The $2 billion Intuit Dome, which will be the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, opening Thursday, August 15th as the iconic Bruno Mars, will have the rafters shaking of LA’s newest state of the art structure as he performs the first of two concerts to inaugurate the venue.
The impetus and motivation behind the move is for the Los Angeles Clippers to establish their own culture and identity, an ecosystem of passion and enthusiasm creating a fiercely loyal fanbase.
Sharing Staples Center then Crypto with the Los Angeles Lakers since 2000, it was impossible for the beleaguered franchise to ever emerge in the sun light cast by the enormous shadow of the Purple and Gold.
Even the Los Angeles Kings were higher on the totem pole, with their two Stanley Cup titles in 2012 and 2014 and their Black Parade army. Simply put: The Los Angeles Clippers were tired of being the ugly stepsister at L.A. Live.
Southern California’s newest venue has been years in the making. It spans 26 acres of land in Inglewood and has almost 18,000 seats. Construction on the Intuit Dome officially began in September 2021 near the corner of Century Boulevard and Prairie Avenue, south of SoFi Stadium and the Kia Forum.
We’re now a center for social excellence, economic resurgence and great diversity in our population,” said Inglewood Mayor James Butts. “But now, we will have the newest, grandest stadium in the world, SoFi, and the newest, grandest arena in the world – the Intuit Dome. There are no words.”
The proximity of the Forum initially created a legal snag for the project, with then-owner Madison Square Garden Co. suing the Clippers and Inglewood, claiming the new venue violated a non-competition clause of the Forum’s operating agreements with the city. In 2020, Clippers owner Steve Ballmer found a unique solution to resolve the lawsuit — by purchasing the Forum from MSG for $400 million.
The Forum remains primarily a music venue, and while Intuit Dome has already landed a series of high-profile concerts, its main purpose will be to house the Clippers, who have long shared the downtown Crypto.com Arena with the Lakers.
Ballmer has insisted Intuit Dome would be a technological marvel, most notably for the two-sided “Halo Board” scoreboard that encircles the arena with nearly an acre of lighting. There are even T-shirt canons mounted on the board so every seat has a chance to grab a shirt.
Just as the mighty Condor came back from the verge of extinction, our mascot Chuck the Condor will fly across his sprawling new home.
Photo Courtesy of Michael Floch
The arena also includes five basketball courts — the game court, two practice courts, one promotional court and one court on the outdoor plaza. In addition, it features 86,000 square feet of training, medical and player spaces, including an indoor pool, and an 80,000-square-foot outdoor plaza that features two bars, a restaurant and 5,000-square-foot team store.
The seating area features what is known as “The Wall,” a 51-row section with strict rules designed to ensure only Clippers fans are admitted — through restrictions on ticket resale and the wearing of opposing team gear.
Photo Courtesy of Intuit Dome
The arena is also highlighted by a half-dozen public artworks created by local artists, including murals, sculptures and digital displays.
People attending events at arena will have to download the Intuit Dome app and create an account to enter the venue. Once the account is created, ticketholders can set up a “Game Face ID” that allows them to walk directly into the arena without displaying a ticket, or use an “Identity Pass” that requires people to scan a smartphone ticket to enter.
Mars is set to take the stage at 8 p.m. Thursday, with another performance set for the same time Friday. The shows will be Mars’ first Los Angeles performances in years.
Looking ahead, the dome has already been chosen as the site of the 2026 NBA All-Star Game, and will serve as the basketball venue for the 2028 Summer Olympics.
