Bruno Mars fans were left furious after finding themselves locked out of the $2 billion Intuit Dome Arena in Los Angeles due to a ticket scanner issue on Thursday night, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
The Mars concert — the first of two back-to-back shows — marked the official opening of the new indoor arena in Inglewood, California, self-financed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
But the night began with a major setback: A technical problem with the Intuit Dome’s ticketing system (which relies on impressive facial recognition software) halted entry.
Video obtained by DailyMail.com showed thousands of worried fans crowded outside the 18,000-capacity stadium.
Many ticket holders also said they were having trouble transferring their tickets from Ticketmaster to the Intuit app, which is required for entry.
Bruno Mars fans were left furious when they found themselves locked out of the $2 billion Intuit Dome Arena in Los Angeles due to a ticket scanner issue on Thursday night, DailyMail.com can exclusively reveal.
The night started off with a major hiccup, as a technical issue with the Intuit Dome’s ticketing system, which relies on facial recognition software, halted entry.
After 40 minutes, employees finally managed to get the scanners working again and ticket issuance resumed.
This delayed the concert by almost an hour, as Mars ended up taking the stage around 9:40 pm PST instead of the scheduled start time of 9:00 pm PST.
Employees managed to restore the system, but concertgoers faced another disruption when Mars was forced to pause the show due to a medical emergency.
In a video obtained by DailyMail.com, Mars can be seen performing with his band before noticing a fan in distress in the crowd.
He points to a section of floor near the front of the stage and calmly alerts security into his microphone.
Mars then asked his band to “slow it down” while continuing to call for security personnel to help.
A frustrated Mars noticed members of the arena’s security team standing idly in the front row and encouraged them to take action.
“You’re security, right? Get in the middle of the track, come on! Jump over the fence and help them!” exclaimed the hitmaker.
After 40 minutes, employees were finally able to get the scanners working again and ticketing resumed.
In a video shared with DailyMail.com, Mars can be seen performing with his band before noticing a fan in distress in the crowd.
“You’re security, right? Get in the middle (of the stage), come on! Jump over the fence and help them,” the singer exclaimed to the security guards who were in the front row.
Images obtained by DailyMail.com showed several security guards wearing blue Intuit Dome T-shirts approaching the center of the fifth row. There also appeared to be a medic carrying a backpack nearby.
Security quickly cleared the line to get to a fan, who appeared to be experiencing some sort of medical emergency.
Mars did not resume the show until the fan was helped.
According to a source from DailyMail.com, technical problems continued inside the stadium and some lifts are said to have stopped working.
Mars will play a second concert at the impressive new stadium in Los Angeles on Friday, August 16.
Those who were not victims of the
Described as a “basketball mecca” and a “basketball palace” by Clippers owner and former Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer, the new home of the LA Clippers boasts a variety of distinctive features, including power outlets at every seat and twice as many bathrooms as any other NBA arena.
There are five basketball courts between the main stadium and the practice facility, as well as an 80,000-square-foot outdoor plaza, two bars, a restaurant and a massive new team store.
Every detail, from the massive, two-sided, $100 million video screen looming over the court to the triple-wide escalators and bathrooms designed to get fans back to their seats as quickly as possible, has a purpose.
The Halo includes 44,000 square feet of 4K LED lighting, a little more than a full acre and roughly six times the average size of other “big” screens in NBA buildings.
He points to the central area of the floor, close to the stage. He calmly warns the security guards through the microphone.
The footage shows several security guards wearing blue Intuit Dome T-shirts approaching the center of the fifth row. There also appeared to be a medic on site carrying a backpack.
Security quickly cleared the line to get to a fan, who appeared to be experiencing some sort of medical emergency.
The dome’s roof was designed to house the halo, not the other way around.
Naturally, parking, entry and concessions are all automated with the help of new technologies, allowing for a hassle-free experience so fans can get to their seats with as little difficulty as possible.
It was made with both music concerts and basketball games in mind.
The Clippers broke ground on their new $2 billion home in September 2021.
The things the Clippers have seen in play at German soccer stadiums, other NBA facilities, NFL stadiums and even Amazon Go checkout-free convenience stores sparked several ideas that will be put into practice at the Intuit Dome.
“Everyone has led us here, to this wasteland that we’re about to transform into the best place for fans and players around the world,” Ballmer told The Associated Press in 2021.
To facilitate the deal, Ballmer paid $400 million for The Forum (the former home of the Lakers) to New York Knicks owner James Dolan, who was concerned that the Clippers’ new arena would hurt the 55-year-old arena’s concert business. Dolan’s Madison Square Garden acquired the Forum in 2012 for $23.5 million.
According to a DailyMail.com source, technical problems continued inside the stadium, with some of the lifts reportedly stopping working.
The Mars concert, the first of two back-to-back shows, marked the official opening of the new indoor arena in Inglewood, California, self-financed by Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer.
Prior to the Intuit Dome, the Clippers played at Staples Center, also home to the NHL’s Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Kings.
Ballmer, who originally didn’t want to build an arena when he bought the team, ended up starting plans for a dedicated home for the Clippers years ago and formally unveiled the project in 2019, saying then that the Clippers would break ground in 2021 and open in 2024.
“We don’t want to play in anyone’s shadow,” Ballmer said.