- Nasima Akter
Beyoncé’s Tour Pays $100K To Keep Trains Running for Fans
Beyoncé's Renaissance World Tour faced a weather-related delay at Washington, D.C.’s FedEx Field. To accommodate her concert-goers, her tour team paid a sum of $100,000 to extend the operating hours of the train stations after the show. This effort ensured that attendees had the necessary transportation despite the weather-induced setback.
“Due to inclement weather that may delay the start of tonight’s Renaissance World Tour at FedExField, Metro will extend the last train by an extra hour beyond the extended closing previously announced,” the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority said in a news release Sunday.
“The additional hour will be funded by the tour to cover the $100,000 cost to run more trains, keep all 98 stations open for customers to exit and other operational expenses.”
Following the weather-related delay, the transit authority took steps to address the situation. Initially, a 30-minute extension was announced for the train service to ensure concert-goers could reach home after the event. Subsequently, the tour organizers went a step further by covering the cost for an additional hour, extending the last train departure time to 90 minutes beyond the usual schedule. This collaborative effort aimed to provide attendees with sufficient transportation options despite the unforeseen weather disruption.
As the rain began to pour down, a mere hour before the scheduled start of the show, fans received safety instructions from the FedEx Field's Twitter account. The message urged them to take cover to ensure their well-being: "Due to lightning in the area, we are currently under a shelter in place order," the tweet read.
“Fans outside of gates and in the parking lots are asked to return to their cars. All fans inside of the stadium are asked to shelter in place under covered concourse areas and ramps until further notice.”
Upon the opening of the doors for Beyoncé's D.C. performance, both local authorities and the venue management took a safety measure by having fans take shelter due to the presence of lightning in the vicinity, as confirmed by representatives from the tour. The show eventually commenced once authorities deemed it safe to lift the precautionary measures.
While Beyoncé, 41, didn't directly mention her donation to the Metro, she shared several photos from her rain-soaked performance via her Instagram account on Monday, August 7. One image captured her tour's stage crew preparing the platform before her performance.
Beyoncé's U.S. tour, which commenced on July 12 in Philadelphia, will encompass performances at 23 stadiums. Prior to this, during her initial overseas leg, she captivated an impressive audience of over one million fans. Beyoncé's upcoming schedule includes a performance in Charlotte, North Carolina, scheduled for Wednesday. The U.S. leg of her tour will conclude in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 1st.
During the Renaissance Tour's two-night residency in the U.S. capital, notable attendees included Vice President Kamala Harris and her husband, second gentlemen Douglas Emhoff. Harris, 58, expressed her appreciation on Instagram with a photo of their concert attire, captioning it with gratitude towards Beyoncé for an enjoyable date night.
