Jennifer Hudson began by singing the U.S. national anthem while Springsteen sang his "Land of Hope and Dreams." Springsteen and Barack Obama then embraced.
Christina Aguilera, Eddie Vedder and Marc Anthony also performed with the house band The Roots during the inauguration of the Obama Presidential Center.
The guest list also included three former presidents: Joe Biden, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton - but current President Donald Trump was absent.
In a social media post in February, Mr. Trump called the cost of the center, $850 million, a "total disaster."
The center also houses a branch library and is located near where Obama lived and began his political career. It is expected to attract more than a million visitors annually.
