Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall
A historic Los Angeles entertainment and events complex comprising the Shrine Auditorium and an adjacent exposition hall.
Last updated August 25, 2026
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Overview
Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall is a landmark large-event complex in Los Angeles, California, operated in association with Al Malaikah Temple, a division of the Shriners. The complex combines the Shrine Auditorium, a large Moorish Revival performance venue, with the adjacent Shrine Exposition Hall, a flexible space for exhibitions, meetings, banquets, conventions, festivals, and other public or private gatherings. The present auditorium opened on January 23, 1926. It replaced an earlier Al Malaikah Temple building erected in 1906 and destroyed by fire on January 11, 1920. The earlier fire reportedly gutted the structure within approximately half an hour and nearly killed six firefighters. The replacement complex was designed in a Moroccan- and Moorish-inspired architectural style. San Francisco theater architect G. Albert Lansburgh was the principal designer, with Los Angeles architects John C. Austin and Abram M. Edelman associated with the project. When originally constructed, the auditorium could accommodate approximately 1,200 people on stage and an audience of about 6,442. Its current seating capacity is approximately 6,300, following changes made during a major renovation. The auditorium has a very broad stage, measuring approximately 194 feet wide and 69 feet deep, together with orchestra and balcony seating, boxes, and loges. During the late 1960s, the venue was associated with the nickname “The Pinnacle” among rock-concert audiences, reflecting its role in Los Angeles's live-music culture. The adjacent Shrine Exposition Hall extends the complex beyond traditional theatrical use. It provides approximately 54,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space, including a 34,000-square-foot main level and a 20,000-square-foot open mezzanine. The hall can accommodate as many as 5,000 patrons and has supported trade shows, conventions, banquets, electronic-music festivals, and other large-format events. A substantial renovation completed in 2002 represented a major modernization point for the venue. The reported $15 million project upgraded the auditorium's lighting and rigging systems, replaced or improved roofing and air-conditioning systems serving the Auditorium and Expo Center, modernized concession areas, added restrooms, repainted the Expo Center, and introduced a performance plaza and parking garage. These improvements preserved the complex's historic character while enhancing its ability to host contemporary productions and commercial events. The venue also has formal historic recognition. Los Angeles designated the Shrine Auditorium a Historic-Cultural Monument, number 139, in 1975. The complex was subsequently added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987. In 2012, Goldenvoice, an AEG Worldwide subsidiary, announced that it would assume booking and operations for the venue, linking the historic facility with a major modern concert and event promoter. The complex continues to function as an adaptable Los Angeles venue for concerts, entertainment productions, conventions, exhibitions, and other large gatherings.
History
The Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall is rooted in the history of Al Malaikah Temple, the Los Angeles organization associated with the Shriners. An earlier Al Malaikah Temple building was constructed in 1906, but it was destroyed by a major fire on January 11, 1920. The fire consumed the structure rapidly and nearly killed six firefighters. A replacement complex was subsequently planned as a large civic, ceremonial, and entertainment facility. The replacement Shrine Auditorium opened on January 23, 1926. Its design combined the requirements of a large theater with an elaborate Moroccan and Moorish Revival architectural vocabulary. G. Albert Lansburgh, a San Francisco-based theater architect, served as the principal designer, with John C. Austin and Abram M. Edelman associated as local architects. The building was conceived at a substantial scale: its original configuration could place approximately 1,200 people on stage and seat an audience of roughly 6,442. The auditorium became part of Los Angeles's major performance infrastructure. Its broad stage and large audience capacity made it suitable for concerts, theatrical programs, ceremonies, and other productions requiring substantial technical and seating resources. During the late 1960s, rock audiences referred to the venue as “The Pinnacle,” an indication of its visibility in the period's concert culture. The adjacent Exposition Hall broadened the complex's commercial and public-event function, providing space for exhibitions, meetings, conventions, banquets, and festivals rather than relying solely on ticketed auditorium performances. The venue's historic importance was formally recognized by the City of Los Angeles in 1975, when the Shrine Auditorium was designated Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument No. 139. In 1987, the complex was added to the National Register of Historic Places. These designations established the site as both an active event facility and a protected example of Los Angeles entertainment and architectural history. A major renovation completed in 2002 addressed the practical demands of contemporary event production. The project reportedly cost $15 million and included new or upgraded stage lighting and rigging systems, roofing and air conditioning for the Auditorium and Expo Center, updated concession stands, additional restrooms, repainting of the Expo Center, and new exterior and visitor facilities including a performance plaza and parking garage. The auditorium's seating capacity after the renovation is approximately 6,300, lower than its original configuration but still sufficient for major productions. The Exposition Hall provides approximately 54,000 square feet of event space, divided between a 34,000-square-foot main level and a 20,000-square-foot open mezzanine. Its capacity of about 5,000 patrons supports a different class of event from the auditorium, including trade shows, conventions, banquets, electronic-music festivals, and other gatherings requiring open, reconfigurable space. In 2012, Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Worldwide, announced that it would assume booking and operations for the venue. That development connected the historic complex with a large contemporary promoter and event operator while retaining the site's dual identity as a performance auditorium and exposition facility. The Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall remains an active Los Angeles venue whose appeal rests on its scale, distinctive architecture, historic status, and ability to support both entertainment and non-entertainment events.
- 2012
Goldenvoice assumes announced booking and operations role
[1]Goldenvoice, an AEG Worldwide subsidiary, announced that it would take over booking and operations for the venue.
- 2002
Major renovation completed
[1]A substantial renovation modernized technical systems, visitor amenities, the Expo Center, and surrounding support facilities.
- 1987
Added to the National Register of Historic Places
[1]The complex was listed on the United States National Register of Historic Places.
- 1975
Designated a Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument
[1]The Shrine Auditorium received Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument designation number 139.
- 1926
Present Shrine Auditorium opens
[1]The replacement Shrine Auditorium opened on January 23, designed in a Moorish Revival style by G. Albert Lansburgh with associated local architects.
- 1920
Original temple destroyed by fire
[1]A fire on January 11 destroyed the earlier 1906 Al Malaikah Temple structure and led to the development of a replacement complex.
- 1906
Original Al Malaikah Temple building constructed
[1]An earlier Al Malaikah Temple building was established in Los Angeles before the present Shrine Auditorium complex.
Products and positioning
A historic, architecturally distinctive Los Angeles venue positioned for large-scale concerts, theatrical productions, conventions, exhibitions, festivals, banquets, and other major events.
Performance venue · 1926
Shrine Auditorium
The principal performance space in the complex, the Shrine Auditorium is a large Moorish Revival theater with approximately 6,300 seats in its post-renovation configuration. It includes orchestra and balcony seating, boxes, loges, and a stage approximately 194 feet wide and 69 feet deep. The auditorium is designed for concerts, theatrical productions, ceremonies, and other large-scale entertainment events.
Exhibition and event space
Shrine Exposition Hall
The adjacent Exposition Hall is a multipurpose facility with approximately 54,000 square feet of exhibit and meeting space. Its layout includes a 34,000-square-foot main level and a 20,000-square-foot open mezzanine, with capacity for about 5,000 patrons. It accommodates trade shows, conventions, banquets, festivals, meetings, and other configurable events.
Brand decisions
2012
Goldenvoice takes an announced booking and operations roleStrategyBackground
The venue sought an operating and booking arrangement connected to an established large-scale concert and event promoter.
Action taken
Goldenvoice, a subsidiary of AEG Worldwide, announced that it would assume booking and operations for the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall.
Aftermath
The announcement linked the historic complex with a major contemporary event promoter; detailed financial terms were not provided in the available material.
2002
Modernization of the historic complexStrategyBackground
The historic venue required updated technical infrastructure and visitor amenities to remain competitive as a contemporary entertainment and event facility.
Action taken
The complex underwent a reported $15 million renovation covering stage lighting and rigging, roofing, air conditioning, concessions, restrooms, the Expo Center, a performance plaza, and a parking garage.
Aftermath
The work preserved the venue's historic identity while increasing its capacity to support modern productions and large public or private events.
Renovation cost. $15 million project (2002)
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