Beyoncé says 'rain ain't gonna stop us' at London gig
The 43-year-old Crazy In Love singer made performing more than 30 songs over two-and-a-half hours look effortless, launching the first of six London shows on her Cowboy Carter tour on Thursday.
The show began dramatically, a giant projection of an American flag fizzled and cracked behind her as Beyoncé took centre stage to belt out American Requiem.
A full brass band was wheeled out soon after and dancers, including Beyonce's oldest daughter Blue Ivy, joined her on stage.
Early in the show, the Charlie's Angels singer dropped Formation to roars of approval from over 60,000 fans.
She stopped to repeat the line "they'll never take the country out of me" – perhaps to remind everyone that her eighth album is not that extreme a genre shift.
The clouds darkened and rain fell fittingly as Beyonce sang Alligator Tears clad in a sparkling American flag jumpsuit under a white fur coat.
Undeterred by the dour British summertime weather, the Houston-born singer told the audience: "The rain feels so good."
Along with Blue Ivy, Beyonce's younger daughter Rumi made a cameo appearance as she hugged her mum during a heartfelt rendition of Protector, sung to her children.
The artist showcased the range of the Cowboy Carter album soon after, by showcasing her incredible breath control – singing the upbeat Tyrant while mounted on a full-size animatronic golden bull.
Fans reached fever pitch when Beyonce began to tease them with the opening notes of Single Ladies, standing atop a silver lorry wearing a gold sequinned Levi's top.
Beyoncée failed to hide her surprise as the London crowd began to serenade her classics back to her, before she could reach for the microphone.
She stood and grinned in the pouring rain as the audience sang deafening renditions of Irreplaceable and If I Were A Boy back to her.
As the crowd's Irreplaceable subsided, Beyonce shook her head and said: "That just happened like that. Thank-you, that was beautiful."
Reports from Thursday morning suggested hundreds of tickets for the London stint of the tour were still on sale, but as Beyonce flew over the audience first in a horseshoe singing her cover of Jolene and then in a velvet flying car for 16 Carriages to bring the night to a close, the stadium seemed packed to the rafters.
Before her final number, a montage tracing her home-video origins to the artist she is today flashed across the screens, including viral TV moments where she lost album of the year at the Grammys, but not her win from this year.
"I'm so blessed to do what I do just because of you," she told the audience.
With intense dance routines, emotional moments, nine quick changes and a flying car, Beyonce's Cowboy Carter is likely the most complete performance at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium this season.
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