Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars to sing duet “Die With a Smile” at Intuit Dome opening

Intuit Dome officials and local leaders needed no reminder that Thursday was a historic day for Inglewood and the Clippers. A ribbon-cutting ceremony preceded the concert and featured speeches from LA Clippers chairman (and Intuit Dome champion) Steve Ballmer, Halo Sports CEO Gillian Zucker, Mayor James T. Butts Jr. and Intuit CEO Sasan Goodarzi. “Damn, I'm excited,” Ballmer said as he took the stage. “I have to say, I'm a little nervous tonight. I love what we've built, but I want all of you to love what we've built, too.”

What they’ve built is a $2 billion facility that was years in the making, spans 26 acres and features state-of-the-art technology, including a double-sided “Halo Board” scoreboard screen that surrounds the arena. The facility also features five basketball courts (one competition court, two practice courts, one promotion court and one on the spacious outdoor plaza), a training facility, medical and player rooms, an indoor pool and an 80,000-square-foot plaza with two bars, a restaurant and a massive team store. The arena, which is built to resemble a net with a ball in the middle, is also adorned with a handful of public art created by local artists, including murals, sculptures and digital displays, including a ship made up of basketball hoops and backboards designed by Glenn Kaino.

Star guests at the Bruno Mars concert included Jennifer Lopez, Ashton Kutcher, Mila KunisAngela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Meghan Trainor, Kelsea Ballerini, Pursuit Stokes, Simu LiuHalle 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-Nice and others.

“It’s just such a pleasure and privilege to have the opportunity to welcome you here,” Ballmer also said during remarks that touched on the wild and ambitious “ride” of building the Clippers’ permanent home after sharing Crypto.com Arena with the Los Angeles Lakers. “When I first bought the company, the LA Clippers basketball team, I said to myself, one of the great things about buying the Clippers is we never have to build an arena. I said, look, all these teams, they’re selling, you need to build arenas. We never have to do that. … Well, it took me about six months to realize that maybe it would be a good idea to have our own home.”

At the house opening tonight, Ballmer even took the time to acknowledge that there were likely to be hiccups, especially since Intuit Dome relies exclusively on technology, as it is a cashless, app-enforced facility that uses facial technology and smartphones for purchases. “I know they like to call it technology. Can I tell you what technology means? Technology means software, and I really hope it all works tonight. … It won't. I've done version one of a lot of software products, so be patient, be patient if you need it.”

That plea for clemency and patience proved to be a prophetic warning, as the app malfunctioned and caused a traffic jam at the entrance between 7 and 8 p.m. A huge crowd of hundreds gathered in the courtyard, but despite a delay in getting the audience in, it didn’t disrupt the festivities much, as Mars continued on right after his scheduled 9:30 p.m. At one point during the night, Mars took a moment to call security for an urgent situation involving a male guest in the front area. His condition was unclear at the time of publication.

Intuit Dome, which broke ground in September 2021, is not far from fellow Inglewood gems SoFi Stadium and Kia Forum. It has already committed to hosting the 2026 NBA All-Star Game and basketball games for the 2028 Summer Olympics. On the immediate calendar, Intuit Dome will host comedian Sebastian Maniscalco this weekend, followed by concerts from Marco Antonio Solis, Olivia Rodrigo, Twenty One Pilots, Usher, Weezer and Billy Joel.

“It's our house,” Ballmer said as he concluded his remarks. “We also knew that our house had to be more than just basketball. Our house would be about music and basketball and all the support and advice from [Irving Azoff] and others that we’ve gotten to make this a home, a home that people feel comfortable coming into. I think this is the best basketball facility ever built — I feel the same way. I hope you agree with me, but I absolutely think about it. Whether people know about it around the world, we hope they come and visit.”

See more images from the opening night below.