Beyoncé concert at Chicago's Soldier Field delayed for hours due to storms
Beyoncé was set to take the stage at Soldier Field Thursday night for the first night of her Cowboy Carter tour in Chicago, but the concert was delayed for more than two hours due to severe weather.
Late in the afternoon, Soldier Field director of marketing and PR Luca Serra announced the concert would "absolutely" not start before 9 p.m. due to the storms.
The concert still had not started yet when 9 p.m. came around. At about 9:20 p.m., spectators who had been guided to shelter were permitted to move freely about the stadium and return to their seats.
The concert finally began around 10:15 p.m.
"You only live once, and Beyoncé is a once-in-a-lifetime performer," said Beyoncé fan Jemea Green.
Throughout the evening, rounds of powerful storms pounded the Chicago area. A heavy rain hit Soldier Field at 8:15 p.m.
Video screens inside the stadium showed the weather radar and messaging instructed fans to seek shelter.
"We're in a suite. Hopefully, we'll be covered and OK," said Donna Edgar. "If not, we know to go to the garage, you know, to be safe."
The storms were out of the area before 9 p.m.Rich Guidice was previously in charge of Chicago's Office of Emergency Management — responsible for preparing for large-scale events like concerts at Soldier Field.
"Soldier Field is a good place to have a major event," Guidice said. "There are plenty of places to shelter."
The show was supposed to start at 7 p.m. While the delay was announced hours ahead of time, gates still opened at Soldier Field at 5 p.m.
As people entered Soldier Field, many said they were not aware that the concert had been postponed. They said they had not received any messages from Ticketmaster, emails, or texts.
Some people said they heard about the postponement in their hotel lobby, while one man said he heard about it from his Uber driver.
Some fans were not thrilled.
"I wish I knew earlier, but it is Beyoncé," said Miranda King.
"I wish they would have communicated better," said Edgar.
"I am a teacher, and I will be at school at 9 a.m.," said Anna Brooks.
The BeyHive had swarmed on Soldier Field hours before the gates were anywhere near opening, let alone the announcement that the concert would be delayed.
"I'm so excited," said Gracious Fordbrownee, who came from Kansas City. "I've been a Beyoncé fan since I was in the womb."
Fans spent big bucks and prepared for many months for the Cowboy Carter Tour.
"We started planning outfits probably like two months ago," said Levi Terry of Salt Lake City.
Umbrellas were not allowed inside Soldier Field, but rain gear ended up being a must-have item for many.
"We got a poncho. I've got a plastic bag," said Mikayla Smith. "I'll put my hair inside, so hopefully, we'll be OK."
When Beyoncé brought her Renaissance Tour to Chicago in July 2023, heavy rain forced Soldier Field to pause admissions and hold people in place. Beyoncé ended up starting late.
Melissa Williams was there for that concert, and learned her lesson.
"We prepared this time," she said.
Crowds at the Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park, for which the run in Chicago is now over, were also running for cover that day two years ago.
Chicago has seen other major events affected by severe weather, including last year's Sueños Music Festival.
CBS News Chicago wanted to know how Soldier Field has prepared this time. The stadium management would not get into specifics, but said they have a plan — and have executed it for severe weather events many times over.
Merchandise vendors said they have a hard roof on their trailers, and the windows come down if they have to close up shop.
Other events at Soldier Field have also been disrupted by rain over the years. In 2013, Chicago Bears fans evacuated to the Soldier Field concourse as severe weather moved in, and in 2016, Mother Nature delayed the Copa América soccer match — with fans being instructed to leave their seats and head for cover.
Guidice said the city is constantly evaluating extreme weather safety plans.
"Whether it's Lollapalooza, or a Bears game, or a major soccer game, or a major concert, all the same players are having the same types of conversations," he said.
Meanwhile, some fans said before the gates opened that they would be content to dance in the rain.
"When the Hive shows up, they show out, so I don't think that any type of weather is going to really hinder the experience," said Terry. "We are still going to party regardless, so we're really excited."
More Beyoncé shows are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday. First in line for merch, Edgewater's Nataki Rennie said she was also coming to the Sunday show.
"I looked at Sunday, and it's thankfully the best chances of nice weather out of all the shows, I think. It will be sunny all day in, about 70 degrees," said Rennie. "I've been looking at it. But we'll see."
