On January 21, 2023, American singer and songwriter Beyoncé was asked to perform for an invitation-only crowd at Dubai’s Palm Jumeirah to commemorate the unveiling of a new luxury resort hotel, Atlantis The Royal.
Despite having a no-phone policy to prevent unlawful recordings, attempts to enforce these (and other) security measures largely went unnoticed, as many attendees filmed the concert successfully and uploaded the videos online.
Parkwood Entertainment, Beyoncé's production company, subsequently released limited official photos and footage of the concert online.
[5] On December 23, 2022, British tabloid newspaper The Sun broke the news that Beyoncé would give an hour-long private performance at Atlantis, The Royal, on January 21, 2023, for allegedly more than $20 million.
[7][8] According to Forbes, Beyoncé was reportedly paid $24 million to perform for Atlantis The Royal, making her the highest-paid artist—at a one-time, private performance—in history.
Al Awfi tailored a yellow gown with a high feathered skirt, Manolo Blahnik shoes,[16] a structured bare corset and a Marabou train resembling wings.
[23][24] Beyoncé's daughter Blue Ivy was dressed in a red sequin jumpsuit designed by her grandmother Tina Knowles and Timothy White.
"[31] Beyoncé's production company Parkwood Entertainment then made a small number of official concert images and clips available to the public.
Yanick Rice Lamb, professor at Howard University, said that journalists should have denied the invitation, as they would be more inclined to cover the event positively because of the "once-in-a-lifetime experience" being offered to them.
[39] According to the BBC, Beyoncé's most recent album Renaissance celebrated and honored black queer culture and paid tribute to "dance music that emerged out of the gay community."
In an interview with BBC Newsbeat, music journalist Abigail Firth said that Renaissance was "indebted to LGBT culture" and the performance "seem[ed] like a really misguided choice.
"[40] Human rights advocate Radha Stirling said that the concert sent people a "mixed message" of the United Arab Emirates as a "tolerant country" and "whitewash[ed]" the reality of its laws.
She said "fans who follow their favorite singer to Dubai could face extreme human rights violations if accused of infringements of the UAE's strict homosexuality, offensive behavior and alcohol consumption laws.
A queer Emirati woman spoke to Newsweek detailing surprise from her native circle, saying "the outrage comes from an international audience with little knowledge of the UAE and the type of events that periodically take place here."
[41] In an interview with TMZ, Beyoncé's father Mathew Knowles defended the performance, saying that the concert "united a diverse audience", and that she gave and received respect to the UAE.