Cardiff is preparing to welcome thousands of Beyoncé fans eager to see the singer perform on her world tour.
Wednesday’s Principality Stadium concert, in front of about 60,000 fans, kicks off the UK leg of her Renaissance tour.
People are expected to travel from around the UK and as far away as the United States, Lebanon and Australia.
Cardiff Council is warning concert-goers to plan their journey in advance and arrive early.
People were already queuing at 07:00 BST on Wednesday.
“I’m so thankful that this opportunity has come, that I finally get to see her,” said George Crocker, 15, from Avoca Beach, New South Wales, Australia.
“She is a goddess, she’s my mother. She is my absolute queen… she’s just everything in a person.
“Everything about her is just perfect.”
A fan since the age of four, he has travelled with his mum Penny, and added: “I’m just going to bawl my eyes out the whole time, I just know that for a fact.”
The Renaissance World Tour is 41-year-old Beyoncé’s first solo tour in seven years, and many fans have travelled a long way to see her in Cardiff.
Giovani Tana, 20, arrived in the Welsh capital on Saturday, after flying to London from Beirut and catching a train.
“It’s my first time in the UK ever, so it’s a great excuse to come,” he said.
“I think London is fully sold out and I thought I would explore a different city.”
He is looking forward to connecting with other fans, adding: “Her work is incredible. No-one puts on a show like she does.
“I respect her work and what she’s doing for the queer community is truly incredible.
“For her to be on that stage representing a lot of different people is inspirational.”
Sisters Emma and Stephanie Dalton travelled from Dublin for the show and were in the queue early on Wednesday morning.
Emma, 28, said: “We’re just super excited, so the earlier the better. The early bird catches the worm.
“We’ve seen her many times before, like six or seven. All in Dublin, so this is the first time we’re travelling. Once you go and see her once, twice, you can’t miss her. I’ll go anywhere, anywhere she goes, to see her.
“I’m already devastated that it’s going to be over. But we’re also going to Germany. I’ve been seeing stuff online and the whole tour is incredible but I love the new album, every song.”
Meanwhile, Skye and mum Sheila from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, have travelled about 3,500 miles for Club Renaissance [VIP] tickets in Cardiff.
“We’re Beyoncé superfans,” said Skye.
“I’m going to be close up and I’d love if she looked at me, if she winked at me, if she sweated on me. Literally anything, I would be grateful for.”
Fashion designer Nuno Breu from Portugal travelled from his London home for the show, and said it is a “dream come true”.
“I came around midnight and we spent all night here,” he said.
“She’s really inspired me. She’s a powerful woman.”
Charles Prevos, 24 and Sam Tabahriti, 26, from London saw the tour’s opening show in Stockholm last week, but were keen to catch the Cardiff date as it is where they last saw Beyonce in 2018.
“Because we know the show, I would say I am looking forward to seeing Break My Soul mashup with Vogue by Madonna. That was the highlight of last week, and I just want to see it again,” said Mr Prevos.
Mr Tabahriti added: “You’ve got to admire her craftsmanship and just how amazing she is at performing. It’s not just the singing, it’s the way she puts a show together.
“We want to be right at the end of the runway, so when she comes in she walks right towards us.”
Brandon Katamara, 20, from Cardiff, runs a Beyoncé fan account with more than 450,000 followers and joined the queue at 06:30.
“She’s the greatest of all time. Her work ethic is everything,” he said.
“I literally can’t put into words how much she has helped me through music and everything. She inspires me to keep going, and follow my dreams.”
Friends Lowri Davies, 21, and Meg Ponsford, 24, added that Beyoncé is an “icon”.
Ms Davies said: “I love her. If I could, I’d be praying down to her. I’m most looking forward to hearing Heated live, we love that one.”
Source – BBC News
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