Beyoncé plays her first concert since 2018 at Dubai resort opening - Los Angeles Times
Advertisement

Beyoncé plays her first concert since 2018 at Dubai resort opening

Beyoncé, in a glittering gown and surrounded by dancers, stands in front of a large sun design
Beyoncé performs during the opening of Dubai’s newest luxury hotel, Atlantis the Royal, on Saturday.
(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Atlantis the Royal)
Share via

Beyoncé was back in action Saturday, performing at luxury hotel Atlantis the Royal in Dubai, the music superstar’s first concert since 2018.

Beyoncé played for an hour, opening with her version of the Etta James classic “At Last.” The set also included “Halo,” “Crazy in Love,” “Flaws and All” and “Be Alive.”

Silhouette of a woman with arms open in front of stage lights
Beyoncé performs at Dubai’s Atlantis the Royal on Saturday.
(Mason Poole / Parkwood Media / Getty Images for Atlantis the Royal)
Advertisement

Beyoncé was reportedly paid $24 million for the performance at the luxury resort for the invitation-only event, according to TMZ. Her appearance was part of a three-day celebration of the opening of Atlantis the Royal on Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah island.

Beyoncé’s seventh studio album, which features the hit ‘Break My Soul,’ will be released at 9 p.m. Pacific on July 28. Catch up on our coverage.

July 27, 2022

According to the Hollywood Reporter, Beyoncé’s daughter Blue Ivy, 11, performed “Brown Skin Girl,” her collaboration with her mother that won them both a Grammy Award in 2021.

The Grammy-winning star was backed by Firdaus, a 48-person all-female orchestra, and the Mayyas, a dance group from Lebanon that took the top prize on the reality competition show “America’s Got Talent.”

Advertisement
Beyoncé performs on stage surrounded by dancers
Beyoncé performs at Dubai’s newest luxury hotel, Atlantis the Royal.
(Kevin Mazur / Getty Images for Atlantis the Royal)

An account provided by the hotel said Beyoncé was raised 16 feet in the air over Skyblaze, a “performance fountain,” as she delivered her 2014 Top 10 hit “Drunk in Love” to close the show.

Guests in the audience included model Kendall Jenner and actress Ellen Pompeo. Beyoncé’s husband, Jay-Z; her parents, Tina Knowles-Lawson and Mathew Knowles; and her three children were also on hand.

Beyoncé in a golden gown on a red carpet
Beyoncé attends Atlantis the Royal’s “Grand Reveal Weekend.”
(Mason Poole / Parkwood Media / Getty Images for Atlantis the Royal)
Advertisement

The performance was followed by a fireworks and drone show. Swedish House Mafia performed at the after-party.

The hotel officially opens Feb. 10. According to Arabian Business, Beyoncé is staying in the hotel’s “Royal Mansion,” which costs $100,000 a night.

Advertisement