Beyonce's Cowboy Carter Chicago Show Delayed Due to Tornado Warnings as Guests Shelter in Place
Beyoncé's stop in Chicago for her Cowboy Carter tour got off to a rocky start when officials pushed the concert back by hours due to severe thunderstorms
Concertgoers at Soldier Field were told to shelter in place for over two hours as chair tipped over and people lost their cowboy hats to the windy weather
Officials in New Jersey are also warning that it might be difficult for people attending Beyoncé's New Jersey performance next week due to a transit strike, which has stopped all service to MetLife StadiumBeyoncé's stop in Chicago for her Cowboy Carter tour got off to a rocky start — and officials are worrying that some of the pop star's upcoming East coast shows might face some troubles, too.
According to reports from the Chicago Sun-Times and NBC Chicago, Beyoncé's first of three shows at Soldier Field in the Windy City on Thursday, May 15 was delayed by several hours due to severe weather, as Chicago was hit with strong thunderstorms and a high temperature of 95 degrees.
Soldier Field officials announced shortly after 5 p.m. that the performance would be delayed until at least 9 p.m., the outlets reported, and concertgoers were asked to "shelter in place" via announcements over the Bears' stadium's loudspeakers.
Attendees, dressed in cowboy hats, boots and glittery makeup, were finally allowed access to their seats at 9:15 p.m. Floor seating was not opened until 9:45 p.m., NBC reported.
According to Soldier Field officials, contingency plans had been set in place earlier in the day.
'Our primary objective is to keep all our guests safe and secure. We have vast experience in handling severe weather on major event days. Our severe weather plans are ready to implement if the need should arise,' officials said, per NBC.
Chicago is still expecting rainfall on Friday night, but weather forecasts show that the temperature will cool and the severe thunderstorms will stop in time for Beyoncé's Saturday and Sunday night performances.
Video footage obtained by ABC7 Chicago showed fans taking cover from the torrential downpours coming into the open-air stadium, and people could be heard screaming as strong winds knocked over chairs — but some fans who spoke with the outlet said they didn't mind waiting for Beyoncé.
"If I have to sit through a tornado, outside in a field, I would do it," one fan said. "You only live once, and Beyoncé is a once-in-a-lifetime performer, so we have to see her."
Due to weather in the area, the COWBOY CARTER TOUR show at Soldier Field tonight will not begin before 9pm. We're monitoring the weather and will continue to share updates here. pic.twitter.com/n77AXXRCQR
— Soldier Field (@SoldierField) May 15, 2025
Although things are looking up for the additional two Chicago performances, officials in New Jersey have warned attendees that it might be difficult to get to her concert dates at the MetLife Stadium between May 22 and May 29 due to a transit strike.
According to Gothamist and NBC New York, NJ Transit's train engineers began a strike on Friday, May 16, after the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers members voted to reject a tentative agreement between the leaders of the agency and the union. The workers have been without an official contract for six years, and have not received a pay increase during that time.
The action, NJ Transit spokesperson John Chartier told Gothamist, will make it difficult for the Cowboy Carter attendees to travel to MetLife Stadium — which can seat roughly 50,000 people and will see five performances from Beyoncé later this month.
"Meadowlands service for the Beyonce concert remains TBD," Chartier told the outlet.
NJ Transit already canceled rail and bus service to two Shakira concerts at MetLife Stadium on Thursday and Friday, and MetLife's website recommended people take Coach bus service or carpool to the Shakira shows. The website also suggested attendees could use a rideshare app to travel to the stadium, but added: "there may be an increase in the typical number of vehicles dropping off and picking up resulting in significant delays and higher surge pricing after an event."
"Larger crowds can result in very long post event wait times (up to 2 hours) for service," the stadium warned.
The tour is in support of the former Destiny's Child member's latest album, Cowboy Carter. She took home three Grammy Awards for the project in February: album of the year, best country album and best country duo/group performance for "II Most Wanted" with Miley Cyrus.
The Cowboy Carter Tour marks the "Drunk in Love" artist's first major run of concerts since 2023's Renaissance World Tour, which consisted of 56 total shows. Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé chronicled the stage production and was released in theaters in December 2023.
PEOPLE's Beyoncé special edition is available at newsstands and Amazon now.
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