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Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour: Unpacking the Symbolism of Queen Bey’s Disco Cowboy Wonderland

By Charlotte Collins

What do giant robot arms, a news desk, and an enormous horse sculpture have in common? They’re all currently traversing Europe with Beyoncé’s Renaissance world tour, which kicked off May 10 in Stockholm, Sweden. Following her album’s release last July, the Beyhive has been growing restless in the absence of any  Renaissance  visuals—which fans have come to expect from the songstress after her groundbreaking visual albums  Beyoncé,   Lemonade, and Black Is King cemented the Grammy winner as a trailblazer of world-building within her artistry. She even  poked fun at the brewing discontent during an interlude in the concert: “You’ve asked for the visuals, you’ve called for the queen,” a voiceover with accompanying text read out on the big screen. “But a queen moves at her own pace, b*tch, decides when she wants to give you a f*cking taste. So get your fork and spoon, if you got one.”

Barring the official debut of videos fans have only seen in snippets and teasers thus far, Beyoncé ’s production design for the Renaissance concerts treats stadia of attendees on the 40-city, 57-show extravaganza to some of the most thrilling—and playful—wonders of the artist’s touring career. Equal parts retro psychedelic and chrome-futuristic, concertgoers  AD  reached out to agree that Renaissance looks to offer the singer-songwriter’s biggest-budget touring set yet. Stufish Entertainment Architects and Es Devlin Studio are to thank for the tour’s stage design (along with presumably plenty of input from Beyoncé herself, who is credited as director, executive producer, and creative director.)

Beyoncé wearing a metallic iridescent ensemble by Georgian designer David Koma on the first night of the Renaissance tour. She previously wore Koma’s designs to the 2020 Oscars. 

Rodrigo Fantini last saw Queen Bey at her On The Run II Tour in 2018. A Beyhive faithful, he attended the first two dates of the  Renaissance tour in Stockholm and will rejoin the party in a few months when she stops through SoCal. He described the production for the set as “crazy expensive.” Though AD could not confirm the production budget, Forbes claims that the Renaissance world tour could bring in as much as $2.1 billion. The publication estimates that ticket prices alone will net between $680 million and $2.4 billion (on the very high end), but merchandise sales are expected to inflate those figures further—Forbes projects those could earn the mogul approximately $171 million. By comparison, Beyoncé’s 2018 On the Run II Tour with husband Jay-Z grossed over $250 million, also per Forbes . Her last solo tour, 2016’s Formation, brought in over $256 million, according to The Hollywood Reporter .

“Of course she’s an amazing singer, I love her songs, but besides that I was really impressed by the visuals,” Fantini says. “I think this is the best done so far for her tours…. And I feel that they put a lot of effort into all the details that they have for each song, it feels like for each song there is something different going on.” Reportedly clocking in at roughly three hours’ run time, Renaissance has no opening act.

Seated in the near-stage Beyhive section on night one and in a further-flung seat on the second evening, Fantini felt the large-scale stage set translated well at both short and long distances. He described the aesthetic of the era—which more or less officially debuted in concert, without any music videos for fans to build off of—as “very futuristic.” Case in point, the singer dons multiple resplendent metallic looks throughout the concert and during her performance of the track “Cozy,” she dances to the beat in sharp staccato motions while flanked by two towering robot arms, roughly twice her size. Like the famed vogue face-framing flourish that became a hallmark of the ’80s ballroom dance culture she draws from in the album, the robot arms end in rectangular shapes that frame and move with the singer. “The choreography is based on the robot arms’ movements and that was really impressive because it has to be perfect timing,” Fantini says.

There are 22 lighting crew members and one overarching lighting designer for the Renaissance tour, per Beyonce.com.

One of the most eye-catching features for Fantini was a point near the end of the show during which Beyoncé straddles a disco-ball-sparkly horse (which he said came across as roughly horse-size, as opposed to a much larger bucking half-horse figure that appears at another time in the concert) similar to the one she’s seen on in the  Renaissance album cover, lifting off from the main stage to the Club Renaissance section seating nearby.

Robin Joris Dullers detailed the same “magical” moment at her later Brussels concert in similar fashion, recalling the vocalist as “an angel floating midair.” The horse remained on stage for attendees to snap photos with post-performance. Dullers had last seen Beyoncé in 2016 and says that compared with his previous experience, this concert “had definitely scaled up.” One set feature he felt was almost too gargantuan was a large metallic vehicle atop which she performs her 2020 remix of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” before transitioning into “Partition,” a hit from her 2013 self-titled album. She raps and bounces to the beat while a pole jutting up from the car-like structure anchors her movements. 

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Beyoncé credits 20 dancers for the Renaissance tour on her website, including popular ballroom artist Honey Balenciaga.

Dullers found that feature was a bit uncharacteristic for the singer and “not Beyoncé style.” Though other fans disagree: Royal Williams attended the concert’s second stop in Brussels and found herself impressed by the set element, which she described as “a silver, kind of tank-like” structure onstage. She felt it nodded to low-rider cars and the hydraulics-powered hops they’re known for. The choreography for that point in the show combined with the silver vehicle felt reminiscent of a ride on a mechanical bull, to Williams, which could be a gesture to both Beyoncé’s own and “Savage” rapper Megan Thee Stallion’s shared Houston heritage. The metallics and robots of the show give it a futuristic vibe, but Williams interpreted features like the vehicle in alignment with the pieces of cowboy culture the singer has woven throughout this era (including the cowboy hat she wears in one of the few images released with  Renaissance, as well as the obvious: the album cover, which shows her atop a horse).

Despite differing fan reception to any particular elements of the show, it does appear Beyoncé is taking a more playful approach with  Renaissance. Though she’s sometimes seen as a mysterious figure for the distance and privacy she maintains in spite of her fame, the Grammy winner references her fan-bequeathed status as Queen Bee(/Bey) directly with a Mugler bee costume, dancing around a news desk to her fast-paced “America Has A Problem”—fitting, as the track incorporates beats similar to those used on television news to signify breaking updates.

Williams recalls previous concerts as very curated with good production value but says that more props were definitely incorporated into the  Renaissance  tour shows, upping the ante and making it worth the cost of admission as well as the voyage from Medellín, Colombia, to Brussels. Like Fantini, she’ll be stepping back inside the world Beyoncé has built out again when the tour makes its way to California. Her overall assessment of the show, in terms of its stage set: “The budget is definitely there.”

By Joyce Chen

By Michelle Duncan

By Elizabeth Fazzare

Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour Set Is a Dazzling-Disco Afro-Futuristic, Queer Fantasy Brought Center Stage

Design mastermind Es Devlin has done it again.

Queen Bey’s Renaissance world tour kicked off May 10 in Stockholm, following her album’s release last July (the tour is currently on its final leg in the states, where it will run until the end of September). It’s the megastar’s first solo tour in seven years, and the performance—the singer-songwriter’s biggest-budget touring set yet, which Forbes predicts could bring in as much as $2.1 billion—took Devlin and her team almost two years to complete. It was worth the wait.

The arena is befitted with a massive, stadium-size green screen, with a giant circular stage portal in the center. The whole structure is further perforated by LED lights that transform the stage into a fully immersive kinetic light show. And that’s just the framework. Over the course of the show’s three-hour, six-act structure, the stage is transformed into a glitzy disco cowboy wonderland (you couldn’t count all the sequins in just one sitting), a hypnotic lipstick-red universe, and an intergalactic sphere of otherworldly forms and metallic hues.

“Beyoncé’s L.A. studio reminds me of Andy Warhol’s factory,” wrote Devlin in a since-deleted Instagram post, according to Huffington Post . All of which was “shot through with the silver-sequinned joy, liberty, and luminosity of LGBTQ+ ball culture.”

The props, too, are absurdly—ludicrously—fantastical. During her performance of the song “Cozy,” Beyoncé is accompanied by two massive dancing robot arms that tower over her, a nod to the face-framing ’80s dance move. That’s followed by a large chrome tank vehicle that the megastar sits atop, performing her 2020 remix of Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage” while anchored to a pole. At one point, campy set pieces like massive cyborg boobs and gigantic robot legs in spread-eagle position make an appearance.

The show then shifts pace as Beyoncé sits perched like Aphrodite in a life-size, rotating translucent seashell. And then there’s the unforgettable finale that nearly broke the internet: Beyoncé straddles a disco-ball-sparkly horse (reminiscent of the one seen in the cover art of her Renaissance album) that lifts off from the main stage to hover above the nearest seating area. All the while, she’s belting her Grammy-award-winning “Summer Renaissance” ballad. It’s the ultimate Afro-futuristic fantasy.

Beyond the show’s larger-than-life props, it’s the set, ultimately, that plays the biggest role in the production. The massive circular stage at the center of the stadium operates at a scale so large that concert attendees in the nosebleed seats are also having an immersive experience. But of course, that’s exactly what you might expect from Devlin.

You’ve undoubtedly seen a Devlin design, even if you didn’t recognize it. The British designer who got her start in theater design in the mid-1990s has worked on an estimated 380 projects, masterminding the stage for Adele, Lady Gaga, and the Weeknd, as well as sets for the Royal Opera House in London, displays at the Super Bowl, and installations for Cartier and Saint Laurent.

Devlin wrote on Instagram that, working alongside Parkwood Entertainment , an entertainment and management company founded by Beyoncé herself, they spent more than a year and a half “constantly sketching the evolving ideas for the Renaissance tour.” Then, meeting with Beyoncé, she recalls how their creative vision further evolved. “As Beyoncé read her poetic lockdown film scripts to us, the show’s three-hour, six-act structure began to emerge,” she wrote.

As with much of Devlin’s work, her vision lies in translating Beyoncé’s words and music into visuals that transcend the dancehall energy of the starlet’s iconic ballads through a range of references. Whether it’s the reclamation of rodeo culture for Black Americans through metallic cowboy garb or a critique of surveillance capitalism via robotic props—or the hardly subtle, gloriously bedazzling optics that are bursting with queer joy—it’s clear that Beyoncé sees her art as a way to do more than make catchy music. And when it comes to translating that to a broad audience, Devlin certainly knows how to bring that center stage.

Rachel Silva, the Assistant Digital Editor at ELLE DECOR, covers design, architecture, trends, and anything to do with haute couture. She has previously written for Time, The Wall Street Journal, and Citywire.

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If you’re fortunate enough to be attending one of the three upcoming Beyoncé concerts at Inglewood’s SoFi Stadium (Sept. 1, 2 and 4), best not to disappoint Queen Bey and come unprepared. So don your favorite silver outfit (see “Virgo Season”) and get to know some of Bey’s musical heroes, on-stage performers, behind-the-scenes architects and key phrases that have made the Renaissance tour one of the most acclaimed and lucrative in history. SoCal, time to get your fork and your spoon ...

Alexander McQueen The late fashion designer was such a visionary of futurist-Edwardian dark glamour that the Met Museum exhibited his couture work. His vision lives on in a sequined chrome corset/boots/gloves combo that his atelier designed for Beyoncé, along with garments for her backup dancers and live band.

Andre Jose Marshall II and Amari Marshall Andre was the brother of Amari, who is a lead dancer on Beyoncé’s tour. After Andre died in June at the age of 32, Beyoncé dedicated “My Power” to him at a stop in Hamburg, Germany.

Andrew Makadsi Makadsi operates as creative director for Parkwood Entertainment, and earned an Emmy nomination in 2019 for outstanding production design for his work on Beyoncé’s concert documentary “Homecoming.” He is credited with “additional creative direction” on the Renaissance tour.

“Badu, Badu, Badu, Badu” The snub that launched a thousand Lizzo think pieces. During the live remix of “ Break My Soul ,” Beyoncé shouts out artists that have influenced or inspired her over her career. She normally includes Lizzo, but after former dancers for the “About Damn Time” singer filed a suit alleging sexual harassment , Beyoncé did a version where she put soul siren Erykah Badu’s name on loop. (Lizzo returned to the list on later shows).

Blue Ivy Carter Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s 11-year-old daughter — and a fan-favorite dancer on the Renaissance tour.

Carlos Basquiat A ballroom dancer from the House of Basquiat on HBO’s competition show “Legendary,” and one of the “dolls” dancing with Beyoncé on tour.

Jean-Michel Basquiat The late New York artist, beloved by Bey and Jay-Z, made a controversial cameo with the two in a Tiffany ad that re-did an unseen painting of his in the firm’s trademark blue. Beyoncé cheekily referenced him again on “ I’m That Girl ,” where she sings she’s “beating down the block knocking Basquiats off the wall.”

David Koma The Georgian former creative director of Mugler designed the electric-chartreuse tableau for Bey’s 2022 Oscars performance (sadly upstaged by the Slap). On the “Renaissance” tour, he’s behind a shimmery, prismatic coat and dress.

Destiny’s Child The bestselling girl group whose most famous lineup featured Beyoncé, Kelly Rowland and Michelle Williams. Beyoncé opens her set with their 2001 song “ Dangerously in Love ,” which was repurposed for Bey’s own album of the same title in 2003.

Donna Summer The resplendent ‘70s disco queen provided the floor-filling sample material for “ Summer Renaissance ,” but Summer’s vision for Black and queer club music informed the whole “Renaissance” project, right down to the Studio 54-era crystal horse Bey rides.

“Drunk in Love” Beyoncé’s euphoric collaboration with Jay-Z, released in 2013. The song has been absent for the majority of the tour, save for opening night in Stockholm and a mid-August date in Atlanta. Will it find a place in the SoFi set list?

“Everybody on mute” When Beyoncé sings the line during her performance of “Energy,” she expects the audience to follow her direction and refrain from making a sound. Don’t get yelled at for breaking the silence!

“Get your fork and your spoon” For everyone wondering where the “Renaissance” music videos are hiding, during the show Bey projects a brief text message stating, with delightfully profane brevity, that you will eat when she tells you to.

Grace Jones One of Beyoncé’s formative ‘70s and ‘80s influences, Jones is an icon of music, fashion, film and vibes across decades (and just performed at WeHo pride this year). Jones famously turned down just about every contemporary collaboration offered to her, but finally caved to join Bey on “ Move .” -AB

Honey Balenciaga A ballroom dancer on the tour who stole the show at opening night in Stockholm.

Honey Dijon A modern master of house and club music and a groundbreaking Black trans artist, Bey tapped her for production and writing on “Cozy” and “Alien Superstar.”

Jay-Z Beyonce’s billionaire husband, and one of the greatest rappers the world has seen. He’s been in attendance for most of the tour — and was spotted next to Megan thee Stallion in Paris — and will probably pop up for the L.A. run, given he and his wife just spent $200 million on a Malibu mansion.

Jill Scott “Jilly from Philly,” as Beyoncé lovingly referred to her on the remix to “Break My Soul.” When Scott stopped by the tour’s Philadelphia show, the R&B singer’s admiration for Beyoncé was indescribable: “I didn’t get a chance to see Michael Jackson, I didn’t get a chance to see James Brown, I didn’t get a chance to see Tina Turner, but I got a chance to see Beyoncè tonight,” she said of the experience.

Kendrick Lamar Compton-born superstar rapper who remixed Beyoncé’s “ America Has a Problem ” (and previously featured on “Nile” and “Freedom.”) Although he hasn’t popped out on the tour, Beyoncé danced over a recording to his verse since it dropped in May.

Kevin JZ Prodigy The Philly-born ballroom commentator whose voice is sampled at the start of Beyoncé’s “Pure/Honey.” He’s also narrated much of the Renaissance tour.

KNTY4NEWS One of the funniest bits in the “Renaissance” live show finds Bey broadcasting from behind a TV news desk with, shall we say, NSFW call letters.

Les Twins Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois are two outrageously limber, identical twin French dancers and choreographers who flank Bey during much of her live show.

Madonna Beyoncé sampled Madonna’s “Vogue” for “Break My Soul (The Queens Remix).” Beyoncé gave the pop legend a shout-out at her New Jersey stop, and posed with her and her daughters after the show.

Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly In 2019, Beyoncé covered R&B stalwart Maze’s sparkling “ Before I Let Go ,” and sang it live for the first time in Stockholm on opening night.

Megan Thee Stallion Houston-born rapper who collaborated (and won a Grammy) with Beyoncé on “ Savage ” in 2020.

Michael Jackson Beyoncé has mixed “Break My Soul” with the Jacksons’ “ Shake Your Body ,” and blended “ Love on Top ” with the Jackson 5’s “ I Want You Back .”

Mugler by Casey Cadwallader Cadwallader, the creative director for Mugler, designed the perilous-looking metal bustier Bey wore for much of “Renaissance’s” promo imagery.

Nina Simone An American jazz and civil rights titan whose uncompromising virtuosity, political fury and tender melancholy informs Beyoncé’s whole career, and who gets a well-deserved “Break My Soul” name-drop.

Reneigh The Beyhive decided that the crystal horse from “Renaissance’s” cover needed a name, and lo and behold, she is now Reneigh.

Rose Royce L.A.-based disco and funk band who shined in the 1970s. Mary J. Blige had a signature hit in 1994 with a cover of the group’s “ I’m Going Down ,” and Beyoncé has been performing it on the Renaissance tour.

Shiona Turini Turini has helped put together Bey’s globe-trotting wardrobe alongside co-stylists Julia Starr-Jamois, Karen Langley and KJ Moody.

“ Thique ” “Renaissance” track added to the show’s set list in Atlanta for the first time since opening night.

Tina Turner Beyoncé pays nightly tribute to the late “Queen of Rock & Roll” by covering one of her signature songs, “River Deep, Mountain High.”

Uncle Johnny Technically Tina Knowles’ nephew, this beloved family figure introduced a teen Beyoncé to house music. She’s called him “the most fabulous gay man I have ever met, who helped raise me and my sister.”

Virgo Season Sorry Leos, your time is up, and it is now the era of perfectionist Virgos like Bey to shine. She wrote a whole song about it — “ Virgo’s Groove ” — and is asking fans to come bedecked in silver for the whole season of shows.

Watch L.A. Times Today at 7 p.m. on Spectrum News 1 on Channel 1 or live stream on the Spectrum News App. Palos Verdes Peninsula and Orange County viewers can watch on Cox Systems on channel 99.

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Beyoncé Returns To The Global Stage For Renaissance World Tour

WELCOME TO THE RENAISSANCE

40 shows across north america and europe, verified fan registration open for north american dates now at   beyonce.livenation.com, citi cardmembers, verizon up and beyhive members will have additional access to presales.

Following the wildly successful release of BEYONCÉ’s seventh studio album,  RENAISSANCE , the global superstar has announced RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR  today, her first solo tour in over six years. The North American leg of the tour is leveraging Ticketmaster’s Verified Fan technology to ensure more tickets get into the hands of concertgoers. Fans can register now   HERE . Ticketing will begin Monday, February 6, 2023, starting with an exclusive presale to BeyHive members.

The 2023 tour, produced by Parkwood Entertainment, and promoted by Live Nation, kicks off on May 10, 2023, at Friends Arena in Stockholm, SE, making stops throughout Europe in Cardiff, Edinburgh, Sunderland, Paris, London, Marseille, Amsterdam, Warsaw and more. The tour then continues across North America with shows in Toronto, Chicago, East Rutherford, Atlanta, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Houston and more.

RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR  will also visit Brussels, Barcelona, Cologne, Frankfurt, Hamburg, and more in Europe in May & June. Additional North American cities include Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, Detroit, Kansas City, Louisville, Miami, Minneapolis, Nashville, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, San Francisco, St. Louis, Tampa, Vancouver and more.

As with previous tours, Beyoncé will make her mark offstage, too, with BeyGOOD, the initiative she founded in 2013 to support people and programs around the world.  BeyGOOD will continue its legacy of philanthropy, building out this focus on economic equity by supporting organizations that serve marginalized and underserved communities with access to scholarships, opportunities for internships that lead to job placement, and resources to support entrepreneurship.

In various cities throughout the tour, BeyGOOD will support entrepreneurs through Black Parade Route luncheons, celebrating small business owners, with grant opportunities being awarded and a foray of services with global partners to promote business sustainability. One thousand small businesses will be supported with a commitment totaling one million dollars.

BeyGOOD will also support students through scholarship funds that will be given to colleges and universities in ten different cities along the tour. Each school will be given one hundred thousand dollars and will select the student recipients. BeyGOOD’s total scholarship commitment during RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR will be one million dollars.

Working with Beyoncé and the BeyGOOD Foundation, Citi and Verizon will purchase 100 tickets combined in each market across the U.S. touring leg for distribution to local community initiatives.

A noted partner with Beyoncé, Tiffany & Co. is the official jeweler of  RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR.  Tiffany & Co. has a longstanding commitment to conducting itself responsibly, sustaining the natural environment, prioritizing diversity and inclusion, and positively impacting the communities in which it operates.

TICKETING DETAILS :

On sale dates:

• North American Dates:  Verified Fan Registration is open now and closes at different times based on city. Visit  beyonce.livenation.com  for the exact details as ticketing on sale timelines vary by city. 
• Europe an  Dates:  Check your local event listings for complete ticket information regarding European dates of the tour.

Pre sale dates:

• Citi Presale powered by Verified Fan:  Citi is the official credit card of  RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR . After the Verified Fan process, Citi cardmembers may have the opportunity to access the special Citi Presale powered by Verified Fan for tour dates in the United States. For those who are not existing Citi cardmembers, consumers can apply for the Citi Custom Cash Card online. If approved, new cardmembers may request instant access to their card for the Citi Presale powered by Verified Fan.* For complete presale details visit  www.citientertainment.com  and for details on Custom Cash instant access visit  www.citientertainment.com/faq . 
• Verizon Up Presale:  Verizon Up customers can access this presale by visiting   Verizon Up . Verizon will offer an exclusive presale for  RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR  in the U.S through the customer loyalty program Verizon Up. Customers will have access to purchase presale tickets for select shows.

RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR DATES:

May 10, 2023 – Stockholm, SE – Friends Arena

May 14, 2023 – Brussels, BE – King Baudouin Stadium

May 17, 2023 – Cardiff, UK – Cardiff Principality Stadium

May 20, 2023 – Edinburgh, UK – BT Murray Field Stadium

May 23, 2023 – Sunderland, UK – Stadium of Light

May 26, 2023 – Paris, FR – Stade de France

May 29, 2023 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

May 30, 2023 – London, UK – Tottenham Hotspur Stadium

June 08, 2023 – Barcelona, ES – Olympic Stadium

June 11, 2023 – Marseille, FR – Orange Velodrome

June 15, 2023 – Cologne, DE – Rhein Energie Stadion

June 17, 2023 – Amsterdam, NL – Johan Crujff Arena

June 21, 2023 – Hamburg, DE – Volksparkstadion

June 24, 2023 – Frankfurt, DE – Deutsche Bank Park

June 27, 2023 – Warsaw, PL – PGE Narodowy

NORTH AMERICA

July 8, 2023 – Toronto, ON – Rogers Centre

July 12, 2023 – Philadelphia, PA – Lincoln Financial Field

July 15, 2023 – Nashville, TN – Nissan Stadium

July 17, 2023 – Louisville, KY – L&N Federal Credit Union Stadium

July 20, 2023 – Minneapolis, MN – Huntington Bank Stadium

July 22, 2023 – Chicago, IL – Soldier Field Stadium

July 26, 2023 – Detroit, MI – Ford Field

July 29, 2023 – East Rutherford, NJ – MetLife Stadium

Aug. 01, 2023 – Boston, MA – Gillette Stadium

Aug. 03, 2023 – Pittsburgh, PA – Acrisure Stadium

Aug. 05, 2023 – Washington, DC – FedEx Field

Aug. 09, 2023 – Charlotte, SC – Bank of America Stadium

Aug. 11, 2023 – Atlanta, GA – Mercedes-Benz Stadium

Aug. 16, 2023 – Tampa, FL – Raymond James Stadium

Aug. 18, 2023 – Miami, FL – Hard Rock Stadium

Aug. 21, 2023 – St. Louis, MO – Dome at America’s Center

Aug. 24, 2023 – Phoenix, AZ – State Farm Stadium

Aug. 26, 2023 – Las Vegas, NV – Allegiant Stadium

Aug. 30, 2023 – San Francisco, CA – Levi’s Stadium

Sept. 02, 2023 – Inglewood, CA – SoFi Stadium

Sept. 11, 2023 – Vancouver, BC – BC Place

Sept. 13, 2023 – Seattle, WA – Lumen Field

Sept. 18, 2023 – Kansas City, MO – Arrowhead Stadium

Sept. 21, 2023 – Dallas, TX – AT&T Stadium

Sept. 23, 2023 – Houston, TX – NRG Stadium

Sept. 27, 2023 – New Orleans, LA – Caesars Superdome

For complete ticketing and additional information visit  beyonce.livenation.com  and  tour.beyonce.com .

*Citi Instant Access Process:  *If approved for the card after applying online, new Citi Custom Cash cardmembers must write down their temporary account information to have ready when they go to try to make a purchase during the presale. They will not have access to their information again until the physical card arrives in the mail, which may take 7-10 days. 

About Parkwood Entertainment

Parkwood Entertainment is a film and production company, record label and management firm founded by entertainer and entrepreneur, Beyoncé Knowles-Carter in 2010.  With offices in Los Angeles and New York City, the company houses departments in music, film, video, live performances and concert production, management, business development, marketing, technology, creative, philanthropy, and publicity.  Under its original name, Parkwood Pictures, the company released the film Cadillac Records (2008), in which Beyoncé starred and co-produced. The company has also released the films Obsessed (2009), with Beyoncé as star and executive producer, the winner of the Peabody Award for Entertainment, Lemonade (2017), the Emmy®-nominated Homecoming: A Film By Beyoncé (2019), which documents Beyoncé’s history-making performance at the Coachella Valley Music & Arts Festival in 2018, and the Emmy®-winning Black Is King (2020). Parkwood Entertainment produced The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour (2013-2014), The Formation World Tour (2016), and the aforementioned “Homecoming” performances at Coachella (2018) and co-produced the ON THE RUN Tour (2014) and ON THE RUN II (2018).

About Live Nation Entertainment

Live Nation Entertainment (NYSE: LYV) is the world’s leading live entertainment company comprised of global market leaders: Ticketmaster, Live Nation Concerts, and Live Nation Sponsorship. For additional information, visit   www.livenationentertainment.com .

MEDIA CONTACTS:

Parkwood Entertainment

Yvette Noel-Schure, Parkwood Entertainment  |  [email protected]

Live Nation Concerts

Monique Sowinski |  [email protected]

Maya Sarin |  [email protected]

Valeska Thomas |  [email protected]

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Beyonce's Renaissance World Tour: See all the epic photos and fashions

See all the dazzling photos from the "Cuff It" singer's tour.

Beyoncé is currently making her way through the North American leg of her Renaissance World Tour and captivating concertgoers with her dazzling performances and fashion moments.

The Grammy-winning singer most recently performed at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, Tuesday night and will perform next at FedExField in Summerfield, Maryland, Aug. 5-6.

MORE: Beyonce's daughter Blue Ivy appears onstage during Paris show

Here are some of Beyoncé's most stunning looks from her shows so far:

Beyoncé first kicked off her world tour in Europe in May, wowing audiences with her vocals, theatrics and style choices in major cities including, Paris, London and Barcelona.

One standout look came during her first show in London, when she stepped out onstage in a red bespoke Off-White bodysuit, which was covered in 40,000 red hotfix crystals , according to the label.

She also wore a custom bee-inspired look from Mugler.

The singer's 11-year-old daughter Blue Ivy Carter has also appeared on the Renaissance World Tour stage. Blue Ivy made her tour debut during her mom's show in Paris . She also took the stage during Beyoncé's concert tour stop in East Rutherford, New Jersey, at MetLife Stadium.

See more of Beyoncé's showstopping looks below:

MORE: Beyonce announces 'Renaissance' world tour for 2023

Read on for everything you need to know about Beyoncé's world tour.

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When did beyoncé announce the world tour.

Seven months after the release of her seventh studio album, "Renaissance," the "Cuff It" singer took to Instagram to announce her Renaissance World Tour .

The tour is her first solo tour in more than six years.

When did the Renaissance tour start?

The Renaissance World Tour kicked off Wednesday, May 10, at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

According to the Friends Arena website , the show was slated to run for three hours.

MORE: Beyonce teases new release 'Break My Soul,' dropping at midnight

When does the tour run until.

In addition to Stockholm, Paris, London and Barcelona, the European leg of her tour made stops in Belgium, the United Kingdom, and Denmark. Beyoncé's final European show was in Warsaw, Poland, on June 28.

The North American leg of the world kicked off in Toronto at Rogers Centre on July 8. Following her show at FedExField -- which is located just outside Washington, D.C. -- the singer will head to Charlotte, North Carolina; Atlanta; and Tampa, Florida.

Beyoncé's final scheduled performance of the tour will be held Oct. 1 at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri.

When was the last time Beyoncé toured?

Beyoncé's last solo tour was the Formation World Tour in 2016, which followed the release of her sixth studio album, "Lemonade."

In 2018, she toured with her husband Jay-Z, for the On The Run Tour.

What is the Renaissance World Tour setlist?

During her tour, Beyoncé has performed songs off her latest album, including "Cuff It," "Heated" and "Virgo's Groove."

At her first tour stop in Stockholm on May 10, she sang a number of fan favorites, including "1+1," "Run the World (Girls)," "Get Me Bodied," and "America Has a Problem," among others.

Beyoncé's "Renaissance" album was released on July 29, 2022, after it was leaked two days prior. The album is the first part of a three-act project and features a total of 16 tracks with collaborations from artists such as Drake, Tems and Pharrell Williams.

MORE: Beyonce officially drops 'Renaissance' album, thanks fans for 'unwavering support'

In an Instagram post, the singer said that "Renaissance" was recorded over three years during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"Creating this album allowed me a place to dream and to find escape during a scary time for the world," she said. "It allowed me to feel free and adventurous in a time when little else was moving. My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. ... It was a beautiful journey of exploration."

How to get Beyonce 2023 tour tickets

While tickets to see the singer on tour sold out quickly in many cities around the world when sales began in February, fans can still purchase tickets on Ticketmaster.

This article was originally published on May 10, 2023.

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Everything You Missed At Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’ Tour Kickoff

Cars, robots, and flying horses galore.

After months of anticipation, Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour finally kicked off with a bang on Wednesday night at the Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.

To say the live show was highly anticipated is a massive understatement. Of course, any tour from Beyoncé at this stage of her career is a headline-worthy event, but the fever pitch surrounding Renaissance felt especially next-level — perhaps due to the unexpected dearth of content around the album’s release. Since Renaissance arrived in July 2022, Beyoncé still hasn’t released a single music video or visual from the dance-tastic universe — although that finally all changed on Wednesday.

As early as 24 hours before the concert, photos, videos, and info reported by fans about the show began flooding the internet, giving everyone a first glimpse at what awaits inside of Club Renaissance: VIP fans that spell “ Fan Me Off ” when turned on; a thick and gleaming new photo book ; a massive stage with a halo . Then, the show began, and Club Renaissance turned out to be a spacey, futuristic extravaganza, complete with robotic arms, a life-sized space mobile, UV light-altering dresses, a closet of rotating, custom Mugler fits, and ever-changing, intricate set design. Over the course of nearly three hours, she performed 36 songs split into seven distinct acts, including all the songs from Renaissance , a selection of her biggest hits, and covers, nearly all of them remixed into new forms.

Fans in attendance were able to capture pretty much every moment of the show, so read on for a comprehensive recap of everything you missed.

She opened the show with “Dangerously In Love”

Everyone expects a bombastic opening sequence from Beyoncé, but the singer opted to go the complete opposite route as she stepped onto the stage to belt out “Dangerously In Love” — a song she hasn’t performed live in 10 years — against a serene, cloud-filled backdrop with nearly zero fanfare, a point many fans were surprised by online. There was neither organized choreography nor a crew of background dancers; just Bey dressed in a glittering, metallic Alexander McQueen bodysuit and her rich, solid vocals proving to everyone that she’s still got the chops after all this time. This kicked off her opening act which featured mostly older songs and deep cuts, “Flaws and All,” “1+1,” “I Care,” and a cover of Rose Royce’s “I’m Going Down.”‌

The show carried a spacey, futuristic vibe

Perhaps the biggest unknown was how Beyoncé was going to interpret the aesthetics for Club Renaissance. Would she go in a Studio 54 direction? Would she go ‘80s extravaganza? Turns out, Bey chose to look forward with a spacey, futuristic take on the dance music of her new album, complete with silver, plate-like stage getups and a slew of tech-y additions to the stage set.

The “Cozy” performance featured two robotic arms

One example of the tech forwardness of the show was the pair of robotic arms that arrived on stage to join Beyoncé for her performance of “Cozy.” They didn’t do much, just move a silver picture frame around as she interacted with it, but it was enough to get across the vibe she was going for with the show — and that she certainly, definitely has the budget.

Les Twins return

Les Twins, the brothers and dancers Laurent and Larry Nicolas Bourgeois, are a staple to any Beyoncé tour, and they make an appearance in this one. At the end of show’s second act, they come out for a dance interlude set to “7/11.”

Later, the twins joined Bey on stage for her performance of “Thique,” flanking both sides of the singer — dressed in a custom Loewe bodysuit — in monochrome red.

She wore a UV light-changing gown

One of the showiest moments involved a white gown that completely transformed once it was exposed to UV light shined by, of course, two robotic arms. Bey used this moment just to purely transition from one song to the next — then whipped off the dress immediately once it was done.

She addressed the missing Renaissance visuals

But don’t get your hopes up. In a twist of events, the superstar released a response of sorts to her fans begging for her to release the Renaissance music videos. Long story short, don’t expect them to arrive any time soon, per the text she played on screen during her intro to “Formation.”

“Aw you mad? Well, there’s no remedy for that b*tches. I know you hear me. You’ve asked for the visuals, you’ve called for the queen. But a queen moves at her own pace, b*tch, decides when she wants to give you a f*cking taste. So get your fork and your spoon if you got one.”

“Black Parade” performance featured a life-sized, moving spacemobile

‌Bey went all out to bring every song on her setlist to life, and that included rolling out a life-sized, operating shiny space rover that wheeled the singer into the audience for her debut live performance of 2020’s “Black Parade.” Again, her budget is talking very loudly — and yes, the top of the car did turn .

Beyoncé did Lil Uzi Vert’s “Just Wanna Rock” dance

Despite Bey’s seemingly reclusive online presence, she’s proven that she pays attention to the trends of the moment. That revealed itself during the show as she busted out the dance from Lil Uzi Vert’s “Just Wanna Rock,” which she remixed into her performance of “Diva.” Notably, Jersey Club is the foundation of that song, and its inclusion only furthered Bey’s celebration of the many shades of dance music throughout the show.

She performed her Megan Thee Stallion “Savage” remix

Beyoncé performed many remixes throughout the night, including her and Megan Thee Stallion’s chart-topping “Savage.” Sadly, Megan didn’t make a surprise appearance, but it was still a standout moment to hear Bey rap her verse live for the first time ever.

Catch Beyoncé on her ‘Renaissance’ tour now .

Bey dressed as a bee anchorwoman for “America Has A Problem”

Bey’s costumes for the Renaissance show are plentiful and varied, but she saved the best one for her performance of “America Has A Problem”: a bee-like yellow-and-black Mugler bodysuit, complete with an antennae headpiece to match. She delivered the song while standing behind a news desk for the faux station KNTY 4 News, and while we’re not sure how the two themes overlap here, it’s one of the most playful sets of the show.

She closed the show on (a flying) Renaissance horse

A subdued show opening meant Beyoncé could go all out for the show’s finale — and she certainly did. She performed her final song, “Summer Renaissance,” atop the same glittering horse from the Renaissance cover, effectively recreating the album art (and NYLON got the inside scoop on how the horse was made). And as if that wasn’t enough, the horse was also suspended to cables and eventually took off over the crowd — an exit truly fit for a queen.

This article was originally published on May 11, 2023

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Music Reviews

Beyoncé's 'renaissance' tour remixes her archive for an intergalactic future.

Bilal Qureshi

In a concert that spans almost three hours, featuring robots, tanks, flying horses and maximalist filmmaking, Beyoncé remixed and embedded the entire 16-track Renaissance album into her full musical archive. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood hide caption

In a concert that spans almost three hours, featuring robots, tanks, flying horses and maximalist filmmaking, Beyoncé remixed and embedded the entire 16-track Renaissance album into her full musical archive.

After almost a year of releasing no accompanying videos or performing any of its songs live, last night in Stockholm, Beyoncé finally unveiled what she meant by Renaissance . Not simply a masterpiece of production, vocal and dance futurism, the album was finally unveiled as a multi-dimensional planet in which fans are to be immersed and fully transformed as she has been. In a concert that spans almost three hours — featuring robots, tanks, flying horses and maximalist filmmaking — Beyoncé remixed and embedded the entire 16-track Renaissance album into her full musical archive, crafting a 37-song setlist that brilliantly merges the earthly R&B from where she came and the intergalactic future in which she and her music have already been living.

Stockholm wasn't quite prepared for the pop culture spectacle that descended on the city last night, with fans, industry insiders and critics flying in from all over the world to witness the opening night performance. Public transportation to the city's 60,000 capacity soccer stadium was snarled and the lines to enter the arena equally exhausting. But the anticipation was palpable as the lights finally dimmed to restart an ambient recording of thundering clouds after what may have been a technical glitch.

On the massive film screen that spans the entire stage, clouds began to float across blue skies as Beyoncé, dressed in an Alexander McQueen suit, rose from below at the show's start. Anyone expecting a night at the club got their first surprise here. Instead of the slithering sounds and hard edges of Renaissance 's house-infused opening, it was vintage, R&B Beyoncé: the title song from her debut 2003 album Dangerously in Love . Opening with the warmly intoned lyrics, "I love you," she welcomed the audience with a huge smile and a series of exquisite ballads, including her cover of Etta James' "I'd Rather Go Blind" and the lush longing of "1+1" from her 2011 album 4 .

Then she departed the stage, and the technical wizardry and cinematic imagery made it immediately evident that the preceding setlist of analog, undiluted performances was proof that a nostalgic past is prelude. Right before the lush electronic soundscapes of the new album's opening and the words "these motherf****** ain't stopping me," the title Renaissance appeared in glittering silver across the entire span of the screen followed by an IMAX-scale montage of intergalactic travel, hyperspeed portals and a filmed Beyoncé in robotic shields marching toward the audience. "Come with me through my portal to the House of Chrome," she said, "where I'm reborn." The visual landscapes of space and chrome referenced a combination of Fritz Lang's Metropolis , Tron , The Matrix , Ex Machina and even Michael and Janet Jackson's video for "Scream."

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Revolutionary fun: why we can't stop talking about beyoncé's 'renaissance'.

There was, of course, also: fierce dancing, ballroom showdowns and the vocal brilliance featured in the album's sexually uninhibited ode to Black queer culture grounded in '70s and '80s dance genres like house and disco. But the Beyoncé on stage and screen here presented herself as an artist flying across time and space. When it seemed Renaissance would be played in full without skips — the album is so impeccably sequenced — the setlist swerves and surprises, with samples of Britney Spears' "Toxic," Madonna's "Vogue" and of course Beyoncé's own extraordinary catalog remixed to euphoric reactions. The bass drops of "Yoncé," from the self-titled fifth album, transition into the orchestral drum lines of "Family Feud" with Jay-Z before elevating the audience into "Church Girl" from Renaissance . Just as her on-stage character here has moved through a portal to be rebooted as a chrome Athena riding rockets across time, Beyoncé the musician was uploading, updating and renewing her artistic past in real-time before the audience. Each of her albums becomes part of the Renaissance , and songs from each are threaded, integrated and brought into the future with her.

There are also odes to previous visual signatures. Where the album interpolates, samples and credits countless pioneers of dance and queer culture, the reference library for the Renaissance tour is herself. The wide-brimmed Southern hats of "Formation" become chrome discs from outer space in this era, and the sultry choreography from "Partition" is performed on what is quite literally a silver tank that drives onto the stage ramp extending into the stadium's "Club Renaissance" section of the audience. The spirit of the show is regeneration and revival, a display of extraordinary confidence. Functioning robotic arms also constantly dressing, re-assembling and rebooting Beyoncé between the show's chapter breaks to underscore the constant sense of movement and hyperspeed updates.

Beyoncé in a gold bodysuit by the luxury brand Loewe. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood hide caption

Beyoncé in a gold bodysuit by the luxury brand Loewe.

The fashion industry's inevitable metabolism, dissection and celebration of what she and her team have achieved here is bound to be one of the tour's greatest triumphs. Fashion is intricately woven into the show's narrative, as is Beyoncé's physicality and undeniable sensuality. As the show shifts from deep house into the album's lush, R&B center — "Plastic Off the Sofa," "Virgo's Groove" — Beyoncé emerges in a literal shell on a bed of silver cushions, wearing a gold bodysuit by the luxury brand Loewe, covered in images of black arms and hands. She, too, is wearing long black gloves with red nails that extend the images across her body, and different versions of that same gold suit are worn by her dancers. As the mood shifts from the intergalactic to the bedroom, the language of assembly, embrace and touch continues in more human, Earthly forms.

When I first heard the album, I wondered how such a layered album of soundscapes would sound as a live experience. As is to be expected, seamless and possible delivered by Beyoncé in live, human form. In the vocal pyrotechnics of the most challenging sections of songs like "Heated" and "Virgo's Groove," Beyoncé embodies the superpowered musical machine the tour imagery presents, capable of tangible feats of excellence. With the show's breathless momentum and expansive ambitions, at one point even Beyoncé joked to say, "so many songs, but I'm giving you them all." And it certainly felt like she did.

At the first stop of her "Renaissance" tour in Stockholm, the pop star's visual landscape referenced a combination of Fritz Lang's Metropolis , Tron , The Matrix and more. Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for Parkwood hide caption

At the first stop of her "Renaissance" tour in Stockholm, the pop star's visual landscape referenced a combination of Fritz Lang's Metropolis , Tron , The Matrix and more.

It wasn't long after the performance that all the images, videos and commentariat from the show flooded social media. After the drought, a feast has arrived. Even the internet demands since last July to "release the visuals" are hilariously referenced in the ballroom narration of the show. But if I could make one recommendation to anyone fortunate enough to be attending one of the upcoming dates in Europe and North America, there is value in retaining a visual blackout. Nothing on phone screens can compare to the immersive three-dimensions of design, music, fashion and storytelling Beyoncé has crafted. The Renaissance only occurs in her now globally traveling court — a cyborg palace of metallics and lavish textiles of sound that must be experienced in person. The show is a triumph of live performance and designed for ticketed admission.

Throughout the show, I was curious about one aspect of the album in particular — "Reneigh," as fans have named Beyoncé's glittering, disco ball-mirrored steed from the album's cover. How and when would the horse finally make its appearance? As the show reached its conclusion, Beyoncé came back center stage astride Reneigh. As her guards and technicians braced them each to a harness waiting above, the platform gradually rose into the crowd and Beyoncé rode Reneigh above the crowd as she sang "Summer Renaissance." It took me walking around Stockholm earlier in the day — amid all its medieval equine statuary of dead European kings — to finally unlock the meaning of Reneigh and the album's title. The future belongs to an American monarch and the gates to her undeniable renaissance have finally opened.

What's on Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour Setlist?

Here's what she played at her opening show.

Every item on this page was chosen by a Town & Country editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Beyoncé is back on tour!

Fans traveled from far and wide to attend the first night of her highly anticipated world tour, and they were not disappointed. She opened with "Dangerously in Love," a song first recorded by Destiny's Child, and then dove into a medley of hits from all seven of her studio albums.

Beyoncé wrote on her Instagram when she announced Renaissance that "My intention was to create a safe place, a place without judgment. A place to be free of perfectionism and overthinking. A place to scream, release, feel freedom. It was a beautiful journey of exploration. I hope you find joy in this music. I hope it inspires you to release the wiggle. Ha! And to feel as unique, strong, and sexy as you are."

Here's the setlist from night one in Stockholm, her first time ever performing songs from Renaissance live . As is typical for a Beyoncé tour, she mashed up many of her songs :

• Dangerously in Love 2
• Flaws and All
• 1+1 / I'd Rather Go Blind
• I'm Going Down (Mary J. Blige cover)
• Energy ( Interlude )
• I'm That Girl
• Alien Superstar / Sweet Dreams
• 7/11 ( Interlude )
• Cuff It / Cuff It (Wetter Remix)
• Break My Soul / Break My Soul (Queens Mix)
• No Angel / Pretty Hurts ( Interlude )
• Run the World (Girls)
• Black Parade / Alright
• Savage (Megan Thee Stallion remix)
• Yonce / Family Feud ( Interlude )
• Church Girl
• Get Me Bodied
• Before I Let Go / Freakum Dress
• Rather Die Young
• Love on Top / I Want You Back (Jackson 5 Cover)
• Crazy in Love
• Green Light ( Interlude )
• Plastic Off the Sofa
• Virgo's Groove
• Naughty Girl
• Already / Kitty Kat / Flawless / Find Your Way Back / Heard About Us / End of Time ( Interlude )
• Thique / Toxic (Britney Spears cover)
• All Up In Your Mind
• Drunk in Love
• Ghost ( Interlude )
• America Has a Problem
• Pure / Runaway ( Interlude )
• Summer Renaissance

This list is updating live.

It's her first show of a planned 57 in stadiums across the world, so there's still plenty of time to see the Renaissance World Tour.

Emily Burack (she/her) is the Senior News Editor for Town & Country, where she covers entertainment, culture, the royals, and a range of other subjects. Before joining T&C, she was the deputy managing editor at Hey Alma , a Jewish culture site. Follow her @emburack on Twitter and Instagram .

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Everything We Learned from Night One of Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour

I t’s the moment everyone’s been waiting for: Beyoncé finally kicked off her Renaissance World Tour in Stockholm, Sweden , Wednesday night. This comes close to a year after the release of her seventh album, RENAISSANCE , a period during which she has rarely acknowledged the album with interviews or public performances of the new music, nor put out any music videos to accompany the songs. Nonetheless, the BeyHive was still buzzing with excitement on social media as they shared clips of the stage, the merchandise, the view from different VIP sections, and, most importantly, the artist performing the songs live for the first time.

Beyoncé is gearing up for a second night at the Friends Arena in Stockholm. As she gets ready to hit the stage, let’s take a look at what was revealed in the first show that might offer an indication of what could happen on the rest of the highly anticipated tour. A lot has already happened—from Bey herself addressing the lack of visuals to her celebration of the LGBTQ+ community, in keeping with the themes of the album.

Here’s everything we learned from night one of the Renaissance World Tour.

Beyoncé said not to rush a queen for music videos

omg not beyoncé addressing the visuals i’m crying 😭 #RenaissanceWorldTour pic.twitter.com/xQ9AkBCp3p — rasmus (@rasmusbravado) May 10, 2023

If we haven’t learned by now, Beyoncé releases things when she is good and ready . This is her first solo album since 2016’s Lemonade , so we can’t act surprised that she told her fans to be patient and stop asking about the music videos. Her last solo albums, Lemonade , Beyoncé , and The Gift (a concept album for The Lion King ), all had visual components that included music videos for each song. This built up the expectation that RENAISSANCE would get the same treatment.

Beyoncé is online and knows her fans have been hounding her, and she has finally responded. During a break on the first night, a disembodied voice addressed the crowd as the words it spoke were displayed on stage: “Aww, you mad? Well, there’s no remedy for that, bitches… I know you’ve asked for the visuals. You’ve called for the Queen. But a Queen moves at her own pace, bitch. Decides when she wants to give you a f-cking taste. So get your fork and your spoon if you got one.”

She is cutting out some of her biggest hits to make room for the new album and deep cuts

Attendees at the concert in Stockholm filmed every moment for the world to see on social media, and many of Beyoncé’s fans were quite surprised by some of the songs she decided to perform. She opened the show with “Dangerously In Love” from her debut album of the same name and ran through a string of popular songs, both mainstream hits and fan favorites. At the opening night show, she also performed songs like “Rather Die Young,” “Flaws and All,” and “Black Parade,” which have not gotten much attention from Beyoncé in recent memory.

Beyonce - Rather Die Young 🎤 SINGGGGGG!!!! #RenaissanceWorldTour pic.twitter.com/MEZwAVYNWk — ram (@oyyram) May 10, 2023

Some of Beyoncé’s most popular songs, many of which she has made a point to perform on past tours, are notably missing from the set list. “Run The World” fans, do not worry: she still performs the song. But those who are fans of “If I Were a Boy,” “Single Ladies,” and “Halo,” a notorious closer for Beyoncé—as evidenced by the Homecoming concert film and her Formation World Tour— may be disappointed.

Beyoncé did NOT perform her hit songs “Single Ladies”, ”If I Were a Boy” and “Halo” at the opening night of her #RENAISSANCEtour show in Sweden. pic.twitter.com/ejXi5b7fXf — Buzzing Pop (@BuzzingPop) May 10, 2023

Beyoncé brought back the Les Twins, who have accompanied her on multiple tours and performances

The Les Twins, Laurent and Larry, were approached by Beyoncé years ago after a video of them dancing went viral and they appeared on The Ellen DeGeneres Show . They were invited to perform with Beyoncé at the Billboard Music Awards in 2011, and she took them on the road with her for the Mrs. Carter World Tour, her joint On The Run Tour with Jay-Z, and her Coachella performance in 2018 . Her fans were excited to see the Les Twins back on stage with her for this new tour.

Beyoncé performing Thique and Les Twins are officially back 😭 #RenaissanceWorldTour pic.twitter.com/zPKiGAPCjG — J (@wenttojarrett) May 10, 2023

It was gay as hell: An unabashed celebration of the LGBTQ+ community

In the lead-up to the album, Beyoncé dedicated the project to her Uncle Johnny, who battled HIV when she was young. He is referenced in the song “HEATED,” and in the outro of the song, Beyoncé takes on the role of MC at a ball (a queer dance party) where she starts “reading.” All of these influences took center stage at the Renaissance World Tour and will make a strong statement when it comes stateside in July, given the wave of anti-LGBTQ+ legislation being introduced across the country.

BEYONCÉ IS HEATED😭😭😭 #RENAISSANCEtour pic.twitter.com/ddL9s1ByUA — 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗻𝘆🫧💚 (@beyoncegarden) May 10, 2023

One of the biggest displays of affection for her queer fans came even before the concert started. As concertgoers poured into the stadium, they were greeted with a fake TV error screen, but if you look closely, some of the colors are different. This error screen has the colors of the progress pride flag, which includes colors from the transgender pride flag, as well as brown and black to indicate the greater discrimination experienced by those members of the community. Twitter users joked, “Nashville is gonna be ready to arrest Beyoncé for this, lord Jesus,” referencing the state’s attempt to ban drag shows and broader attempts across the US to infringe on trans people’s rights.

Nashville is gonna be ready to arrest Beyoncé for this lord Jesus pic.twitter.com/jAz6ObNSEQ — 💫 (@heyjaeee) May 10, 2023

There is also a ball that happens in the show. Beyoncé makes space for her dancers to vogue and dance to her song, “PURE/HONEY.”

BEYONCÉ HOSTING A BALL IS SO WILD TO ME OMG pic.twitter.com/1JwnRMX8TR — pocket (@islandthembo) May 10, 2023

Some people might recognize Honey Balenciaga from The House of Balenciaga, which appeared in season two of HBO Max’s Legendary . She was seen voguing on stage with the rest of Beyoncé’s dancers.

@legendaryvoguex HONEY BALENCIAGA @Honey. YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THE IT GIRL #RENAISSANCE ♬ original sound - Legendary Vogue X

As we’ve seen with other tours from major artists like Harry Styles, Taylor Swift, and the 1975, their fervent fan base will keep everyone up to date on all the song changes, new outfits, and surprises that these artists pull out of their bag of tricks on the road. As we’ve seen with Swift’s notoriously sold-out Eras Tour, her fans made sure to give people who couldn’t get tickets a chance to see the tour play out online. Based on how night one played out, it seems like Beyoncé’s fans will be doing the same for those of us stuck at home.

Correction, May 11: The original version of this story misgendered Honey Balenciaga. She uses she/her pronouns.

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Beyoncé Kicked Off Her Renaissance World Tour With Futuristic Outfits, a Stacked Setlist, and Stage Surprises

The big night has finally arrived: Beyoncé returned to the stage in Stockholm, Sweden to kick off her Renaissance World tour, with the icon serving as her own opening act, main show, and encore. Photos and videos have surfaced of the show, giving a little glimpse of what those lucky enough to attend got to take in. Here, a look at the stage, to start:

And the program:

Beyoncé opened by performing non- Renaissance songs, a clever way of starting the show and dipping into her beloved discography.

“I Care” followed.

From there, the Renaissance portion began with Bey singing, “I'm That Girl,” while wearing a silver Courrèges bodysuit :

Here's the full high-resolution look at (one of) Beyoncé's tour outfits, along with her dancers' matching ensembles:

Robot arms were part of the “Cozy” performance:

And she also performed “Alien Superstar” in the silver bodysuit.

She then changed into a printed mini dress to sing “Cuff It” and “Energy.” She twerked on stage during her “Break My Soul” performance:

“Formation,” “Diva,” and “Run the World (Girls)” followed, which featured Beyoncé in her fourth look of the night: a custom Loewe breastplate, sheer top, and silver pants:. The set design was particularly wild during “My Power”:

“Black Parade,” “Savage (Remix),” and “Partition” followed in the night one set list.

Other outfits included a Balmain pearl-adorned bodysuit, which Beyoncé sang “Church Girl,” “Get Me Bodied,” “Before I Let Go,” “Rather Die Young,” “Love on Top,” and “Crazy in Love” in:

Beyoncé brought the glitz out for her next catsuit, a sheer glittery number by Loewe featuring strategic hands on it. She sang “Plastic Off the Sofa” when debuting it:

She also did a wardrobe change using UV light to change her dress's color before unveiling a bodysuit underneath:

This post will be updated with more outfits and songs as Beyoncé continues her concert in Stockholm.

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BEYONCÉ – RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR

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Beyoncé’s RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR is coming to AT&T Stadium on Thursday, September 21 . Tickets are on sale now at SeatGeek.com .

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Beyoncé announces Renaissance world tour

Singer’s first tour in seven years names UK dates including Cardiff, Edinburgh and London, followed by shows in Europe and North America

Beyoncé has shared details of her first tour in seven years. The hugely anticipated Renaissance world tour will begin on 10 May at Stockholm’s Friends Arena before working its way through stadiums in Europe and the UK over the course of spring and summer. The tour’s North American leg starts on 7 July in Toronto, and continues through to the autumn, with a concluding date set for 27 September at New Orleans’ Caesars Superdome.

The Renaissance world tour includes an extensive run of UK dates: Beyoncé will perform on 29 and 30 May at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with Cardiff, Edinburgh and Sunderland set for 17 May, 20 May and 23 May respectively. Tickets for all dates will be available from Beyoncé’s website .

Beyoncé’s last tour was 2016’s Formation world tour . That show, in support of her sixth album Lemonade, saw her perform in Sunderland , Cardiff , London, Manchester and Glasgow, totalling over 300,000 tickets in the UK alone.

The Renaissance world tour supports Beyoncé’s 2022 album of the same name. Widely hailed as a career-best, the album was acclaimed for its pivot to club styles such as house and disco, as well as for a credits list that highlighted LGBTQ+ Black pioneers such as Honey Dijon, Kevin Aviance, Ts Madison and Big Freedia. Voted the best album of 2022 by Guardian music critics , it debuted at No 1 on the UK and US charts, and has been certified gold in the UK, indicating sales in excess of 100,000. Writing about the album in an end-of-year essay, Jenessa Williams said that Renaissance “sees Beyoncé at her most lyrically playful, political by destiny rather than design.”

Although Renaissance was lauded for its platforming of LGBTQ+ artists upon release, Beyoncé has faced criticism this year for choosing to perform at the private opening of luxury Dubai hotel Atlantis the Royal, given the United Arab Emirates’ criminalisation of homosexuality and allegations that migrant workers in the country face conditions amounting to indentured servitude.

Jason Okundaye wrote for the Guardian : “the issue of migrant labour adds an additional dimension to conversations on the ethics of concerts.”

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“It’s as much about where Beyoncé performs as who she’s performed for and who she’s accepted money from,” he wrote. “Renaissance’s lead single, Break My Soul, may have been billed as the pro-worker Great Resignation anthem of last summer, but it is muted when money talks.”

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Beyoncé is back to show us what stars are made of

The first u.s. show of her dazzling renaissance tour sparkled in every way.

PHILADELPHIA — Peep this cosmic slop: Nearly every surface was either sequined up or chromed out, and there were these giant robotic arms that knew how to vogue, and there was a Mars rover with hydraulics and a stripper pole on the roof, and when it appeared as if P-Funk had suddenly landed the Mothership in the end zone of this earthly football stadium next to I-95, the hatch opened to reveal a metallic scallop containing a disco Venus singing words that turned the July air even hotter, but then she transformed into an anime mecha with alloy antlers before finally mounting a stallion made of disco ball and riding it into history, the same way Bianca Jagger pranced that white horse through Studio 54 back in 1977.

Maximalism has always been Beyoncé's thing. If you want people to have a blast, you blast them. That means the glitzy, blitzy launch of her current world tour’s domestic leg at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on Wednesday night felt like a retinal bombardment of scrupulously detailed choreography, costuming, stage lighting, set design, interstitial videos, metallurgical stage props and more. Even her music threatened to violate its own innate invisibility, thickening the air from the moment the show opened with “ Dangerously in Love ,” a gem from her rookie seasons in Destiny’s Child. “I love you, I love you, I love you,” Beyoncé sang copiously and attentively, as if testing how many notes she could fit into the three magic monosyllables that ultimately bind humanity. A few moments later, during the titular hook of “ I Care ,” she was showing and telling in the same freighted breath.

Bedazzled and jet lagged, the Beyhive swarms Stockholm for ‘Renaissance’

Most stadium-grade pop extravaganzas stash all the ballads and midtempo stuff in the middle of the show, giving the singer a chance to regain themselves. Beyoncé turned in her homework early and didn’t look back. Once the sun had fully checked out of the sky for the night, she happily shimmied into her newest songs from “Renaissance,” a sparkly album that taps into the hereditary pulses of disco and house music while quietly subverting the traditional equation that fun equals careless abandon. In Beyoncé's sound-world, the good times are so tightly girded by her intensity, her commitment, her circumspection, that all the catharsis ends up shooting out of the music like laser light. And in case you couldn’t see-hear-feel it during the gummy bounce of “ Cuff It ,” her lyrics asked the question straight up: “Have you ever had fun like this?” Before a complete answer could be formed, she experienced a wardrobe malfunction that was minor but unforgettable. She literally sang her sunglasses off her face.

Everyone in the crowd managed to keep their clothes on — as evidenced by thousands of sequined outfits casting their delicate, woozy, cosmic reflections into neighboring airspaces. This kind of sparkle is obviously meant to feel emblematic of opulence and extravagance, or maybe even magic. Prices vary between the jeweler and the craft store, but some scientists suspect it goes much deeper than that. They think our attraction to glitter and gloss is likely rooted in our evolutionary attraction to water.

At a Beyoncé concert, where notions of fabulousness and survival feel tightly intertwined, that all made a special kind of sense — especially during “ Break My Soul ,” a throbbing self-reliance anthem that Beyoncé made shimmery during its “la-la-la-la” intro, then heavier than life in its conclusion, its unresolved search “for something that lives inside of me.” In between, the entire song transformed into an interpolation of Madonna’s “Vogue” — but instead of dishing up a sangfroidy little rap about Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, Beyoncé shouted out Aaliyah, Bessie Smith, Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill, Janet Jackson, Grace Jones, Sade, Aretha Franklin and at least a dozen other Black queens of soul and hip-hop music.

She’s so good at this, so good at telling a musical story bigger than herself, even while proving she’s a singular proposition for the ages. Now, more than a quarter-century into her fame, it’s clear that Beyoncé is done with the pop market forever-ever, having opted to funnel countless Black traditions into a recombinant style of songmaking that very much belongs to her alone. That breadth of vision requires tight focus and loose imagination — and it results in the sequined multitudes spending a hot summer night listening to one of the greatest vocalists alive sing “ Cozy ” while she dances with real robots, then coo “ Partition ” while she zooms around on her fake space rover, then purr “ Virgo’s Groove ” from inside a cosmic seashell where time doesn’t exist. Ever have fun like this?

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Here’s Everything That Happened During Beyoncé’s Once-in-a-Lifetime ‘Renaissance’ Tour Opener

By Brittany Spanos

Brittany Spanos

The moment Beyoncé fans have been impatiently waiting for finally arrived on Wednesday: The superstar kicked off her highly anticipated Renaissance World Tour in Sweden , filling up Stockholm’s 50,000-seat Friends Arena with excited spectators, many who had flown from all corners of the world to witness the surprises what Beyoncé had in store. Hundreds of thousands more people at home scrambled to find livestreams on TikTok and Instagram and watch the event for themselves.

The show had a twist start: Instead of throwing a Studio 54-esque party right off the bat, Yoncé arrived on stage in a gold suit with her band, a giant, heavenly cloud scene on the stage-wide screen behind her. She sang “Dangerously in Love,” a song she hasn’t performed live since 2009, and a ballad. It was like she was her own opening act (there were no other opening acts, for the record), showing off her vocals effortlessly through a handful of songs she doesn’t sing often: “Flaws and All,” “1+1” and “I Care.” She even tossed in a cover of Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Goin’ Down,” to boot. She was chatty and joyful the whole time, shedding the type of icy diva-stare she owns during most shows.

Beyoncé covering “I’m Going Down” by Mary J. Blige at the #RWT2022 . My life is finally complete! #RenaissanceWorldTour pic.twitter.com/dsCPTGx092 — 🥂 (@afroesthetic) May 10, 2023

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In between stage settings, fans got to see some long-awaited visuals, which included mix of new material and old footage from her past videos, often as megamixes of her songs played over them. She perfectly broke up Renaissance — and played the album in full, as many had hoped — creating mini-worlds around them. During the Opulence portion, she performed atop a mechanical structure that seemed to take the place of a bull or horse for her verse from Megan Thee Stallion’s “Savage Remix.” The structure then carried Bey through a pair of robot legs as she prepared for the next section. Later, she performed “Plastic Off the Sofa” from a giant shell and wore a bee costume while delivering the news on KNTY TV.

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The finale was a showstopper. She flew from the stage atop the disco horse seen on the album cover for “Summer Renaissance” and gave thanks to the audience, dancers and band from a harness that carried her off the horse. It was a mystical end to a once-in-a-lifetime show from one of pop’s greatest live performers.

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Beyoncé Holds Top Spot on Albums Chart as J. Cole’s ‘Might Delete Later’ Enters at No. 2

By Thania Garcia

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Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” is the No. 1 album in the United States for a second consecutive week, preventing new releases from J. Cole and Tomorrow X Together from hitting the peak.

“Cowboy Carter” logged 125,500 sales this week, according to the tracking service Luminate, and 133 million streams, propelling the country album to become Beyoncé’s first to spend two weeks at No. 1 since her self-titled set spent its first three weeks at the summit in late 2013 and early 2014.

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Elsewhere on the Billboard 200, South Korean group Tomorrow X Together opens at No. 3 with their seven-song “Minisode 3: Tomorrow” album. The set earned 107,500 sales (topping the album sales charts this week) and was available in 17 collectible CD editions.

Other highlights from the top of the charts include Hozier’s “Too Sweet,” which moves from No. 4 to No. 2 on the Hot 100 as the Irish singer-songwriter’s highest rank on the chart since “Take Me to Church” broke at No. 2 for three weeks in December 2014-January 2015. Also, Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” holds at No. 3 on the Hot 100, after reaching No. 2.

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Taylor Swift and Beyoncé Avoided a Collision on the Charts. (Again.)

Pop’s two reigning queens are often cast as rivals, but they have continually supported each other — and spaced out their album releases.

By Craig Marks

In February, Taylor Swift took the stage at the Grammy Awards to accept the prize for best pop vocal album. After dutifully thanking the Recording Academy and her fans, she got down to business: “My brand-new album comes out April 19,” she said, in a surprise announcement revealing “The Tortured Poets Department.” It was a heads up for her loyal followers, as well as anyone else in the business with a spring release on the radar: If you want your new album to debut at No. 1, don’t release it on April 19. Or April 26. Or May 3, for that matter.

A week later, following a teaser during a Super Bowl commercial, Beyoncé also dropped news of a new album : “Cowboy Carter” would arrive earlier than “Poets,” with breathing room, on March 29. Another pop powerhouse in the Grammy audience made her own announcement in early April: Billie Eilish will unveil her forthcoming third album, “Hit Me Hard and Soft,” a month after Swift’s release, on May 17.

Beyoncé and Swift, the 21st century’s pre-eminent pop stars, have often been cast as competitors if not rivals, a story line partly rooted in misogyny and amplified by dueling fan armies filled with stans, or superfans.

For their part, the two artists have regularly dispelled the notion over the years. They were first linked, through no fault of their own, at the 2009 MTV Video Music Awards, when Kanye West interrupted a Swift acceptance speech to advocate for her fellow nominee Beyoncé; later that night, Beyoncé brought Swift onstage to finish her remarks. In 2021, Swift shared on Instagram that Beyoncé had sent her congratulatory flowers after Swift won the album of the year Grammy for “Folklore,” calling Beyoncé “the queen of grace & greatness.” And last year, following their blockbuster stadium tours, they appeared at each other’s concert film premieres, a pointed rebuke to message-board zealots looking to sow discord.

“Clearly, it’s very lucrative for the media and stan culture to pit two women against each other, even when the two artists in question refuse to participate in that discussion,” Swift told Time magazine. (Representatives for Swift and Beyoncé declined to comment.)

In fact, when it comes to album releases, whether by design or by chance, the two superstars have generally avoided one another altogether. The only other time they’ve released LPs in the same window was way back in November 2008, when Beyoncé’s “I Am … Sasha Fierce” supplanted Swift’s “Fearless” at No. 1. Absent Swift’s 2006 debut LP, every studio album from Beyoncé and Swift — 21 in all, including Swift’s rerecordings of her earlier catalog — has entered the Billboard 200 at No. 1. (Eilish’s previous albums both opened big at the top, as well.)

In the streaming era, where songs have superseded albums as music’s main currency, and chart placements are based on an opaque formula that blends streams with sales, a No. 1 album doesn’t have quite the same cultural or historical resonance it once did. Still, said Jonathan Daniel of Crush Management, which oversees the careers of Miley Cyrus, Green Day and Lorde, it remains “a great talking point,” perhaps most of all for the online superfans who take pride in hoisting their heroes to the top.

“Pop-stan Twitter is fierce,” Daniel said. Partisans treat the Spotify and Billboard charts like a zero-sum game. “It’s their version of sports.”

While top artists and their teams tend to avoid overlapping album releases in order to secure a No. 1 and the bragging rights that go along with it, that wasn’t always the case. “In the days when the only way to consume music was to go to your local record store or big-box retailer, labels would sometimes schedule a release so that it would come out on the same day as a similar but bigger release,” said Keith Caulfield, Billboard’s managing director of charts and data operations.

That way, someone who came to Best Buy to purchase, say, “the ‘Bodyguard’ soundtrack might also spot the new Anita Baker CD and say, ‘I’ll get that, too,’” he said. Before social media, where artists can post album updates to their followers with unrelenting frequency, casual fans might not even have known a new record existed unless they spotted it in the wild.

One of the most high-profile examples of convergent superstar releases came in September 2007, when the rappers Kanye West and 50 Cent colluded to issue their new albums on the same date. “We marketed it like a heavyweight boxing match,” said Dennis Dennehy, who led publicity for 50 Cent’s label, Interscope. “It was Ali vs. Frazier.”

West and 50 Cent, both signed to subsidiary labels of Universal Music Group, appeared together on the cover of Rolling Stone to hype the event and draw people to record stores. “It was like a get-out-the-vote campaign,” Dennehy said. The reward was increased first-week sales of both titles and a clarion call for hip-hop’s commercial clout; the risk, as 50 Cent found out, was finishing a distant second. Kelefa Sanneh, writing for The Times , called it “a low point” in 50 Cent’s career.

Nearly two decades later, competing film studios borrowed a page from that playbook and plotted the movie event known as “Barbenheimer” last summer. Both “Barbie” and “Oppenheimer” opened on July 21, and moviegoers flocked to theaters, some seeing both films in the same afternoon. “Barbie” grossed $162 million that weekend, “Oppenheimer” $82.4 million.

“Usually, movie release dates are this big game of chicken,” said Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst for box-office tracker Comscore. “Like, who’s going to blink first and move off their date.” In this case, the studios purposefully went head-to-head in the heat of the summer movie season. The result? “It turned into an absolute phenomenon,” Dergarabedian said. “Both movies were winners.”

For the likes of Swift and Beyoncé, pinpointing an album release date is both art and science, a calculation based on such disparate factors as proposed tour schedules, the availability of vinyl pressing plants and optimal timing for Grammy consideration. And sometimes, even the best laid plans can go awry.

Daniel recounted that last year, Cyrus’s “Endless Summer Vacation” and Lana Del Rey’s “Did You Know That There’s a Tunnel Under Ocean Blvd” were originally slated to be released on the same date, but Del Rey’s album ended up pushing back two weeks. “And then Morgan Wallen’s ‘One Thing at a Time’ came out the week before,” he said, “and knocked us all out of the water .”

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Beyoncé’s ‘Cowboy Carter’ Rides to Second Week at No. 1 In Australia

J.Cole's surprise-release mixtape "Might Delete Later" debuts at No. 2.

By Lars Brandle

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Beloved Australian singer and songwriter Missy Higgins returns to the top 10 with her debut The Sound Of White (Eleven: A Music Company/Universal) , boosted by the release of a 20th anniversary edition.

Originally issued in 2004, The Sound Of White reigned over the chart for seven non-consecutive weeks and went on to win album of the year at the 2005 ARIA Awards. Her next two LPs, 2007’s On A Clear Night and 2012’s The Ol’ Razzle Dazzle , also reached the chart zenith.

The Sound Of White returns at No. 6 on the ARIA Albums Chart, published Friday, April 12, ahead of the release this September of a new album, The Second Act , which she has described as a “kind of sequel” to her debut.

Also making an impact on the latest chart is American singer and songwriter Conan Gray ’s Found Heaven (Universal) at No. 10; U.S. retro psychedelic-lounge trio Khruangbin ’s A La Sala (Dead Oceans/RKT), new at No. 14; and Melbourne metalcore group Alpha Wolf’s Half Living Things (CVA/Sony), which opens its account at No. 19.

Over on the ARIA Singles Chart , Benson Boone’s “Beautiful Things” (Warner Records) locks up top spot again, while the collection from which it is lifted, Fireworks & Rollerblades, arrives at No. 17 on the albums survey. Also, new release “Slow It Down” speeds 35-24 on the ARIA Singles Chart. Boone will visit Australia and New Zealand this September for a brief tour, produced by Frontier Touring, in support of his debut set.

Finally, British-Cypriot producer Artemas is on the rise, as his U.K. hit “I Like The Way You Kiss Me” (10K/ADA) lifts 7-3 on the ARIA Chart, while his previous single “If U Think I’m Pretty” gains 64-37.

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