Beyoncé delivers on Night 1 in Paris: Miley Cyrus surprise, fans honor Juneteenth, more
PARIS — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter debuted her her first 'Cowboy Carter' concert in Paris, and the night turned out to be another spectacle filled with special surprises, new outfits and high energy.
The Grammy-winning singer kicked off her show on June 19 at Stade de Frances around 8:56 p.m local time. The show marked the first show at the stadium on her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour. She is set to hit the stage again on June 21 and 22.
'Paris, France, I have to say I'm very grateful to be on the stage. We have a very special show for y'all," Beyoncé said as she opened the show.
Prior to the June 19 concert, a group of France-based fans planned a powerful display at her concert to commemorate the Juneteenth holiday, which celebrates the end of slavery in the United States.
"This day is very important for Beyoncé, and the 'Cowboy Carter' tour. It's a day when the last enslaved Back people in the U.S. learned they were free. It was 1865, on 19th of June," says Sarah Farajaoui who was behind the fan-led project. "This is a way to celebrate freedom. This is a way to celebrate justice and to say, 'Beyoncé we understood the assignment and we're here to celebrate with this day.'"
For the project, she and other friends distributed thousands of Juneteenth flags for fans to hold up as Beyoncé performed her song "Freedom."
"The atmosphere was fantastic," says Jazmine Goodwine, who flew to Paris from the U.S. for the occasion. "To be here on freedom day was out of this world. To see people pay homage to her roots on Juneteenth was something spectacular, and it fulfilled me in ways I didn't know was possible."
One of the biggest highlights of the evening came when Beyoncé brought out Miley Cryus and the two women sang their beloved duet "II Most Wanted." Dressed in all gold, the Grammy-winning singers held hands and the crowd went wild as Cryus approached the stage.
'I love y'all so much. I'm super excited because I wanted to do something very special for your guys," Beyoncé said. "Give it up. I'm so grateful to sing with you Ms. Miley Cyrus."
At the 2025 Grammy awards, the women took home the award for best country duo/group performance for "II Most Wanted."
Of course, Beyoncé's tour has been a huge showcase of fashion and creativity. Each night, Beyoncé continues to blend high fashion and cowboy couture, keeping fans on the edge of their seats as they anticipate a new look. There's been many looks incorporating Western-glam: sparkly chaps, cowboy hats, boots and lots of fringe.
🚨 NEW OUTFIT! pic.twitter.com/xuBqs9NsYJ
— Beyoncé Press. (@beyoncepress) June 19, 2025
Thursday's show was no different. Bey opened her Paris stint with all-new outfits, and fans took note of the head-turning looks.
As fans know, Beyoncé first debuted her "Cowboy Carter" tour at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. Her shows have been filled with family, fashion, different music genres, and most notably country music and cultural commentary.
The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26.
Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network's Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Beyoncé launches tour in Paris with Miley Cyrus surprise, more
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