Beyoncé might run the world, but even the Queen of the Beyhive was held up by mother nature's wrath. But that didn't stop her from showing she's crazy in love with D.C. fans.
Tens of thousands of Beyoncé fans weathered heat and storms at FedEx Field in Maryland on Sunday to see the Renaissance World Tour after it was delayed about two hours due to lightning, forcing fans to take cover.
But storms, heat and the delay didn’t break Beyoncé or her fans’ souls. She performed for more than two hours, sometimes in a downpour, and her tour paid $100,000 for Metrorail to stay open later so fans could get home.
Beyoncé even declared D.C. the “eerbody on mute war winner.” Throughout her tour, she’s challenged fans to go silent during the showstopping line in “Energy” and was evidently impressed with D.C.’s rapt response. She posted the "winner" message in a gallery of photos on Beyonce.com showing glittering scenes from the show.
Despite the problems on Sunday, Beyoncé’s two performances in the D.C. area got rave reviews.
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Vice President Kamala Harris and second gentleman Doug Emhoff went to the show and thanked Beyoncé for a fun date night.
Lightning leads to shelter-in-place at Beyoncé concert
Janice Best said she was extremely frustrated when she arrived at FedEx Field — and couldn’t get in.
“They said they had locked the gate and wasn’t letting anyone in because of the thunderstorm,” Best said.
The threat of lightning prompted organizers to tell fans to take shelter under the stadium’s concourses or in their cars.
“It was just very unorganized. Everyone was squeezed in like sardines, trying to get shelter,” Best said.
She said that FedEx Field staff seemed confused, too, and she missed the start of the concert while trying to find her seat.
But would Best do it again? She says yes. The performance made it worth the wait.
“She thanked us for hanging out with her in the rain and waiting,” she said. “I would definitely do it again.”
There were reports that some fans were treated for overheating. The Prince George's County fire department couldn't confirm any hospitalizations.
Some fans who said they had paid for floor seats — among the most expensive tickets — complained on social media that they were held at the gate and confused over what to expect.
The shelter-in-place order was lifted about the time Beyoncé was initially expected to take the stage.
Beyoncé performs in rain
Beyoncé performed while the rain came down, and fans danced along wrapped in rain gear.
It's not the first time Beyoncé made lemonade out of a weather-related lemon. A Nashville concert was delayed last month.
Metro announced it would extend service for an extra hour and Beyoncé’s tour funded the cost of running more trains and keeping 98 stations open.
Heavy downpours and winds gusting up to 60 mph are expected on Monday night, Storm Team4 says.
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