Beyoncé Emerges As A Formidable Live Force
Gail Mitchell
At a time when touring achievements have become an even more crucial measure of industry success, Beyoncé has grown into a formidable force in concert. Beyoncé launched her yearlong, worldwide I Am . . . tour in March. She first performed in the United States and Canada before embarking on an international itinerary that included stops in the Netherlands, France, Belgium, Germany, Portugal, the United Kingdom, Ireland and, most recently, Australia and Singapore.
The tour sponsors include L'Oreal and General Mills/Feeding America in the United States; Nintendo in the States, Europe and the United Kingdom; and Crystal Geyser in Japan. Of the 55 shows that Beyoncé has logged as of Sept. 16, she has grossed $53.5 million and drawn 667,509 fans in primarily 15,000-seat arenas, according to Billboard Boxscore. In 2007, the Beyoncé Experience tour—staged at similar-sized venues—grossed $24.9 million, and 272,521 fans attended the 29 shows reported to Boxscore between April 21 and Sept. 8.
"It's staggering the amount of progress Beyoncé has made at only 28 years old," Sony Music chairman Rob Stringer says. "She's doing great in the digital world and still selling physical CDs. The live touring was the last piece of the jigsaw puzzle. Now that touring level is conquered." Dennis Ashley, VP of concerts for Beyoncé's booking agency International Creative Management, adds, "I've never seen an artist work as hard as she does just in rehearsal for the perfection she brings onstage to fans."
Taking a break from the big stage, Beyoncé customized her touring show this summer for an exclusive and intimate engagement at Wynn Las Vegas' Encore Theater. That four-night stand ran July 30-31 and Aug. 1-2 and was taped for use in an upcoming DVD compilation. In October Beyoncé will perform in Korea, Japan, China and Ethiopia. Then in November, she'll travel to Russia, Turkey, Egypt, Greece and back to the United Kingdom and Ireland. Still on tap: dates in Brazil, South Africa and South America before the tour wraps next March.