The Intuit Dome, Inglewood’s latest $2 billion sports activities venue, will likely be residence to the Los Angeles Clippers however the doorways swung broad Thursday night time for an official opening that hosted two music superstars.
Headliner Bruno Mars helped christen the stage by drawing a capability crowd for the primary night time of back-to-back reveals backed by his band, the Hooligans. The electrical two-hour live performance closed with two encores, the primary of which delivered a slam dunk courtesy of Woman Gaga who shocked the group by hitting the stage near 11:30 p.m. for a world premiere efficiency of their new duet, “Die With a Smile,” which dropped at 9 p.m. PT after being introduced Thursday morning.
“The way you feeling, L.A.?” requested Gaga as she was seated behind a keyboard with an oversize blonde wig, white tights, and a shiny, pink-and-white minidress. As the group went wild, Mars took the mic with an introduction: “Girls and gents, put your fingers collectively for the icon, pop royalty, Woman Gaga. You guys are gonna be the primary to listen to us play this tune stay.”
The shock new single, “Die With a Smile,” was co-written by Mars, Gaga, D Mile, James Fauntleroy and Andrew Watt and produced by Mars, Gaga, D Mile, and Watt in a exhibiting that marks the primary new music from Mars since his work on duo Silk Sonic with Anderson .Paak and from Gaga since Chromatica (and her more moderen Rolling Stones collab). A rustic-style music video additionally premiered Thursday.
After they completed the efficiency, Gaga jogged throughout the stage in her stilettos to take a sequence of bows going through every part of the spanking new facility as her fellow Tremendous Bowl Halftime Present alum amped up the applause. As soon as she exited down a flight of stairs and disappeared into the darkness backstage, Mars stayed within the lights for “Uptown Funk” in what could be a last encore.
Lengthy earlier than that although, the present noticed Mars deliver the funk by breezing by his largest hits. He had 18,000 followers on their toes for virtually all the live performance, which he billed as a history-making occasion to inaugurate Intuit Dome. The setlist featured “24K Magic,” “Finesse,” “Treasure,” “Billionaire,” “That’s What I Like,” “Versace on the Flooring,” “Marry You,” “Grenade,” “Speaking to the Moon,” “Go away the Door Open,” “After I Was Your Man,” “Locked Out of Heaven” and “Simply the Manner You Are.”
Intuit Dome officers and native leaders didn’t want a reminder that Thursday was historic for Inglewood and the Clippers. A ribbon-cutting ceremony preceded the live performance and featured remarks by L.A. Clippers chairman (and Intuit Dome champion) Steve Ballmer, Halo Sports activities CEO Gillian Zucker, Mayor James T. Butts Jr. and Intuit CEO Sasan Goodarzi. “Rattling, I’m fired up,” Ballmer mentioned upon taking the stage. “I’ve to say I’m just a little anxious tonight. I really like what we constructed, however I would like all of you to like what we constructed.”
What they constructed is a $2 billion facility that was years within the making and spans 26 acres and options state-of-the-art know-how together with a double-sided “Halo Board” scoreboard display screen that encircles the world. The ability additionally options 5 basketball courts (a sport courtroom, two apply courts, one promo courtroom and one on the spacious out of doors plaza), a coaching facility, medical and participant areas, an indoor pool, and an 80,000-square-foot plaza with two bars, a restaurant and big crew retailer. The sector, which was constructed to resemble a internet with a ball on the heart, can be adorned by a smattering of public artwork created by native artists, like murals, sculptures and digital shows, together with a ship comprising basketball hoops and backboards designed by Glenn Kaino.
Gillian Zucker, Steve Ballmer, James T. Butts Jr., Sasan Goodarzi and Tyronn Lue
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
Starry visitors on the Bruno Mars live performance included Jennifer Lopez, Ashton Kutcher, Mila Kunis, Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Meghan Trainor, Kelsea Ballerini, Chase Stokes, Simu Liu, Halle Bailey, Sophia Bush, Victoria Justice, Paul Scheer, June Diane Raphael, Kenya Barris, Jimmy Jam, Derek Hough, Jimmy O. Yang, Chris Olsen, Amanda Kloots, Bozoma Saint John, Crystal Kung Minkoff, Rob Minkoff, Babyface, Irving Azoff and Shelli Azoff, WME chairman Richard Weitz, Doug Walden, Cam Christie, Derrick Jones Jr., Jordan Miller, Kai Jones, Kobe Brown, Mo Bamba, DJ D-Good and others.
“It’s simply such a pleasure and privilege to have an opportunity to welcome you right here,” Ballmer additionally mentioned throughout his remarks, which touched on the wild and bold “trip” in constructing the Clippers’ everlasting residence after sharing Crypto.com Enviornment with the Los Angeles Lakers. “After I first purchased the enterprise, the L.A. Clippers basketball crew, I mentioned to myself, one of many nice issues about shopping for the Clippers is we by no means must construct an enviornment. I mentioned, look, all these groups, they promote, you bought to construct arenas. We’re by no means going to have to do this…. Properly, it took about six months to understand it may be a good suggestion to have our personal home.”
In opening the home tonight, Ballmer even took time to acknowledge that hiccups have been prone to occur particularly since Intuit Dome depends solely on know-how because it’s a cashless and app-mandatory facility that makes use of facial know-how and smartphones for purchases. “I do know they like to say tech. Can I let you know what tech means? Tech means software program, and I’m actually hoping all of it works tonight…. It received’t. I’ve achieved model considered one of many software program merchandise, so bear with us, simply bear with us if it is advisable to.”
That request for leniency and endurance proved to be a prescient warning because the app did malfunction inflicting a log jam on the entrance between 7 and eight p.m. An enormous crowd numbering within the hundreds was clustered throughout the courtyard as tensions mounted and employees scurried to get the facial recognition and app scanners again on-line. Regardless of a delay with getting the viewers inside, it didn’t disrupt the festivities a lot as Mars went on not lengthy after a deliberate 9 p.m. showtime. At one level within the night time, Mars took a second to summon safety for an pressing state of affairs that unfolded with a male visitor within the entrance part. His situation was unclear as of press time.
Intuit Dome, which broke floor in September 2021, is situated not removed from Inglewood’s different jewels, SoFi Stadium and Kia Discussion board. It has already dedicated to internet hosting the 2026 NBA All-Star Sport and hoops video games for the 2028 Summer time Olympics. On the rapid calendar, Intuit Dome will host comic Sebastian Maniscalco this weekend adopted by concert events from Marco Antonio Solis, Olivia Rodrigo, Twenty One Pilots, Usher, Weezer, and Billy Joel.
“It’s our home,” Ballmer mentioned as he wrapped up his feedback. “We additionally knew that our home needed to be about extra than simply basketball. Our home was going to be about music and basketball and all of the assist and counsel from [Irving Azoff] and from others that we’ve gotten to attempt to make this a house, a house the place individuals really feel comfy coming in. I consider this as one of the best basketball facility ever constructed — I do consider it that method. I hope you agree, however I completely give it some thought. Whether or not individuals learn about it worldwide, we hope they arrive go to.”
See beneath for extra views inside opening night time.
Ashton Kutcher and Jennifer Lopez
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
Sali Kharazi, June Diane Raphael, Meghan Trainor, Paul Scheer and Daryl Sabara
(Photograph by Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome)
Steve Ballmer, Los Angeles Clippers, and Sasan Goodarzi, CEO of Intuit
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
Simu Liu
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
An exterior view on the Intuit Dome grand opening.
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
Jimmy Jam and D-Good
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
Jimmy O. Yang
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
Chase Stokes and Kelsea Ballerini
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
Aidan Weitz, Matt Walden and Richard Weitz
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome
Victoria Justice
Kevin Mazur/Getty Pictures for Intuit Dome