Beyoncé Kicks Off Cowboy Carter Tour as Fans Flock to L.A.

When Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter Tour was announced, Bay Area fans were understandably disappointed — there were no local shows. It left them no choice but to catch one of the other stops, including the five shows slated to kick off the tour at SoFi Stadium near Los Angeles, more than 400 miles away.

And thus began my journey. As I boarded my flight at SFO on Monday afternoon, it was clear that this medium-sized aircraft had partially turned into a charter for the kickoff show of Beyoncé’s tour. Seated in front of me were two sisters, dressed in Cowboy Carter merch, making small talk with another fan headed to the show and giving me a nod of approval as I walked past in my denim trench.

Across the aisle from me was Nikol Neiger, a San Francisco resident travelling to see Beyoncé in concert for the first time. Having recently had a daughter of her own, she told me her favorite song on Cowboy Carter is “Protector,” a sentimental ode to motherhood. “It really hits,” she said, letting me know that she’d most likely tear up if Beyoncé ended up performing it.

I made my way to the stadium at around 6 p.m. for the show and took my seat between a fan who’d traveled all the way from Brazil, and another who’d made the trip down from Napa.

Beyoncé hit the stage shortly after 8 p.m. with album opener “Ameriican Requiem,” which provided a thesis statement for the first act of the show, if not the entire concert. Minutes later, there was something slightly discomforting about hearing her sing a shortened version of the national anthem and “Freedom,” her 2016 hit that famously soundtracked Kamala Harris’ failed 2024 presidential campaign — like combining a holiday party with a funeral, though it was effective.

For nearly three full hours, Beyoncé kept the audience guessing with unlikely mashups and beat drops that took a twist. “I play with y’all sometimes,” the singer even admitted after teasing the audience with a few notes of “Freakum Dress,” a nostalgic fan favorite.

Even when the set eased into more introspective album cuts on Cowboy Carter, the show’s pacing never slowed — from the set’s more acoustic moments to the encore of “16 Carriages” and “Amen.”

And when Beyoncé sang “Protector,” accompanied on stage by her two daughters — Blue Ivy, whose captivating presence fans have come to expect at her shows, and Rumi, who was perfectly adorable as her 7-year-old protege in the making — I can only imagine the waterworks from Neiger and others.

“It was so worth it,” said one fan while exiting the venue. “Her shows typically always are,” I replied.

Beyoncé performs again at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood on May 1, 4, 7 and 9. Details here.