The BeyHive gathered at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium in cowboy hats and tassels on Monday as Beyoncé kicked off her long-awaited Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour, and Blue Ivy Carter stole the show!
The event was the first of a 32-date stint with stops in nine cities across the U.S. and Europe.
The tour’s premiere did not disappoint. From Queen Bey’s countrified choreography and looks galore to the out-of-this-world set design featuring a flying red car and a mechanical bull, concertgoers were kept on the edge of their seats throughout the almost three-hour performance.
The tour’s epic set design includes mechanical bulls, flying cars, and a giant horseshoe
A Queen Bey performance is not a Queen Bey performance without an epic set and visuals, and Monday night’s show proved fans attending the tour’s future dates are in for a treat. Taking the “Sweet ★ Honey ★ Buckiin” lyrics “like a mechanical bull” to a whole new level, the singer performed the Cowboy Carter track while riding a gold mechanical bull during “Tyrant.”
Fans were in awe when, as she sang that song, gold confetti was thrown into the air.
But the mechanical bull wasn’t the only stand-out set piece. Concertgoers were teary-eyed when Beyoncé took to the stage to perform the Cowboy Carter ballad “16 Carriages” in a flying car that floated about the crowd.
“I feel so overwhelmed,” she told the crowd amid an emotional thank-you message.
Later, for her final song, Beyoncé performed “Amen” in front of a Statue of Liberty replica while wearing a bandanna over her mouth.
“God bless you,” she told the crowd. “Thank you. I love you.”
While performing her cover of Dolly Parton’s 1973 hit “Jolene,” Bey glided over the crowd while sitting on a giant horseshoe.
Blue Ivy Carter has multiple dance breaks, and Rumi Carter also makes a cameo
It was a family affair at Monday night’s show, with Bey’s daughters, Blue Ivy and Rumi Carter, making memorable appearances.
Blue Ivy performed “America Has a Problem” with her famous mama early in the night’s set list. The 13-year-old took center stage and showed off her moves while a proud Beyoncé watched and smiled in the background while performing the same choreography as her firstborn. Blue Ivy also had a big dance break during “Déjà Vu,” recreating her mother’s iconic choreography from the 2006 music video for the track.
It was Blue’s second time joining her mom’s tour as a backup dancer. She made her first appearance on the 2023 Renaissance World Tour in Paris, and she also danced alongside her mom during the Beyoncé Bowl NFL halftime show on Christmas Day 2024.
Later in the show, Rumi joined her mom and big sister on stage for the first time for Bey’s performance of “Protector.” The three of them hugged and shared smiles as Beyoncé sang the track’s powerful lyrics. At the end of the performance, a video montage of the singer and her children played on the screen.
Queen Bey does the viral ‘II Hands II Heaven’ dance
Another memorable moment came during the show’s fourth set, during which Bey performed moodier tracks like “Move,” “Desert Eagle,” “Riiverdance” and “II Hands II Heaven.” According to USA Today, “Desert Eagle” and “Riiverdance” saw the singer dance more than she did on the the Renaissance World Tour, as she was recovering from knee surgery at the time.
For “II Hands II Heaven,” Bey indulged fans and performed Drea Kelly’s viral dance to the song as attendees cheered.
Full Cowboy Carter Tour Set List:
Here is the set list in full, as of opening night:
- “Ameriican Requiem”
- “Blackbiird” (with the “Star-Spangled Banner” snippet at the end)
- “Freedom”
- “Ya Ya”
- “Oh Louisiana”
- “America Has a Problem”
- “Spaghettii”
- “Formation”
- “My House”
- “Diva”
- “Alliigator Tears”
- “Just For Fun”
- “Protector”
- “Flamenco”
- “Desert Eagle”
- “Riiverdance”
- “II Hands II Heaven”
- Medley of “Sweet Honey Buckiin’,” “Summer Renaissance” and “Pure/Honey”
- “Jolene”
- “Daddy Lessons”
- “Bodyguard”
- “II Most Wanted” (Snippet)
- “Cuff It”
- “Tyrant”
- “Thique”
- “Levii’s Jeans”
- “Daughter”
- “I’m That Girl”
- “Cozy”
- “Alien Superstar”
- “Texas Hold ‘Em”
- “Crazy in Love”
- “Heated”
- “Before I Let Go”
- “16 Carriages”
- “Amen”
