The best moments of the Wells Fargo Center era, from Lady Gaga to Dunk City

The Wells Fargo Center will become the Xfinity Mobile Arena in September. For some, that’s a welcome change after a decade and a half of struggles from the two professional teams that call it home. But from concerts to big games, there have still been some memorable moments. Here’s a look at 10 of our favorites …

2010: Lady Gaga lets the monsters out

Lady Gaga’s two-hour Monster Ball show in 2010 was a lesson in stagecraft. She dressed as a nun, wrestled with a giant animatronic Angler Fish/Octopus, and writhed around on fake blood and screamed, "Jesus loves everybody!"

2011: Jay-Z and Kanye make a daring choice

In 2011, much simpler times, Kanye West and Jay-Z toured behind their Watch the Throne album. West dressed like a gladiator, there were video cubes, and Jay-Z dared to walk into a Philadelphia sports arena with a Yankees cap on.

2012: Giroux buries Crosby to open Game 6

It was Game 6 against the Penguins in 2012. Within the first 30 seconds, Claude Giroux managed to bury Sidney Crosby with a massive hit, and score the opening goal, delivering a legendary performance in a series-clinching game.

2012: Sixers run with the Bulls

The 2011-12 Sixers, led by Andre Iguodala and Jrue Holiday, pulled off an improbable first-round upset over the top-seeded Bulls in six games, with Iguodala hitting two free throws to take the series win at home in Game 6.

2013: Dunk City takes flight in Philly

One of the most iconic NCAA tournament teams of all time, 2013 Florida Gulf Coast, better known as Dunk City, started their improbable run from 15 seed to the Sweet Sixteen at the Wells Fargo Center, knocking off Georgetown and SDSU.

2016: Springsteen rides 'The River' through Philly

In Feb. 2016, the Boss brought the River Tour to Wells Fargo, and performed the entire 1980 LP from start to finish, and then some; going on for more than three hours. Probably the best Valentine’s Day gift Philly ever got.

2017: T.J. McConnell stuns the Knicks

As the Sixers began to emerge from the Process, T.J. McConnell hit a baseline jumper for a 98-97 game-winner over the Knicks in 2017, one of the first glimmers of hope after a brutal era.

2018: WWE makes history

The first women’s WWE Royal Rumble featured Asuka and Nikki Bella, seen here with John Cena at WrestleMania 33, was held at the Wells Fargo Center in 2018. It was the first women’s match to headline one of the WWE’s major pay-per-views.

2024: Embiid sets a record

Joel Embiid’s 70-point game in Jan. 2024 against the Spurs is a franchise record, although Wilt Chamberlain scored over 70 multiple times with the Philadelphia Warriors. He’s one of just ten players to ever achieve the feat.

2024: Bad Bunny rides into town

Bad Bunny’s April 2024 show was the first Philadelphia show since he headlined 2022’s Made in America. In the show, Benito rode a horse and looked down on fans from a floating skybridge. The titis, mamis, and abuelas lapped it all up.