Crowds screaming, Beyoncé stretching with her daughter Blue Ivy backstage, stadiums filling up with fans, and dancers rolling their shoulders and fixing their ear pieces to the introduction of her track Cozy. These scenes are just a glimpse of what fans can look forward to in Beyoncé's upcoming concert film, Renaissance, which will premiere worldwide on December 1.
The film, which has already made millions in presale tickets, will take audiences behind the scenes of her all-stadium world tour, Renaissance, which came to a close earlier this month. It will bring together backstage footage – such as videos of Bey with her children – with clips of the star performing on stage, as well as sequences of her rehearsing and preparing for the five month long tour.
“When I am performing, I am nothing but free,” says Beyoncé in the film's trailer. “The goal for this tour was to create a place where everyone is free. And no one is judged. Start over, start fresh. Create the new. That’s what the Renaissance is about."
Here is everything to know about the new film, Renaissance.
What is Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé?
Renaissance is Beyoncé's upcoming concert film of her record-breaking, sell-out world tour, Renaissance, which started in Stockholm in May and concluded in Kansas on October 1.
Directed by and starring the legendary pop musician, the film will partly follow Bey as she prepares for the tour, but mostly, it will recreate the spectacle of the show itself, providing audiences with a 3D experience of the nearly three hours set. It'll bring together behind-the-scenes footage with videos of the crowd, and sequences of Beyoncé performing.
When is it being released?
The film is being released on December 1, which some fans have noted coincides with World AIDS Day. Beyoncé's latest album is a love letter to the ballroom communities who created the voguing sounds that now play a major role in a huge amount of modern dance music. During the Renaissance tour some of the world's most-famous ballroom dancers, such as Honey Balenciaga, were given the stage to perform during the costume changes. AIDS devastated the Eighties New York LGBTQ+ communities who created modern voguing.
In addition, Beyoncé's "Uncle" Johnny, who she referenced in an open letter introducing her Renaissance album, died of HIV.
"A big thank you to my Uncle Jonny. He was my godmother and the first person to expose me to a lot of the music and culture that serve as inspiration for this album," said Beyoncé in the note. "Thank you to all of the pioneers who originate culture, to all of the fallen angels whose contributions have gone unrecognized for far too long. This is a celebration for you."
The film will have its US premiere in LA on November 25, and its London premiere on November 30.
Where is it being released?
In the US, Renaissance will be released at AMC Theatres, the same cinema chain that recently screened Taylor Swift's ERAs Tour concert film. Tickets are already on sale via the AMC website, and are going for $22 (around £18) plus tax.
In the UK, Renaissance will be screened across the country, including at Vue and Odeon cinemas. Tickets are on sale now, costing from around £16.99 depending on the cinema.
Sources told Deadline that the first day of the US tickets presale for the film was estimated to have made between $6 million and $7 million. Films that drummed up equivalent first day pre-sale figures included Avatar: The Way of Water ($5.5M) and Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3 ($6M) – aka some of the year's biggest films.
What is the dress code?
Although Beyoncé is very much about people wearing exactly want they want – both to feel good and express themselves – there is an informal dress code for the film, for those who want to rise to the occasion: for the US premiere, it's Cozy Opulence.
We're imagining Faux Fur coats with sparkling cowboy hats and silk pyjamas with knee-high leather boots. But Cozy Opulence can also be taken more lightly: the guideline is, thankfully, wide enough to include cable knit jumpers, UGG boots, cashmere sets, and wool blankets, all of which are undeniably opulent while being properly cosy.
Here in the UK, she's requested “formal opulence" at the premiere -glittery tuxedos at the ready, then.
What has Queen Bey said about Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé?
True to form, Beyoncé has said very little about Renaissance. In October she shared a poster introducing her upcoming film on Instagram. Earlier in the month she had also shared a clip of the film's trailer with the comment, "Be careful what you ask for, 'cause I just might comply."
Thousands of fans concluded that Beyoncé's comment was making reference to her major lack of Renaissance visuals. None of the songs from her July 2022 album have been given music videos – although she did release several "visualisers" for single Break My Soul and its Madonna remix – and fans have been demanding for something extra to feast their eyes on.
In July, during one of her concerts, she dropped a major hint: "You are the visual, baby," she told the crowd. It turns out she was speaking literally: the fans at the concert have been recorded, and turned into the film, which are in turn the visuals of Renaissance. OK, Bey.
Is there a trailer?
Yes: there are two. The first two-minute trailer shows both sides of the tour, and both sides of Beyoncé: there are private moments where the singer is warming up with her dancers and cuddling her children, and then she is on the move, reflecting what is about to happen, and stunning crowds with her all guns blazing performances. We've popped it just above.
The second, which is at the top of the page, was released earlier today, and is much more heavily focused on the show itself. It shows lights flashing, Beyoncé performing, crowds cheering, her dancers voguing and some of the tour's giant set pieces. "In this world that is very male-dominated, I've had to be really tough to balance motherhood... and being on the stage, it just reminds me of who I really am," says Beyoncé over the clips of her blockbuster show. Later she says the now-infamous line: "You are the visual, baby."
