Gold Cup Final, Arsenal FC vs FC Barcelona and more.
In March, Billy Joel and Stevie Nicks kicked off concerts at the stadium. Latin superstars Grupo Firme returned to the stage at SoFi and held the record for the highest-selling Latin Band or artist at the stadium.
Other big names that hit the stage in 2023 were “The King of Bachata,” Romeo Santos, K-Pop sensations TWICE, Metallica and country star Morgan Wallen.
In August, Taylor Swift brought her Eras Tour for six nights. Then in September, the venue hosted Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour for three sold-out nights, which included her star-studded birthday celebration.
“We are proud that SoFi Stadium and our dedicated team members are being recognized as the number one stadium in the world,” said Christy Castillo Butcher, senior vice president of programming and booking for SoFi Stadium, YouTube Theater and Hollywood Park. “This year was remarkable for both venues, with diverse events that crossed genres and generations. We are thankful to the artists, athletes, promoters, and fans for cultivating SoFi Stadium’s global stage.”
In the meantime, the 6,000-seat YouTube Theater hosted “70 concerts with nearly 300,000 fans based on the ranking timeframe.”
Following SoFi Stadium is Mexico City’s Foro Sol, New Jersey’s MetLife Stadium, Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Amsterdam’s Johan Cruyff Arena, Stade de France, Mexico City’s Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez, Boston’s Fenway Park, Massachusetts’ Gillette Stadium and Chicago’s Soldier Field.