Beyoncé’s Renaissance – live: Inside the London premiere of her record-breaking world tour

Beyoncé unveiled the concert film for her record-breaking Renaissance tour in London tonight (Thursday 30 November), with Taylor Swift among the high-profile guests.

The Lemonade artist turned up to support Swift’s own concert film for her Eras tour when it premiered in Hollywood in October. Swift later paid moving tribute to Beyoncé, praising her as a “guiding light” who had taught her to “break rules and defy industry norms”.

Renaissance, A Film by Beyoncé will chart the huge undertaking of the US artist’s tour supporting her Grammy-winning 2022 album, Renaissance. Produced, written and directed by the singer, it will intersperse footage of concerts taking place around the world with backstage scenes and intimate moments between Beyoncé and her family.

Around 2.7 million concertgoers are estimated to have attended the Renaissance tour over the course of five months, while Billboard reports that the shows have grossed close to half a billion dollars worldwide.

The film’s description reads: “It is about Beyoncé’s intention, hard work, involvement in every aspect of the production, her creative mind and purpose to create her legacy, and master her craft.”

Round-up of the biggest stars in attendance at tonight’s premiere

22:30 , Inga Parkel

For those who are just tuning into the blog, here’s a quick rundown of all the biggest stars (that we know of) that showed up in support of Beyoncé and her Renaissance Tour film.

Undoubtedly, the biggest celebrity to make a splash with her attendance was Taylor Swift. The “Anti-Hero” singer reciprocated the same support Queen Bey showed at her October Eras Tour premiere.

Rapper will.i.am, actor Blake Lively, British presenter AJ Odudu, Destiny Child member Michelle Williams, Blue Ivy, singer Sia, and British socialite and model Emma Thynn were also present.

A majority of the guests wore silver in honour of the tour’s theme: Afrofuturist disco fantasia.

22:15 , Inga Parkel

A precious video for your feed of one of the security dogs getting his picture taken at the Renaissance premiere.

Beyoncé addresses attendees ahead of screening

22:05 , Inga Parkel

Ahead of the screening of her Renaissance Tour film, which was delayed by 45 minutes, Beyoncé addressed attendees thanking them for coming.

“Thank you for coming, thank you for dressing up,” the “Cuff It” singer said, adding that she was proud that the film was coming out on World Aid’s Day (1 December).

Beyoncé’s late uncle Johnny – whom she said she was raised by in a 2006 interview – died of Aids in the early 2000s.

She concluded her speech by telling the audience: “Feel free to dance, sing, cry... thank you.”

Beyoncé honours late uncle with release of Renaissance film on Aids Day

Concert film is hitting theatres on 1 December

How Blue Ivy responded to criticisms of her dancing on tour

22:00 , Inga Parkel

Of course, Beyoncé was the star of the Renaissance tour – but if there’s anyone who could’ve taken her shine, it’s her 11-year-old daughter Blue.

Blue popped up at several of her mother’s shows, performing some of the dance routine to Beyoncé’s Black is King track, “My Power”.

In the film, Beyoncé discusses how Blue responded when critics were harsh about her dancing skills on some of the earlier dates on the tour... and apparently, she used the criticisms as fuel to get better.

The New York Times reported that after the concert, Beyoncé was apparently “dismayed” to discover that Blue Ivy had read negative social media comments about her supposed “lacklustre” moves.

However, she was thrilled when her daughter decided to “put in the work” to improve.

Blue Ivy used Renaissance backlash as motivation, Beyoncé reveals

‘Renaissance’ artist was joined by her daughter, 11, for a number of shows on her record-breaking world tour this year

Beyoncé and Blue Ivy tear up the ‘red’ carpet

21:46 , Inga Parkel

Blue Ivy made an appearance beside her mum at the London red carpet.

Wearing black shades and a matching black floor-length gown, the 11-year-old posed with Beyoncé for photos.

These sellers built businesses on the back of Beyoncé’s world tour. Now what?

21:30 , Inga Parkel

When Abby Misbin received an Etsy order for one of her handmade cowboy hats from someone claiming to be Beyoncé’s stylist, she thought it was a prank. Setting her reservations aside, in June 2022, Misbin sent off a one-of-a-kind Stetson adorned with more than 5,000 mirror discs, in the hopes that the order was genuine. Then there was silence.

Eight months later, Beyoncé announced her Renaissance World Tour on Instagram. In the official poster, the “Break My Soul” superstar is seen mounted on Reneigh, her disco horse, wearing a glorious diamanté leotard, cascading blingy jewellery and… Misbin’s hat. Three hours later – after Misbin asked a mob of her friends to tag her business account, TrendingByAbby, in the comments – she was inundated with orders.

Read more:

These sellers built businesses on the back of Beyoncé’s world tour. Now what?

Cowboy hats, handmade fans, disco ball earrings... dozens of small business owners made a killing this year when they fell into the niche of making unofficial merchandise for Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour. Ellie Muir finds out what happens when the music stops

What happened when the Renaissance tour came to the UK?

21:00 , Inga Parkel

Note from The Independent’s unofficial Beyoncé correspondent Nicole Vassell:

Even though I was lucky enough to watch Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour twice this summer, I definitely will be in the cinema tomorrow to experience it all over again...

If you missed it, and simply can’t wait to see the footage of the concert in the film, here’s my review from her first UK date in Cardiff – a fabulous four stars!

Full-out dance moves or not, Beyoncé rides her disco horse into megastardom – review

Beyoncé brings the party of ‘Renaissance’ to life in extraordinary and unexpected fashion with deep cuts galore

Renaissance – the album review

20:30 , Inga Parkel

Back when the album Renaissance was released in July 2022, fans were thrilled with Beyoncé’s embracing of more of a club, house-infused sound.

In his four-star review, Mark Beaumont noted how politics gives way to post-pandemic pleasure in the record, with the singer embracing joy, sexiness and the euphoria of movement.

He wrote: “It’s more dancefloor-friendly than Lemonade but still ensconced in its experimental cocoon. It represents the light at the end of a dark emotional tunnel for Bey.”

Here’s the album review in full:

Beyoncé review, Renaissance: Politics gives way to post-pandemic pleasure

In a catch-all spirit of musical modernism, trap, house, glitchtronica, disco, ragga, South African gqom and future funk are all lobbed into a heady mix, with songs blending into each other and shifting course mid-flow

20:00 , Inga Parkel

Watch the trailer for Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé

19:37 , Inga Parkel

The Queen Bey has finally graced the London premiere with her presence, wearing a sparkly black dress and white hair.

Beyonce’s mum says her daughter is ‘really mean’ during stressful performance moments

19:30 , Inga Parkel

Tina Knowles is spilling the beans on how her daughter, Beyoncé, acts when she’s under a time crunch to change outfits.

On Tuesday 31 October, Knowles appeared on Sherri’s Halloween Renaissance, where she admitted that her daughter is “really mean” in the middle of her outfit changes during her Renaissance World Tour. She went on to joke about Queen Bey’s attitude.

Read more:

Beyonce’s mom says her daughter is ‘really mean’ during stressful performance moments

During singer’s Renaissance World Tour she had four stylists

19:22 , Inga Parkel

British socialite and model Emma Thynn at the premiere:

19:19 , Inga Parkel

Sia poses for photos at the premiere too:

19:18 , Inga Parkel

will.i.am supporting Beyoncé tonight:

19:12 , Inga Parkel

Blake Lively has shown up!

Taylor Swift supports Beyoncé at London premiere of Renaissance

19:06 , Inga Parkel

Taylor Swift has arrived at the London premiere of Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour movie.

Ahead of tonight’s screening, there had been rumours swirling that the “Anti-Hero” singer would likely show her support after Beyoncé turned up for the Los Angeles premiere of Swift’s Eras Tour concert movie.

Beyoncé clip cited as reason singer rarely does interviews resurfaces

19:00 , Inga Parkel

A clip dubbed the reason singer Beyonce rarely does interviews anymore has resurfaced.

The ITN interview shows a reporter asking Destiny’s Child about the foot and mouth epidemic back in 2001.

The trio were on the red carpet at the prestigious Brit Awards when they were asked about the news. The girls appear baffled by the question.

Beyonce replies: “We don’t know anything about that, all we know is we just got here.”

Kelly Rowland adds: “Some tests should be run so this can stop!”

Many fans claim the interview in question is the reason the singer rarely does interviews anymore.

Joe Biden calls Beyoncé ‘Britney’ before confusing her with Taylor Swift

18:30 , Inga Parkel

President Joe Biden appeared to get confused over Beyoncé and Taylor Swift during the annual White House turkey pardon on Monday (20 November).

The yearly event sees the US president spare a turkey or turkeys from the dinner table ahead of the country’s Thanksgiving celebrations.

“Now, just to get here, Liberty and Bell had to beat some tough odds, a competition,” Biden, 81, said of this year’s turkeys.

“They had to work hard to show patience and be willing to travel over a thousand miles,” he said.

“You could say even this is harder than getting a ticket to the Renaissance tour, or, for Britney’s tour she’s down in – it’s kind of warm in Brazil right now.”

Read more:

Joe Biden calls Beyoncé ‘Britney’ before confusing her with Taylor Swift

President Biden made the confused comments during the annual White House turkey pardon

17:55 , Inga Parkel

Beyoncé takes over Leicester Square

17:50 , Inga Parkel

If you didn’t already know: It’s Beyoncé’s world, and we’re just living in it.

The Independent’s music correspondent Roisin O’Connor is on the ground at the Renaissance film premiere in London. Here are a few of her snapshots of the incredible setup:

Guess who came to dinner?

17:40 , Nicole Vassell

Rumour has it that Beyoncé and husband Jay-Z dined in Mayfair on Wednesday evening, and were joined by none other than Tom Cruise and... Henry Cavill.

A random assortment of stars! Who wants to bet that the Carters are massive Mission: Impossible / Superman fans?

A look back at Beyoncé’s on-stage moment of vulnerability

17:20 , Nicole Vassell

This tour was about embracing imperfections, Beyoncé declared – and in the opening act of the show, she reinforced this with the inclusion of “Flaws and All”, a song about being loved despite your flaws. (Aww.)

During one performance, she shared her insecurities with her fans with a simple, but meaningful gesture...

‘She’s so real for this’: Beyoncé praised for ‘vulnerable’ gesture during live show

Just a moment of appreciation for Beyoncé’s latest photoshoot

17:00 , Nicole Vassell

After touching down in London yesterday, Queen Bey posed for some pictures wearing a chic white hooded top, with sweatpants, heeled boots, a blazer and a floor-length furry coat on top.

Elegance! Grace! And warmth! This ensemble’s got it all.

Why Beyoncé is worth your money

16:40 , Nicole Vassell

No-one needs a reminder of how times, for many, are tough. Lots of people don’t have the luxury to spend a significant chunk of money on going to concerts – and it’s a shame for music lovers hoping to catch their favourite artist.

But! If you do find that there’s room in the budget for a good gig, I humbly suggest trying to get a ticket to a Beyoncé show – because you will go away feeling the value of every penny.

Here’s my justification for investing in an experience like a Bey show... and soon, you can get a piece of the action from the cinema. Happy days!

Paying up to £199 to see Beyoncé live? I can vouch for the spectacle that awaits you

How Blue Ivy responded to criticisms of her dancing on tour

16:20 , Nicole Vassell

Of course, Beyoncé was the star of the Renaissance tour – but if there’s anyone who could’ve taken her shine, it’s her 11-year-old daughter Blue.

Blue popped up at several of her mother’s shows, performing some of the dance routine to Beyoncé’s Black is King track, “My Power”.

In the film, Beyoncé discusses how Blue responded when critics were harsh about her dancing skills on some of the earlier dates on the tour... and apparently, she used the criticisms as fuel to get better.

The New York Times reported that after the concert, Beyoncé was apparently “dismayed” to discover that Blue Ivy had read negative social media comments about her supposed “lacklustre” moves.

However, she was thrilled when her daughter decided to “put in the work” to improve.

Blue Ivy used Renaissance backlash as motivation, Beyoncé reveals

A peek at Leicester Square...

16:00 , Nicole Vassell

The countdown until Beyoncé and several other celebs take the red carpet is well and truly on. Here’s another peek at how things are taking shape...

Beyoncé’s mum Tina Knowles defends her from skin-lightening accusations

15:30 , Nicole Vassell

Tina Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé and Solange, is no stranger to speaking out for her family when the time calls for it.

Earlier this week, she responded to a video that alleged that the “Alien Superstar” singer had lightened her skin in order to appear like a white woman, declaring she was “sick of you losers”.

“Came across this today and decided to post it after seeing all of the stupid, ignorant, self-hating racist statements about her lightening her skin and wearing platinum hair wanting to be white,” the fashion designer wrote.

“She does a film, called the Renaissance, where the whole theme is silver with silver hair, a silver carpet, and suggested silver attire and you bozos decide that she’s trying to be a white woman and is bleaching her skin? How sad is it that some of her own people continue the stupid narrative with hate and jealousy.”

Tina Knowles responds to ‘ignorant’ claims Beyoncé ‘lightened her skin’

15:00 , Nicole Vassell

Well, yes!

Will Taylor Swift turn up to the London premiere?

14:30 , Nicole Vassell

Back in October, Taylor Swift launched her concert film, tracking the dates of her North American leg of the Eras tour.

The Beyhive and the Swifties were united in their joy as Beyoncé made an unexpected appearance at the Los Angeles premiere, as the two music titans posed together for pictures.

Rumour has it that the “Anti-Hero” singer will return the favour in London, making Christmas come early for members of both fandoms.

Here’s what happened when Bey met Tay...

Taylor Swift hails Beyoncé as ‘guiding light through my career’

Renaissance – the album review

14:00 , Nicole Vassell

Back when the album Renaissance was released in July 2022, fans were thrilled with Beyoncé’s embracing of more of a club, house-infused sound.

In his four-star review, Mark Beaumont noted how politics gives way to post-pandemic pleasure in the record, with the singer embracing joy, sexiness and the euphoria of movement.

He wrote: “It’s more dancefloor-friendly than Lemonade but still ensconced in its experimental cocoon. It represents the light at the end of a dark emotional tunnel for Bey.”

Here’s the album review in full:

On Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance’, politics gives way to post-pandemic pleasure – review

A sneak peek...

13:30 , Nicole Vassell

The setup for tonight’s premiere started bright and early in London’s Leicester Square – here’s a peek at how things were looking at around 9am this morning:

What happened when the Renaissance tour came to the UK?

13:00 , Nicole Vassell

Hello readers – The Independent’s unofficial Beyoncé correspondent, Nicole Vassell here!

Even though I was lucky enough to watch Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour twice this summer, I definitely will be in the cinema tomorrow to experience it all over again...

If you missed it, and simply can’t wait to see the footage of the concert in the film, here’s my review from her first UK date in Cardiff – a fabulous four stars!

Full-out dance moves or not, Beyoncé rides her disco horse into megastardom – review

Beyoncé to premiere her Renaissance concert film tonight in London

11:45 , Roisin O’Connor

Hello and welcome to our liveblog for tonight’s premiere of Renaissance, A Film by Beyoncé in London. I’ll be heading down to the event itself shortly, but will leave you in the capable hands of my colleague and Beyoncé aficionado, Nicole.

The documentary chronicling Beyoncé’s just-concluded 39-city Renaissance World Tour will be released in cinemas around the UK and North America on 1 December.

Like Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour, which debuted on 13 October, Renaissance: A Film By Beyoncé is being released directly in the US by AMC, the movie theatre chain, without studio involvement.

Beyoncé’s previous films include the acclaimed 2019 Netflix film Homecoming, which captured her Coachella performance in 2018.

In the deals with AMC, Beyoncé and Swift are both reported to be receiving at least 50 per cent of ticket sales.