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What to expect from Queen Bey

Beyoncé  performs onstage during the opening night of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR”  in Stockholm, Sweden.

Beyoncé performed on stage during the opening night of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR” in Stockholm, Sweden.

Beyoncé is back with her first solo tour in seven years.

And the megastar didn’t disappoint when she kicked off her Renaissance world tour in Sweden this week.

Fans who got to see the opening night told BBC Newsbeat it was “the most expensive show and the craziest show I’ve ever been to in my life”.

From a giant shiny horse and multiple costume changes to inclusive loos, here’s what you might be able to expect from Queen Bey’s mega-tour.

And before anyone says anything about spoilers, we know you’ve watched most of the gig via TikTok anyway.

By the time the 43-date run ends in September it’s thought it will have grossed almost £2bn – but thankfully no expense has been spared.

Critics seem to be impressed. The Guardian gave the “dizzying spectacular” a five-star rating.

And music mag Rolling Stone said Beyoncé makes breezing through her back catalog and costume changes “look easy” as everyone else is left to keep up.

The show is almost three hours long – luckily Beyoncé has about 20 years’ worth of material to pick from – and the staging is exactly as extravagant as you’re imagining…

Beyoncé  performs onstage during the opening night of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR”  in Stockholm, Sweden

Obviously Queen Bey performs in front of a screen the width of a football pitch

Beyonce gliding through the air on a glitter-encrusted white horse as she performed on stage during the opening night of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR”  in Stockholm, Sweden

In a nod to the Renaissance album cover, the megastar glides through the air on a glitter-encrusted white horse

The long-awaited tour- which sold out almost immediately – showcases her Grammy-award winning Renaissance album.

But when the fans finally stop screaming, she opens the show with her first live performance of Dangerously in Love in 10 years.

Following the opener from her debut solo album two decades ago, she belts through another two tracks before turning to Renaissance.

But the 36-strong set list still features plenty of classics from albums like Crazy in Love, I Am… Sasha Fierce and Drunk in Love.

Beyoncé hasn’t released any music videos for Renaissance – so the tour is the first chance for fans to experience the tracks with a visual element.

The superstar doesn’t disappoint, getting through nine futuristic fashion choices – including a shimmering gold bodysuit covered with black opera gloves…

Beyonce is flanked by two back up dancers to the left and right of her.  She's wearing a golden jumpsuit

Just one of Beyoncé’s many costume changes on the night…

Beyoncé  performs onstage during the opening night of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR”  in Stockholm, Sweden

Unlike the dancers, all eyes in the 50,000-seater Friends Arena in Stockholm were on Queen Bey

Beyoncé  performs onstage during the opening night of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR”  in Stockholm, Sweden

All nine outfits on the night had a futuristic theme

The tour is Beyoncé’s first time on the road solo since 2016 so, naturally, demand for tickets was sky-high.

Demand pushed UK prices to over £2,300, and convinced football club Tottenham Hotspur to breach its license by adding a second date.

Beyoncé packing out stadiums is no surprise – but fans who traveled to Stockholm said there were plenty at the gig.

Ella A, who’s a singer herself, tells Newsbeat the three-hour show “felt like a tour throughout her career”.

“I don’t think I could have imagined how big it was going to be really,” she said.

“There’s something about being amongst 50,000 people singing passionately to the same song and then seeing an artist you’ve grown up with your whole life.

“There were also lots and lots and lots and lots of lights. I don’t think I’ve ever seen that many lights.”

Ella is standing in front of the Renaissance World Tour merchandise stand

Ella traveled from nearby Norway to Sweden to see Beyoncé’s first show

“You could have been anywhere in the world tonight but you chose to be here with me,” is how Beyoncé opens the show.

And despite the tour going all over the world, superfans traveled thousands of miles to say they were at the first one in Sweden.

For friends Grecia De la Paz and Alicia Colak, who headed across Europe to be at the show, the spectacle was worth it.

“The visuals were amazing and very futuristic. I was living for the outfits, and all the dancers are absolutely insanely talented,” said Grecia.

“They’re like part of the show, and I really respect that she let them have their moment as artists.”

Alicia and Grecia standing in front of the stage, smiling.  Grecia is wearing sunglasses and there are big bright lights pointing at the stage behind them,

Alicia and Grecia (left to right) said they bagged some of the best seats in the house

Renaissance celebrates black and queer dance culture – and fans said equality was a big theme on night one.

So much so that Grammy award record-holder Beyoncé reportedly made the decision to make some bathrooms at the venue gender neutral.

“As soon as we entered the stadium we saw the stage has the all-genders flag and it’s got the trans flag, the LGBTQ+, and that’s the visual you have for like, two, three hours,” Alicia says.

“She’s paying tribute to the LGBTQ community.”

It’s something Ella noticed too.

“Just watching everybody, this crowd of people together… somehow, they were all so inclusive and united,” she says.

“It’s such an inclusive community connected out of love for music, dance, art and Bey herself.”

So fans are lucky enough to snap up tickets to the tour seem to have enjoyed themselves.

But for those of us who don’t, we’ll have to do it by experiencing it through the eyes of others…

Beyoncé  performs onstage during the opening night of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR”  in Stockholm, Sweden

London-based fashion designer David Koma made this for the tour

Beyoncé  performs onstage during the opening night of the “RENAISSANCE WORLD TOUR”  in Stockholm, Sweden

Beyoncé looking (Sasha) fierce during part of the opening show

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