Beyoncé’s Renaissance Tour Birthday Show Was the Ultimate Celebration of a Living Legend

Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour functioned as the ultimate birthday party for the reigning queen of Virgo season. On Monday evening, 60,000 BeyHive members — including dozens of celebrity guests — spilled into Inglewood’s SoFi stadium in glimmering outfits to celebrate her 42nd birthday. Attendees likely figured the night would be special but could not have anticipated the chilling awe of witnessing the definitive diva, Diana Ross, lead tens of thousands of voices in singing “Happy Birthday” to a fellow living legend.

“I’m here to celebrate Beyoncé’s birthday,” Ross told the audience after performing her own hit, “Love Hangover.” The clip of Beyoncé running to the stage to hug the Supreme shows the singer’s face plastered with an ear-to-ear grin, pure happiness radiating from their embrace.

“My soul is full. I’m so thankful, I’m trying not to cry,” Beyoncé told the audience in a speech, pausing to push back tears. “I’m thankful to be alive. I’m thankful to be on stage. I’m thankful to look out and see your faces. I’m thankful to be able to provide a safe space for all of y’all. I’m thankful for music, for the ability to heal myself through music which then heals all of you.”

When Beyoncé stepped on stage for the night — at exactly 9:04 p.m., like the true, detail-oriented Virgo she is — the audience buzzed with an adoration that reflected her sentiments. Among them appeared Zendaya and Tom Holland, Adele, Katy Perry, Normani, Brandy, Ayo Edebiri, Quinta Brunson, Justin Bieber, Lizzo, Chris Rock, Kate Hudson, Kim and Khloé Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet, Kylie Jenner, and more.

The singer’s crew surprised her on stage with cake and flowers at the end of the show, showering her with even more praise. Earlier in the night, Beyoncé treated the audience to a surprise of her own, as Kendrick Lamar appeared to perform the remixed version of “America Has a Problem.”

During her speech, Beyoncé expressed gratitude to those who have supported her through this moment in her life and career, but individual thanks were in order for her biggest champions: her family.

“I’m thankful for every tear, for every year,” she continued. I’m thankful for my children. I’m thankful for my husband. I’m thankful for all the shit we’ve been through. I’m thankful for my beautiful father who is here tonight; I thank you for his sacrifice, for his pain. I’m thankful for my mother, my beautiful queen. I’m thankful that we all have the ability to make lemonade out of our lemons.”

Beyoncé added: “I’m thankful for Kelly Rowland, Michelle Williams, LeToya Luckett, LaTavia Robertson. I’m thankful for all of you guys who have been with me since 1997. I’m thankful for every flaw, for every stretch mark, every FUPA. I thank you that I’m here at fucking 42. I’m grateful for joy and I thank God. I thank you, God.”

Best of Rolling Stone

• The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time

• All 243 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked

• Carrie Underwood Was a Teenage Metalhead: Her Best Hard Rock Covers