Queen Bey hit the stage in custom Alexander McQueen, Balmain, Mugler and more throughout countless couture costume changes.
This article was originally published on May 11, 2023 and has been updated.
Queen Bey returned to the stage for her first solo tour in almost seven years on May 10 as she kicked off her international Renaissance Tour in Stockholm, Sweden — and the pop star did not come to play with her Beyoncé Renaissance tour looks.
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The “Break My Soul” singer opened her almost three-hour-long show by performing classic tunes such as “Dangerously in Love” and “1+1” in a custom Alexander McQueen crystal-embroidered bodysuit with matching ankle boots (below). The outfit was a classic Beyoncé look as it highlighted the star’s silhouette with its exaggerated shoulder pads and extra detailing around her hips.
Beyoncé and her dancers then slipped into custom Courrèges to perform “I’m That Girl,” “Alien Superstar” and other hits from her latest album, Renaissance. For this look, Bey sported a silver bodysuit that featured a circular cutout reminiscent of a magic mirror in the middle of her torso. Her dancers also wore matching silver two-piece sets that channelled the futuristic, nightlife vibe of this portion of the show.
Next up was a brightly-coloured and holographic mini dress by David Koma that captured the cool ’70s-disco energy of the night. Bey even came on stage in this ’fit wearing matching sunglasses and a complementary jacket to perform the club hit “Cuff It” and later took the accessories off to belt out songs like “Energy” and “Break My Soul.” Italian jewellery brand Almarow also created a custom pair of earrings named “Renaissance Superstar Earrings” to complete this powerful look.
As the superstar sang through her show’s 36-song setlist, another costume highlight included a custom pearl-adorned Balmain corset, which she paired with a matching hat, sunglasses and thigh-high black latex boots. Beyoncé also stunned in a bejewelled and (literally) figure-hugging custom Loewe bodysuit by Jonathan Anderson (below) that was inspired by a dress from the brand’s Fall 2022 ready-to-wear collection. She paired it with elegant black opera gloves, complete with press-on nails, that perfectly matched the outfit’s eye-catching design.
The looks kept getting better as the show went on, but perhaps one of the most exciting moments of the night happened when Beyoncé walked out in a white gown that, with the help of two robot arms and a UV light, soon transformed into a colourful-triangle-patterned dress that left the audience in a daze.
And of course, we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention how Queen Bey wore a literal bee costume, which was custom-made by Mugler and inspired by a look from the designer’s Spring 1997 haute couture collection, aptly named Les Insectes, to perform “America Has a Problem.”
@levifm2 🐝 #renaissanceworldtour @Beyoncé #renaissance #liveperformance #americahasaproblem #beyhive #beeoutfit #foryoupage #foryou #fypシ ♬ Originalton – lvfm
To wrap up the night, Beyoncé flew above the stage on a sparkling, silver horse — reminiscent of the one on her Renaissance album cover — in a matching custom Coperni look designed by Sébastien Meyer and Arnaud Vaillant. As she said her final goodbyes to the crowd after the hours-long show, her metallic bodysuit and ankle boots shimmered as her cape gleamed in the bright arena lights.
Since debuting her first set of looks, Queen Bey has already updated her tour wardrobe with a handful of jaw-dropping new costumes. And as her worldwide tour continues, stay tuned as we share a city-by-city round-up of Queen Bey’s costumes.
Sutherland, England
The global sensation showcased a fresh outfit when she opened her concert in Sutherland, England on May 23 in a glamorous custom sky-blue Brandon Blackwood dress. The elegant high-slit gown was paired with matching pale blue heels, opera gloves and a sparkling necklace and earring set.
Paris, France
Bey also debuted a new opening outfit when she hit the stage on May 26 in France, as she (literally) sparkled in a silver gown that was decked out in sequins.
London, England
The singer continued to raise the bar with her new costumes during her five-show run at London’s Tottenham Hotspur Stadium from May 29 to June 4.
For the first show on May 29, Beyoncé hit the stage in an electric blue custom mesh gown by Roksanda that completely covered her body and was fitted with a long train.
What really stole the show in London, though, was a bespoke Off-White bodysuit that took over 50 hours to make. The red look, which included several elements of Off-White’s Fall 2023 collection, including 40,000 red crystals, was complimented by Beyoncé’s dancers’ matching red ensembles — and, of course, her daughter Blue Ivy’s costume as she joined her mother on stage.
As she began her second night in London, the singer stepped out in a sparkly, deep-red Alexander McQueen dress that glistened on stage. The dress, which was inspired by McQueen’s fall 2023 ready-to-wear collection, featured a plunging sweetheart neckline and reams of draped fabric, and was accessorized with matching opera gloves and metallic thigh-high boots.
For her third London show on June 1, Bey wore a custom Andreas Kronthaler for Vivienne Westwood black latex corset dress with unique structured spiral sleeves.
Then, for the opening look at her final show in London, she wore a custom form-fitting Robert Wun gown that featured a plunging v-neckline, dramatic shoulder ruffles and an asymmetrical cascading train.
When she came back on stage to perform “America Has A Problem” during her last London concert, the superstar stepped out in a bespoke Mary Katrantzou mini dress with a fun twist. The look, which featured black and gold detailing and a surrealist hourglass figure, was coined the “perfume bottle dress” as its silhouette, and matching headpiece, mimics the appearance of a classic fragrance bottle. Staying true to her “Queen Bee” identity, Beyoncé also paired the look with a pair of antenna-esque sunglasses.
Barcelona, Spain
Beyoncé debuted two new custom looks while performing her almost three-hour set in Spain on June 8. First up was a disco-inspired Stella McCartney dress and leggings set that featured ethically-sourced materials and thousands of hand-placed, lead-free crystals. On her Instagram, McCartney shared photos of the singer wearing her design with the caption, “So proud to see @Beyonce in custom, conscious Stella crystals… Reflecting the silver touches, power and glamour of her iconic tour.”
The second new look was a custom red, black and silver leather Intarsia catsuit by Fendi. The costume, which drew inspiration from illustrations by Antonio Lopez in Fendi’s Spring 2022 collection,was paired with matching thigh-high boots, silver opera gloves, cat-eye sunglasses, a red wide-brimmed hat and an upcycled fur Intarsia cape.
Marseille, France
As she took the stage in Marseille, Beyoncé once again surprised her audience with two new costumes. The first was a custom Alberta Ferretti leotard featuring a miniskirt and asymmetrical train. Like so many of her other Renaissance tour looks so far, Bey accessorized with matching over-the-knee boots and opera gloves.
The second costume she premiered in Marseille was a custom Jacquemus look reminiscent of a disco ball. The mini-dress was fitted with small, silver reflective panels and paired with (what else?) thigh-high boots and opera gloves, of course.
.@Beyonce stunning in a new @jacquemus tour outfit in Marseille on her #RENAISSANCEWorldTour. 🪩 pic.twitter.com/k1OvRWpCmW
— DC3 SQUAD (@DC3_SQUAD) June 11, 2023
Beyoncé is set to hit the stage at the Scotiabank Arena in Toronto this July and, with over 50 more shows to go on her Renaissance tour, fans are buzzing about what surprise costume changes are up her sleeve. We can’t wait to see what Queen Bey has in store.
