Beyonce has created one of the must-see concerts of 2023. She will be wrapping up the North American leg of the tour tonight at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. The star was originally scheduled to perform at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on September 18, but it was rescheduled for tonight.
Her highest grossing tour to date, the Renaissance Tour was announced on February 1, 2023, in support of her seventh studio album by the same name. The concert run began on May 10, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden.
The Superdome was lit up in all purple lights on Wednesday with a silhouette of Beyonce on the outside to greet fans upon arrival.
The New Orleans show was advertised to start at 8 PM last Wednesday night but many fans were still in traffic or at the gates at showtime. The show ended up kicking off at 9:38 with fans settled in their seats listening to the pre-show DJ.
Back in late August, Beyonce asked fans to wear silver outfits to the remaining Renaissance tour dates to create a “shimmering human disco ball” around her. The New Orleans Beyhive did not disappoint and showed up in head to toe sparkles to meet the request of their Queen.
Fans could even buy Beyonce themed “Renaissance Punch” in a souvenir disco ball punch made with Ciroc Coconut Vodka.
For nearly three hours, spanning numerous performances and encompassing 37 songs, Beyoncé orchestrated one of the most spectacular visual displays in the realm of pop music. Every aspect, from the costumes and choreography to the exceptionally impressive video content, was meticulously curated and executed with a remarkable sense of style and precision in the city that she called her second home.
The central focus of the main stage was a colossal four-story-tall LED video wall that spanned the width of the stadium projecting a giant version of the singer on display for every seat to see. Positioned in the middle was a circular opening that provided a glimpse of her dedicated band and supporting vocalists, all dressed in shimmering silver attire, positioned on a multi-tiered silver bandstand. The portal provided the entry point to each set change as well with multi-changing parts.
The show was setup in seven parts with music, costume and set changes to match. Beyonce took the stage in a lime green wrap dress ensemble singing a Destiny’s Child hit “Dangerously in Love.” On the second song she sat on the piano and continued to sing the ballads to the audience. You could see on the giant video display that she was singing and belting out every word.
During the first act Beyonce dedicated “River Deep, Mountain High,” to one of her idols Tina Turner. She also thanked fans for supporting her for 26 years.
Act II was all about “Renaissance” as the singer opened with the title track and performed “I’m That Girl”, “Cozy” and “Lift Off” all while looking like silver robot. One of the most impressive parts of the show was the motorized manufacturing robots that added effects to the show like moving silver frames onstage to frame Beyonce behind them.
Les Twins, Beyonce’s famous dance duo took the crowd into the break as she made a quick change over for Act III.
During Act III, titled “Motherboard,” she donned a striking pink cape and an elaborate headdress. Alongside her dancers, she made her way down a runway towards the ring-shaped catwalk around a circular stage. Their movements synchronized with the pulsating beat of “Energy,” the song requiring audience participation in the “mute challenge.” During that song, the audience collectively falls silent during the “everybody on mute” lyric. It has become a challenge across the country to see which city can be the quietest and win. They then transitioned seamlessly into “Break My Soul,” which incorporated elements from Madonna’s iconic “Vogue.”
Many people in the New Orleans audience were hoping to see Big Freedia make an onstage appearance during “Break My Soul,” the banger that she guests on but Beyonce didn’t bring her into the live show. She did give Freedia a shoutout before the song saying how much she loved her.
Act IV was dubbed “Opulence,” the show energy escalated even further, particularly during a electrifying performance of “Formation,” where Beyoncé passionately repeated the line “my mama Louisiana” multiple times. The music pulsated throughout “Run the World (Girls),” as dancers performed perfect choreography around her.
During the rendition of “Black Parade,” Beyoncé made a dramatic entrance by riding what appeared to be a full-size lunar rover down the runway. Her 11-year-old daughter, Blue Ivy, took center stage with a group of dancers as she has done throughout the tour. As mother and daughter posed together, Beyoncé mouthed “I Love Her” as she wiped away sweat from her cheeks. She seamlessly transitioned to an electrifying performance, squatting and dancing energetically in thigh-high red boots during the “Savage Remix” around a pole on top of the rover. The lunar rover eventually drove through the circular portal on the big screen, which magically transformed into a dazzling disco ball.
“Anointed” was the next act and brought the crowd to life with singalongs for the ages. The portal turned into a rose stained glass window from a Gothic church. Ultraviolet light changed Beyonce’s and the dancer’s white rope to a pattern of geometric colors. “This is a place with no judgement – y’all can go crazy!” she announced before the New Orleans bounce-inspired “Get Me Bodied.”
In a city that has long embraced Frankie Beverly and Maze at every New Orleans Jazz Fest and many Essence Fests, everyone loved her cover of that band’s “Before I Let Go” breaking out into a mass singalong.
Beyoncé made a grand entrance during her performance of “Plastic Off the Sofa,” emerging from a silver clamshell amidst a backdrop of pearl pillows. She exuded confidence in a “hands-on” bodysuit for “Virgo’s Groove” and “Naughty Girl,” where long black gloves integrated into the suit appeared to caress her figure. To enhance the atmosphere during “Heated,” fans among the audience opened actual handheld fans to cool themselves down. The giant robots came back onstage holding giant silver metal fans surrounding the artist as well.
That final act encompassed called “Mind Control” included “America Has a Problem,” Beyoncé riding atop a disco ball horse, “Pure/Honey,” a shower of silver confetti and Beyoncé floating above the runway suspended by wires for a final “Summer Renaissance.”
