Listening to any Beyoncé song is a transformational experience. But seeing a live performance takes it to a whole new level!
Even if you haven’t seen Bey in person, you can catch some of her most amazing live performances online. Here are a few of our favorites that changed the music and pop culture communities forever!
Coachella (2018)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7VdqlvUrCM
Beyoncé appeared at Coachella in 2018. On top of being an awesome performance, her appearance helped to highlight how much she cares about her fans.
She was set to appear at Coachella back in 2017. However, she had to cancel due to being pregnant with twins. This put a lot of fan expectation on the make-up performance. Of course, Bey was more than up to the challenge!
By all accounts, this performance more than made up for the previous cancellation. With an array of her greatest hits, musical guests, and a feminist vibe, it’s no wonder that her fans decided “Coachella” needed a new name entirely: Baychella!
Oprah Winfrey (2006)
Beyoncé is a true musical icon. And in 2006, she appeared on the iconic Oprah Winfrey Show to blow us all away.
It wasn’t just any performance, either. Beyoncé was there to help promote her upcoming film Dreamgirls. That film helped highlight African-American creators and musicians while also putting forth a “girl power” vibe like few other films.
Her performance and the movie itself also showcased something else about Beyoncé. It turns out that she can act just as well as she can sing, and that’s certainly saying something!
Late Night with Jimmy Fallon (2011)
Despite her worldwide fame and staggering success, Beyoncé never really forgot where she came from. And that was on full display when she appeared on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon back in 2011.
Her actual song, “Best Thing I Never Had,” successfully hit her fans in the feels. However, fan emotions were already on high because Beyoncé spent the interview praising Kelly Rowland’s newest album and the overall work of Destiny’s Child.
The interview and performance solidified Beyoncé as a truly inspirational figure. When you watch her own success, it’s tough not to feel like you can do anything!
Grammy Awards (2010)
There is a fine line between “musician” and “performer.” It’s one thing to sing well, and it’s another to bring the house down while you do it.
In her 2010 Grammy appearance, Beyoncé showcased herself as a true performer. Not only did she kill it with her song “If I Were a Boy,” but she delivered the kind of stage show most people spend a lifetime hoping to see.
She set the bar so high that only Beyoncé herself could top it. This is why fans often debate exactly which of her multiple Grammy performances is truly the best!
Super Bowl (2016)
Many people tend to misuse the term “stole the show.” But when it comes to Beyoncé’s 2016 Super Bowl performance, no other description fits the bill.
There was a crowded field of competition. Performers include Coldplay and crowd favorite Bruno Mars. However, Bey left them all in the dust singing “Formation,” even as she managed to outperform Bruno Mars in a dance-off.
She didn’t shy from politics in this performance. Surrounded by black women dressed in costumes echoing the Black Panthers of yesteryear, Beyoncé showed that the time for black feminism is always “right now.”
Billboard Awards (2011)
It’s not uncommon for fans to call Beyoncé “queen.” And at the 2011 Billboard Awards, she helped cement herself as musical royalty!
Her performance of “Run the World (Girls)” combined awesome vocals, choreography, and digital presentation. But this wasn’t the only reminder of who the “queen” really was.
Beyoncé received a Billboard Millennium award. She was alongside her mother and nephew while Jay-Z and her former Destiny’s Child members cheered. Let’s face it: no one has ever had a squad quite like this!
Roseland Concert (2011)
When Beyoncé performed in New York’s Roseland Ballroom, she billed it as an “intimate” experience. And despite the packed room of 3,200 fans, “intimate” remains a great description.
The room wasn’t equipped with all of the audio/video trappings that she typically had on hand. However, her performance still left all fans in attendance quite pleasantly surprised.
With songs like “Crazy in Love,” Bey led her 19 backup dancers into dizzying and dazzling choreography. When it was over, critics understood that she was continuing to redefine what a show-stopping performance really looked like.
Formation World Tour (2016)
Even Beyoncé’s biggest fans were blown away by her Lemonade album. And their jaws stayed on the floor when they saw the Formation World Tour for that album.
The tour included her trademark digital wizardry, including a monolithic video cube that ensured everyone in attendance could see Beyoncé at all times. This cube also rotated to showcase different chapters of her musical performance.
Once again, Beyoncé had revolutionized live performance. Her tour recreated her album, which itself recreated the feeling of experiencing a really good book.