Look at that horse,” said a fan outside SoFi Stadium on Monday night, and there two were: actual horses, steered by L.A.-based equestrian Todd LaVergne. On cue, other onlookers were ready to complete the Beyoncé lyric: “Look at that horse, look at that horse, look at that horse!”
Fans posed for photos in front of LaVergne, who beamed as fans took turns jumping into the saddle to pose. It was the first night of the Cowboy Carter Tour, golden hour was upon us, and getting that perfect shot of your perfect outfit was part of the plan.
You could say this was Beyoncé’s first rodeo — except that, throughout her nearly three-hour performance, she reminded the sold-out crowd that it wasn’t.
Through video clips, cameos from daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi, and a hefty 39-song set list, Beyoncé told the story of her career, her journey in motherhood and, importantly, how her particular path fits into what it means to be a Black American woman. She was performing many songs from last year’s “Cowboy Carter,” a genre-bending foray into country and roots music, for the first time. Her mother, Tina Knowles, was in the crowd, along with many other famous faces, including Oprah Winfrey, Gayle King and Tyler Perry.
The tour follows a momentous 2024, after which Beyoncé took home her first Grammy for album of the year. The album is in part an essay on musical genres and an argument connecting contemporary R&B and hip-hop to country, blues, folk and more. And it is in part a response to the cold reception she received from the country music world the last time she dabbled in the genre.
But there was no pushback from her fans who showed up, many dressed in their western best. During her Renaissance World Tour earlier this decade and other blockbusters, such as Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, dressing up for the occasion has been as much a part of the fun as seeing the show. As Beyoncé told GQ at the time, “The fans from all over the world became the visual.”
They certainly did this time, too. Before the show began, groups of friends arrived in — of course — cowboy hats, chaps, sashes and so much denim on denim. Some re-wore silvery hats purchased for the previous tour. Others layered plaids, with cutoffs, cowhide and studded belts. Entrepreneurial vendors were stationed along the sidewalk for a last-minute hat purchase. (They were also selling hand fans to whip out during “Heated” and, because this was Los Angeles, bacon-wrapped hot dogs.)
Mario Cantone, the “And Just Like That …” actor, excitedly waited outside. “I’ve never seen her in concert before, but I know her a bit,” he said. “I met her at ‘The View.’”
“I had dinner with her one time, and she’s just humble and lovely and sweet. There’s an awe about her that it’s almost like she still can’t believe that she’s who she is. That’s what’s interesting about her,” Cantone said. “But then she turns it on onstage and it’s like, yeah, you are who you are.”
Much like the Renaissance tour, which had the Beyhive traveling around the world to see the star, fans came from far and wide.
“I came back in town for the queen,” said Ezinne Ndigwe, 24, a doctoral student at the University of San Francisco, who grew up in Los Angeles. She’d missed the Renaissance World Tour but made it a point to attend this time around. “She can do it all,” Ndigwe said from the parking lot before the show. “I just feel like she’s untouched.”
Ripp Thomas and Cedell Lyles were visiting from Atlanta. Ripp, a fashion designer, created both of their looks himself. “I actually did his in two days,” Ripp said, of Lyles’s red ensemble. “I would call it ‘country couture,’” he said, explaining that he designed everything, including Lyles’s sash, custom for the occasion. As for his own look? “I would say a little ‘country hood.’”
“I know it’s going to be Black excellence,” Ripp said. “It’s going to be fire. It’ll be top-tier. We’re here to support her,” he said. “And, on the contrary, I don’t know what to expect, because this is my first time coming to one of her tours on the first night. Sometimes you have all that imagery that’s been shown already because you’re waiting for your city to come.”
But they’d seen a bit — or perhaps a bit more. Lyles laughed as he said he’d watched the “Beyoncé Bowl,” her halftime performance from an NFL Christmas game, “probably 700 times.” They turned it on before heading out on Monday, “just to get in the mood.”
Others turned to fast-fashion retailers such as Shein and Temu for a quick getup. Alex Nicholson, 33, an actor touring with “Hamilton,” got some of his beaded look from Amazon. (“House of Bezos,” he said with a laugh.) But aside from the opportunity to dress up, he said he has enjoyed watching her navigate what genre even means. “I’m here for her, but seeing her tell the story of what Americana is and what country is, is really beautiful and exciting,” Nicholson said.
Fans lined up at official merch booths ready to lasso up some gear — never mind the prices. (Tour T-shirts sold for $55, sweatshirts for $150.) “It’s a little bit steep,” said Amin Mendiola, who works in retail in the Bay Area. “I’m a millennial,” he said after purchasing a hoodie, a hat and a T-shirt from one of the stands. “It is time to spend on some of the [things] that I didn’t do when I was younger.”
correction
A previous version of this article incorrectly said Beyoncé won album of the year in 2024; she won in 2025. A photo caption also misspelled the last name of John Devereaux.
