The state of the art Intuit Dome opened its doors for the first time last night in Inglewood, California. But the hi-tech equipment proved balky in its first live test.
Grammy winner Bruno Mars was the attraction on opening night at the venue, set for the first of two concerts. While Mars was to take the stage at 8 p.m., the show was delayed to just before 10 p.m. after thousands of people were kept waiting outside.
The arena, which cost an estimated $2 billion to construct, was funded by Microsoft CEO and current Clippers owner Steve Ballmer. Which made the technical issues all the more surprising.
The venue’s entry-by-smartphone and opt-in facial-recognition systems weren’t working, which caused an entry bottleneck and forced staff to inspect digital tickets one by one. On social media, attendees complained about long lines, a lack of clear signage, and no reliable Wi-Fi.
The arena is also cashless, requiring the upload of a payment method onto the Intuit Dome app to make concession and retail store purchases. That, too, created some frustrations.
Still, once the show was underway, all was forgiven.
“Y’all, we are part of California history right now,” Mars said to an audience that included Jennifer Lopez, Angela Bassett, Courtney B. Vance, Ashton Kutcher, and Simu Liu, among other celebrities.
Mars dazzled with his set, and gave everyone an added surprise: near the end of the show, he brought out Lady Gaga to premiere their new duet, “Die With a Smile.”
Mars has another show tonight at the venue.
Comedian Sebastian Maniscalco is set to perform at the arena Saturday, followed by Mexican music icon Marco Antonio Solis on Sunday, and Olivia Rodrigo Aug. 20 and 21.
Other acts on the arena’s calendar include Twenty One Pilots on Aug. 27-28; Slipknot on Sept. 13-14; Usher on Sept. 21, 22, 24 and 25; Weezer on Oct. 11; and Billy Joel on Oct. 12.
The Intuit Dome has been chosen as the site of the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, and will serve as the basketball venue for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
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