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As the Renaissance World Tour winds down, let’s dive into the intergalactic explosion Beyoncé has ignited on the world during the truly historic tour. 

This is the 32-time Grammy winner’s ninth concert tour and first solo run since The Formation World Tour in 2016.

The Renaissance World Tour Took Over Summer 2023

Renaissance World Tour
Courtesy of Beyonce Renaissance Tour 

The 56-city tour correlates with her seventh studio album, Renaissance (2022). 

The Houston native announced the tour on February 1, 2023, and the debut show was on May 10, 2023, at Friends Arena in Stockholm, Sweden. 

As the Queen Bee has made her way around the world, the Beyhive has kept the internet buzzing with clips to show the tour’s life-changing impact. 

Much more than an average concert, The Renaissance World Tour gave life and gave back at the same time.

The Best Revenge Is Yo Paper….. 

The multi-hyphenate racked up astronomical tour sales and reached unheard-of show attendances before hitting stateside in July 2023. As of September, the tour became the highest-grossing tour by a female artist. 

Forbes reported she is projected to clear over $2.1 billion from her “Renaissance” World Tour. This amount easily tops the $1.6 billion pop singer Taylor Swift could earn from her “Eras” tour. 

The massive payoff of the tour goes way past Beyoncé’s pockets as her presence has economically impacted cities along her tour stop.

The star’s June 17 show in Cologne pushed hotel occupancy to 91.6%, some of the city’s highest numbers all year. 

The “Beyoncé bump” also trickled down to small business. Philadelphia showed a spike in shopping by 10%, restaurants by 30%, and beauty services by 9%. This includes a 14% increase in Black-owned beauty/spa services. 

Philly reportedly also saw a 194% increase in LGBTQ+ shops being patronized leading up to the July 12 show. 

Calling All ‘The Dolls’ to the Stage….

“Uncle Johnny made my dress that cheap spandex it looks a mess!” 

Shortly after the release of the Renaissance album, Beyoncé’s mother, Tina Knowles, posted a message regarding the inspiration behind the album. 

Tina’s nephew, Johnny, greatly influenced the starlet during her childhood. As a Black Queer male, Johnny introduced Beyoncé to artistic mediums prevalent throughout the album and live shows. 

With the infectious beats of House music, incorporation of legendary “Ballroom” moments, and choreography with a heavy foundation in the “voguing” style of dance, the tour is an ode to the Queer culture that influenced the record-breaking artist. 

The support for the community is also seen at the show’s beginning, with the LGTBQ+ rainbow flag serving as the digital screen’s backdrop before the performer appears on stage. 

Reaching beyond symbolism, Beyoncé also had LGTBQ+ performers take center stage throughout the Renaissance World Tour. 

A group of performers called “The Dolls” were credited on this tour as special dancers. 

Performers such as Honey Balenciaga were spotlighted to show the art form innovated and popularized by the LGBTQ+ community. 

She’s That Girl……

While one could argue that Ms.Carter always leaves the stage on fire, this tour is different. 

The 42-year-old mother of three is performing two-and-a-half-hour sets consecutively, up to three nights in a row — in heels. 

The set list includes seven “acts” where she effortlessly floats through some of the biggest hits from her 30+ year career. 

In true music connoisseur fashion, she weaves timeless songs from others into her sets perfectly. The transition from “1+1” to Mary J. Blige’s “I’m Going Down” deserves to be an actual song. 

The performer also unlocked a new level of fan participation, making everyone in attendance cosplay as a metallic-space cowgirl/boy/person. Beyoncé turned the world into her own personal disco ball, and we love it.

YouTube video

We Stan A Charitable Queen

Beyoncé has never been boastful about her philanthropic efforts, but she’s no stranger to giving back. 

Her non-profit foundation, BeyGOOD, was founded in 2013 as a supportive initiative, but now, ten years later, it is a full-fledged public charity. 

BeyGOOD focuses on various issues, including education, disaster relief, food, water and housing scarcity, mental health, and career development in the United States, Africa, Europe, South America, and the Caribbean.

Coinciding with the Renaissance World Tour, the foundation launched the Black Parade Route. 

The Black Parade Route included small business luncheons in particular cities held the day before the tour stops to give entrepreneurs a 5-star inspirational afternoon.

Luncheon attendees enjoyed networking opportunities and the potential to receive a grant from $100k funds allocated to each chosen city.

One thousand small businesses will be supported financially by a commitment totaling one million dollars. Black Parade Route Small Business luncheon cities include London, Chicago, New York, Charlotte, Atlanta, Los Angeles, Houston, and New Orleans. 

BeyGOOD also launched the RENAISSANCE Scholarship Fund, giving funds to colleges and universities in ten cities along the tour. Each school will receive one hundred thousand dollars and select the student recipients. BeyGOOD’s total scholarship commitment during the concert run totaled one million dollars.

‘This My Bloodline on the Frontline….’

Blue Ivy Carter is the main character. The 11-year-old had an eventful summer as a dancer on her mother’s Renaissance World Tour. 

She first appeared on the Renaissance stage on May 26 in Paris. While some cities weren’t lucky enough to see the young beauty in her element, she’s performed enough to be credited as an official dancer on the tour. 

Fans were introduced to the eldest of the Carter kids in 2011 at the MTV Video Music Awards when Beyoncé revealed she was pregnant during her “Love on Top” performance. 

A child following in the footsteps of her famous parent is nothing new. However, watching Beyoncé beam with pride as Blue takes over during “My Power” is something special.

Blue has appeared in several videos and onstage with her mother over the years, but this tour allowed the young girl to shine. 

As the tour progressed, she became more comfortable in front of the sold-out crowds but still displayed wide-eyed innocence when supportive “Blue” chants rang out. 

The bottom line is that the show is life-changing, with an emphasis on life-changing.

With less than six dates left to catch the Queen ascending into the sky on her reflective horse, Beyoncé has set a new standard for what fans should expect from a concert. 

Martie serves as the Entertainment Reporter for The Black Wall Street Times. She covers numerous topics including viral social moments to the most exciting happenings in Black Hollywood. For tips or story...