Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars, fresh off their collaboration on the track ‘Die with a Smile,’ surprised fans with a live performance of the song during Bruno’s Intuit Dome opening concert on August 15th. The Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers, is a state-of-the-art arena built in Inglewood, California, at a cost of $2 billion. It will also serve as a basketball venue for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.
The surprise appearance saw Gaga sporting a retro look, with a checkered mini dress, white tights, and her hair styled in a beehive. Bruno, wearing a cowboy hat, introduced Gaga as a ‘pop royalty icon’ to the enthusiastic crowd. During their performance, Bruno addressed the audience, saying, ‘This is the first time you guys are hearing this song live.’ Gaga then added, ‘L.A., how are you feeling?’ before the duo launched into their dynamic rendition of ‘Die with a Smile.’
The Intuit Dome’s official X account (formerly Twitter) shared a video of the performance, captioning it, ‘Ladies and Gentlemen, Bruno Mars & Lady Gaga.’ They later posted a photo of Gaga and Bruno on stage, with the caption, ‘We can die with a smile watching Bruno Mars and Lady Gaga live.’
The collaboration between the two pop stars had been hinted at for weeks. Gaga posted a video of herself playing piano while wearing a Bruno Mars t-shirt on August 13th, and Bruno responded by posting a photo of himself wearing a t-shirt with Gaga’s name and a skull on it. On August 15th, they further fueled speculation by releasing an artwork depicting themselves in red and blue rodeo attire. ‘Die with a Smile’ was officially released on August 16th, the day after their show-stopping performance at the Intuit Dome.
