An official poster for the tour was released along with the announcement of the venture, showing Beyoncé and Jay-Z embracing whilst dressed in black ski masks, following the criminal "on the lam" narrative found in the couples' 2002 first single together, "'03 Bonnie & Clyde" and "Part II (On the Run)".

Critics generally lauded the tour, praising the extravagant set list, dynamic and detailed theme and story of the show and both artists' performance abilities, however some felt the on stage chemistry between the couple was not what it could have been.

[7] Throughout 2013 and 2014, during Beyoncé's The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, Jay-Z made multiple guest appearances, starting in July at The Sound of Change Live charity concert where the couple performed "Crazy in Love" together,[8] shortly followed by another guest appearance at Brooklyn's Barclays Center in August, where Jay-Z performed "Tom Ford" accompanied by Beyoncé's backing vocals as found in the song.

The vote on the matter took place because the Rose Bowl – nestled within an affluent, residential neighbourhood – has a limited number of events permitted per year of twelve, which can only be extended if approved by the city council.

When explaining the concept of the tour and its accompanying videos in a telephone conversation to New York-based director Dikayal Rimmasch, Jay-Z stated "We're not trying to do this literally, it's not that we're Bonnie and Clyde.

Beyoncé was backed by an all female band during her solo songs, whilst Jay-Z was accompanied by other male instrumentalists; however both artist's musicians collaborated for the majority of the performance.

In Beyoncé's case, makeup artist Sir John Barnette commented on her quick changes backstage between performances, comparing them to "Daytona 500" with every member of her team working on a separate part of her look.

[23] Beyoncé also sported more thematic and dramatic pieces of clothing, including a full bridal veil and a sweeping train made of a black-and-white American flag.

[25] Designed by Dennis Kolpodinos, Vrettakos produced a red, "couture 'crystal spirit' bodysuit" complete with fringe details on the limbs and "embellished with Swarovski crystals for stage-ready shine".

One of these included the previously mentioned denim outfit, which was "made from the company's patented Jogg Jean material, accented with hand-applied hardware and studwork, Swarovski crystal elements and black leather accessories", worn for the performance of "Run the World (Girls)".

Biker gangs that developed in the United States after World War II served as an inspiration for the outfit; Beyoncé's was meant as a tribute to her hometown and a reminder of her roots.

[29] One of the more controversial pieces worn by Beyoncé during the On the Run Tour was a black, thong leotard that "put her bare rear end on display in a kind of cage-like cutout".

[31] Lebanese designer Elie Saab created a bridal-themed, white long-sleeve lace-embellished jumpsuit for Beyoncé for the performances of "Resentment" and "Love On Top" which was part of his Pre-Fall 2014 collection.

[35][36] Pre-sale tickets for fans to secure their seats first before the general sale were sold through Beyoncé's website and Chase credit and debit card users exclusively.

A writer for Billboard noted that Chase was a surprising candidate for the official tour sponsor due to their lack of experience in the concert industry when compared to the live music sponsorship giants such as Citi and American Express.

Chase allegedly scored the "11th-hour" deal due to previous connections with Roc Nation Sports (owned by Jay-Z) and a $4 million bid on the position.

[37] A promotional poster for the tour was revealed showing Jay-Z and Beyoncé embracing and wearing ski masks, following the criminals-on-the-lam narrative of the couple's two singles ("'03 Bonnie & Clyde" and "Part II (On the Run)").

[39] Following the tour's announcement, it was revealed that $1 from each ticket sold and a portion of certain VIP ticket proceeds would go to the Shawn Carter Foundation (named based on Jay-Z's birth name), which would help and support existing students of the foundation that represent diverse backgrounds, and face significant barriers to success such as teen pregnancy, homelessness, poverty, former incarceration, sexual and domestic abuse, and gang membership.

[45] One of the many outfits worn by Beyoncé in the video was a Givenchy lace pant suit, and was commented to add an angelic feel to the contrasting, violent run of the narrative.

[34] A mashup of "Clique" and "Diva" was sung by Beyoncé as a montage of war images and fireballs were shown on the screen, then the performance of "Baby Boy" followed.

The encore began with home videos of the couples' daughter Blue Ivy appeared on the screen and an image of "The Carters" written in the sand followed.

The opening night of the tour received generally positive reviews: USA Today's Erica K. Landau praised the Miami concert, summarizing it as "[a] tantalizing spectacle, [with] triumphant vocals, palpable sensuality and booty-shaking anthems".

[33] MTV News editor Rebecca Thomas praised the duo's united performance, adding that they demonstrated how to share a stage, "egos aside: They toggled, repeatedly, and mostly seamlessly from one megastar catalog to the other and took fan-favorites in surprising new directions — ones that imbued them with pathos that hadn't been there before.

Graham Slaughter of the Toronto Star concluded in his review, "If there's anything to be learned from the On the Run tour, it's that tight timing, a dynamic storyline and legendary talent make a 42-song concert not just enjoyable, but rather unforgettable.

"[56] Lorraine Ali of the Los Angeles Times who attended the first of two shows in Pasadena, California, also gave a positive review noting that the concert showcased how a marriage should work with the spouses "balancing out each other's weaknesses with individual strengths" on stage.

"[58] Simon Harper of Clash felt that both performers had immediately apparent different performance approaches and both commanded an "incredible presence and deafening screams from the French crowd", however concluded that Beyoncé just finished on top as the better of the two, finalising his all positive review with "The music world's most powerful and influential partnership couldn't fail to demonstrate the reasons for their rise to dominance... As the On The Run tour comes to its conclusion, it's clear to see that Mrs. Carter emerges on top.

[60] Billboard reported that the On the Run Tour was "already one of the summer concert season's hottest engagements" and noted that tickets had sold out in minutes for multiple dates.

[54] Baltimore Ravens senior manager for ticket sales Mike Burke reported that the On the Run Tour was the fastest selling concert ever at the M&T Bank Stadium, stating that unlike other shows there, "this sold out every seat almost instantly.

[71] Following the airing of the special, videos of the performances of "Young Forever" / "Halo" and "Flawless (remix)" featuring Nicki Minaj, were uploaded to Beyoncé's official YouTube and Vevo account.

[73] Inspired by French New Wave cinema, the short film was created using custom camera rigs that Rimmasch had designed, 50-year-old Russian lenses and lighting effects by Archie Ciotti and Scott Spencer and followed an incredibly fast, shoot-from-the-hip recording style.