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Beyoncé Renaissance Tour 2023: Live updates from Gillette Stadium
Everything to know about Beyoncé's concert at Gillette Stadium.
A summer renaissance has arrived in Boston: Beyoncé is only hours away from her highly anticipated concert at Gillette Stadium, the singer’s only New England stop on her record-setting Renaissance World Tour. If Tuesday night’s show is anything like the rest of the tour, which kicked off in Sweden May 10, expect all of the hallmarks of a Beyoncé performance — elaborate visuals, dance breaks, costume changes, and powerful live vocals.
Boston.com will have live updates on everything Beyoncé throughout the evening, including reactions from Boston-area members of the Beyhive riding the Beyoncé train down to Foxborough, photos and videos from the very front of the concert, and a review of the show on Wednesday morning.
Beyoncé seemingly snubs Lizzo during Boston concert amid sexual harassment lawsuit
Tuesday, 10:45 p.m.
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For months on her Renaissance Tour, Beyoncé has used the “Queens Remix” of her 2022 song “Break My Soul” as a chance to shout out inspiring women musicians past and present, including Nina Simone, Erykah Badu, and Madonna, whose hit “Vogue” serves as the backing track for the song.
But when Beyonce performed “Break My Soul” during her concert at Gillette Stadium Tuesday night, she skipped over one name: Lizzo.
Earlier on Tuesday, three former backup dancers for Lizzo sued the Grammy winner, accusing her of sexual harassment and of creating a hostile work environment by forcing them to engage with nude performers and shaming them for their weight.
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In video shared from Beyoncé’s performance at Gillette Stadium, the names of the women normally name-checked in “Break My Soul” appear on screen, including Lizzo. However, Beyoncé doesn’t say Lizzo’s name, instead repeating “Badu” several times (for R&B singer Erykah Badu).
It’s technically possible that Beyoncé simply ran out of steam midway through reciting the names of more than two dozen women during a marathon concert that’s part of a 57-concert tour. It could also be that Beyoncé repeated Badu’s name multiple times in response to Badu weighing in on social media regarding Beyonce’s fashion choices during the tour. But the timing of the Lizzo omission certainly raised eyebrows online.
Beyoncé’s Boston concert features another iconic new outfit
Tuesday, 10:15 p.m.
While the setlist on Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour has remained largely unchanged since May, the singer’s iconic outfits have kept audiences guessing.
A staggering number of fashion designers have contributed to Beyonce’s tour wardrobe, including Marc Jacobs, Gucci, Valentino, Tiffany, Stella McCartney, and more than a dozen others.
The sheer volume of options has meant that Beyonce can introduce bold new wardrobe choices throughout her 57-concert international tour. And according to eagle-eyed Beyoncé stan accounts on social media who track this sort of thing on a daily basis, Beyoncé’s Gillette Stadium show featured the debut of a new outfit.
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The new look came during what’s known as the “Motherboard” portion of her set, with Beyonce donning a shimmering chrome getup during her songs “Cuff It,” “Energy,” and “Break My Soul.”
Will the later portions of Beyoncé’s Boston set feature even more outfit changes? Stay tuned to find out.
Beyoncé’s Boston bash begins in black
Tuesday, 9:30 p.m.
Beyoncé wore black for the people of Boston at the start of her show Tuesday night.
A little after 9 p.m., the singer kicked off her performance at Gillette Stadium dressed in an all-black getup that social media users dubbed “chic,” “sensual” and “dressed for a funeral,” among other glowing reviews.
Beyoncé didn’t stray from her standard Renaissance Tour set early in the proceedings, performing hits like “Flaws and All,” “1+1,” and “I Care.”
Knowles also performed a cover of “River Deep, Mountain High” as a tribute to her “inspiration” Tina Turner, who passed away in May at 83 years old.
“My beloved queen, I love you endlessly,” Beyoncé’s wrote on her website following the singer’s death. “I’m so grateful for your inspiration, and all the ways you have paved the way.”
Will Beyonce’s Boston concert feature a celebrity shout-out like Madonna’s?
Tuesday, 8:45 p.m.
As we wait for Beyoncé to begin performing at Gillette Stadium, it’s worth highlighting a recent tribute the singer made to another iconic pop star: Madonna.
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During the second of Beyonce’s concerts at the Meadowlands on Sunday, she took time to honor the “Material Girl” singer, who was watching the show from a VIP section.
“Big shoutout to the queen,” Beyoncé said while performing “Break My Soul.” “Queen Mother, Madonna, we love you.”
Will Beyonce’s Gillette Stadium show feature a similar shoutout? One celebrity spotted in attendance pre-concert seems an unlikely recipient of a Queen Bey tribute: Comedian Amy Schumer.
Schumer faced backlash in 2016 for making a parody video of Beyonce’s “Formation,” though the comedian clarified that she had received permission from Beyonce and Jay-Z to do so, even releasing the video exclusively on Tidal.
“The video Beyoncé made was so moving and I wouldn’t ever make fun of that. There is absolutely no way to,” Schumer wrote in an essay on Medium. “I make fun of myself a few times in the video as I do in everything I am a part of. I loved every second of working with those women to make this thing that lifted us up.”
T-minus 30 minutes until Beyoncé takes the stage
Tuesday, 7:30 p.m.
With just a half hour until Beyoncé takes the stage for her Gillette Stadium show, fans are beginning to fill space in Club Renaissance, the standing-room section closest to the stage.
A live DJ is welcoming fans to the area, which has gained a reputation for housing the most die-hard Beyhive fans throughout the Renaissance Tour. The most dedicated of those fans arrived at Gillette Stadium at 6 a.m. in order to secure spots in the very front row.
The Beyoncé train has arrived
Tuesday, 7 p.m.
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Fans traveling from South Station to Gillette Stadium for Tuesday night’s Beyoncé concert have arrived. The packed commuter rail was buzzing with excitement, and several people along the route were waiting in their backyards to greet the train as it went by.
We asked Boston.com readers to name their favorite Beyoncé album. Here’s what they said.
Tuesday, 6:30 p.m.
Ahead of Tuesday’s show, we asked Boston.com readers an exceedingly difficult question: Which Beyoncé album is the best?
The overwhelming winner was 2016’s “Lemonade,” but fans threw their support behind almost every one of the singer’s releases.
Check out some of our favorite responses from the Beyhive in the video below.
Meet the Boston Beyhive riding the Beyoncé train
Tuesday, 6 p.m.
Every Queen needs her subjects, and none are as devoted as the Beyhive. Fans of Beyoncé piled onto a special Commuter Rail train Tuesday on the way to her Gillette Stadium show, leaving a sea of sequins in their wake.
We heard the buzz from the Beyhive inside Beyoncé’s sold-out Commuter Rail.
Jess, Brian, Xavier, and Beth
Favorite songs on “Renaissance”: “Alien Superstar”
“It’s like queer, Black, brown, Asian, going back to our roots in the 80s and 90s. It’s empowering! I love listening to it over and over again.”
Sasha
Favorite song on “Renaissance”: “Summer Renaissance”
“This album is all about having fun and dancing, being free and being yourself.”
Lisa and Crystal
Favorite songs on “Renaissance”: “Cozy” and “Heated”
“It’s such a beautiful way for Black queer people to be able to show joy.” — Lisa
“It’s a great time to be a stan.” — Crystal
Amani and Ebonie
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Favorite song on “Renaissance”: “Virgo’s Groove”
“I’ve seen Beyoncé before. I know what I’m getting into.” — Ebonie
“This is a new experience for me, my first experience with Beyoncé. I’m excited.” — Amani
Julia and Cortney
Favorite song on “Renaissance”: “America Has a Problem”
“Renaissance is about excitement and pride, loving people and loving people who love themselves.”
Gov. Healey welcomes Beyoncé with official citation
Tuesday, 5:30 p.m.
To help commemorate the arrival of Beyoncé for her August 1 concert at Gillette Stadium, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey issued an official governor’s citation to the singer, with plenty of wordplay nodding to the artist’s many hit songs.
“On behalf of the residents of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, I am pleased to confer upon you this Governor’s Citation in recognition of your unique performance at Gillette Stadium,” Healey wrote on social media. “Welcome to Massachusetts — where we are 1 of 1. The Renaissance Tour has us ready to get in formation and run the world. We’ll welcome you and make sure you’re always cozy. Thank you for making our Commonwealth move.”
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