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‘Hurry Up Tomorrow’ brings The Weeknd to the movie screen

LAS VEGAS − Abel Tesfaye, the musician known as The Weeknd, is a certified smash.

Tesfaye, the movie star, is more of an unknown commodity.

Audiences get to see both at work in the psychological thriller “Hurry Up Tomorrow” (in theaters now), a metafictional tale of a pop superstar dealing with the complexities of fame and celebrity. The movie is a companion project to The Weeknd’s album of the same name (released in January), even as Tesfaye himself looks to be moving into a new phase of his creative life.

Tesfaye loves that partnering on the film – his first – with co-writer/director Trey Edward Shults (“It Comes at Night”) gave him a chance to focus his artistry. “With all my past work, the music video is when I’m always kind of micromanaging everything. And it was the first time I got to just do my job and be an actor,” Tesfaye tells USA TODAY in an interview alongside Shults and co-star Jenna Ortega.

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“Hurry Up Tomorrow” the album is the third part of the ”After Hours” trilogy for the R&B/pop singer/songwriter, who’s headlined the Super Bowl, won four Grammy Awards, nabbed a Guinness World Record and topped charts with hits like “Blinding Lights,” “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Starboy” and “Heartless.”

The concept for the movie “Hurry Up” existed well before the music. After pitching the story idea to Shults, Tesfaye sent him song demos, unfinished material and references from older songs that the director would put in the script. “It was amazing,” says Tesfaye, 35, who had a cameo in Adam Sandler’s “Uncut Gems” and starred in HBO’s short-lived “The Idol.”

Tefaye stars in the movie as a fictionalized version of The Weeknd struggling in his professional and personal lives after a painful breakup. His coke-snorting, hype-man manager Lee (Barry Keoghan) enables Abel’s toxic, self-destructive narcissism, but after Abel’s voice fails him during a sold-out concert (which happened to the real Tesfaye in 2022), he meets a mysterious young woman named Anima (Ortega). Feeling an instant connection, they enjoy a night of Santa Monica Pier rides and deep conversation, which leads to a harrowing journey of self-reflection on Abel’s part.

Like the album, the movie “Hurry Up Tomorrow” builds to the title track. A key scene where the onscreen Abel needs to be the most honest with himself “originated with a monologue in the script and then a song was also required,” Shults recalls. “So Abel wrote this song, and I was like, ‘Well, we don’t need the monologue anymore. Get that out of here!’ ”

Akin to Shults, Tesfaye found another like-minded collaborator in Ortega. He says he was “blown away” finding out the actress was a fan of Daniel Lopatin, the electronic musician also known as OPN, who co-composed the film’s score with Tesfaye. “I was like, that’s a deep cut. She has real taste. And that was an incredible sign for us.”

As a music lover, Ortega was excited to be part of a movie that blends the sonic and the emotional. (She also gets her own music moments, including singing in the shower.) Her character represents “this sensitive side” of Tesfaye “that he maybe didn’t feel like he got the opportunity to show so often, in a delicate way,” she says.

Tefaye’s music is “so much deeper and darker” than it sounds, Ortega adds. “The lyrics are always very profound or very isolating, and they resonate with a lot of people. And I love the juxtaposition of this music that you’d hear in a club but then also that feeling that you have on the car ride back.”

Tesfaye’s bold and electric presence onstage and onscreen is an intriguing counterpoint to the thoughtful and soft-spoken man who sits for a chat about his movie. (When someone pays him a compliment, he beams with politeness and humility.) Ortega points out that Tesfaye has “a cinephile’s brain,” and while music has long been a passion for the Canadian-bred son of Ethiopian immigrants, “my first love was always film,” says Telfaye, who’s currently on tour as The Weeknd. Telfaye used music to “get me closer to making movies,” and he would “implement the DNA of cinema in my music videos.”

“So The Weeknd, to me, is just one long film that was like a never-ending 15-year movie. Now I feel like I got to the end of it, and I’m starting this new journey with these incredibly talented artists.”

Wherever he goes from here, it’ll probably sound great.

May 16, 2025
‘James Bond,’ ‘Walking Tall’ star was 89

Joe Don Baker, a Hollywood veteran who first rose to fame as tough-talking Sheriff Buford Pusser in “Walking Tall,” has died, his family announced. He was 89.

The announcement of his May 7 death, published on Legacy.com by his family May 13, did not cite a cause.

A Texas native and army veteran, Baker infused a real-life sense of southern toughness into his roles. Studying at the Actor’s Studio in New York before traveling to Los Angeles to make it to the big screen, he guest spotted on a smattering of television shows before his big break came with “Walking Tall.”

The 1973 film, which chronicled the story of a Tennessee sheriff battling to save his hometown from corruption and vice, became an unexpected and overnight hit, propelling Baker to fame.

At 37, his not-yet-noticed acting prowess was suddenly gaining wide acclaim as critics across the country lauded the breakout star of the low-budget, if not thrilling, watch. Baker went on to play a host of characters on either side of the law − both detectives and cops, as well as troubled ex-cons and mafia men.

His roles were not limited to either side of the law enforcement equation, though. Across his almost 60 films, he portrayed several politicians as well as a star baseball player in Robert Redford’s “The Natural.”

Before his retirement in 2012, he made an indelible mark on the entertainment industry, famed not just for “Walking Tall” but also for “Charley Varrick,” in which he played a mafioso, and “Mitchell,” which saw him as a no-nonsense detective. Baker also starred in “Fletch” and became a “James Bond” regular, appearing in three 007 films.

Baker, who married Maria Dolores Rivero-Torres in 1969 before the pair divorced 11 years later, has no children.

“He is survived by relations in his native Groesbeck, who will forever cherish his memory. He is mourned by a small but very close circle of friends who will miss him eternally,” the obituary posted to Legacy.com reads.

“As we say goodbye to Joe Don, we hold onto the memories and the love he shared with us,” it continued. “Though he may no longer be with us in body, his spirit will always remain, a guiding light in the lives he touched. Rest in peace, Joe Don. You will be dearly missed but never forgotten.”

May 16, 2025
Beyoncé’s tour sparks spike in ‘Cowboy Carter’ playlist creation

We’ve got “Cowboy Carter” at home.

Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour has the internet buzzing. and as the groundbreaking shows roll out, fans are finding ways to embrace the concert experience from their homes.

According to Spotify, there has been a 2,400% increase in the creation of “Cowboy Carter” playlistw on its platform. Furthermore, the music powerhouse noted a 2,250% increase in daily searches for the album name.

Due to these high numbers, Spotify is allowing fans to customize their playlist cover art with exclusive “Cowboy Carter” stickers.

Of course, the Grammy-winning singer is on the second stop of her “Cowboy Carter” tour. She performed her first show at Soldier Field in Chicago May 15, and she’s expected to hit the stage on the same stage for a total of three nights. The remaining shows are set for May 17 and May 18.

As fans know, Beyoncé first debuted the highly anticipated show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. She performed a total of five shows there, and the concerts proved to be revolutionary spectacle filled with fashion, different music genres and most notably country music and politics.

The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Beyoncé has already made history with her scheduled tour dates, including by playing the most dates at SoFi Stadium of any artist.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.

May 16, 2025
‘GMA’ meteorologist Ginger Zee’s essentials for health, well-being

In USA TODAY’s The Essentials, celebrities share what fuels their lives, whether it’s at home, on set, or on the road.

Ginger Zee, ABC News’ chief meteorologist, is putting all of her necessities (aside from her husband, Ben Aaron, and their two sons, Adrian, 9, and Miles, 7) on your radar.

Zee, an early riser for “Good Morning America,” admits “I can’t imagine having a leisurely morning. But I take it, and I make 3:45 a.m. feel as leisurely as possible.” And on days when Zee’s not heading into the studio, she could be chasing a storm, “driving to a tornado” and “doing my makeup in the car,” she says. In either case, the 44-year-old is sharing all of her Essentials, from A to Zee.

Ginger Zee reveals her daily essentials, from yoga to an ideal morning

Ginger Zee on her daily essentials and how she spends her mornings.

Ginger Zee wears a sleep ring: ‘We don’t put enough emphasis on’ rest

“I’m a scientist. I love data,” Zee says, so she’s delighted by the information she can gather from her sleep ring, a wearable health monitor and tracking device. Zee, who has been diagnosed with narcolepsy, finds it “empowering.”

“It’s not like it’s breaking news that alcohol changes and makes your sleep worse,” Zee explains. “I knew that, but processed sugar and time of day that I have things, exercise, when I do it, when I sauna or massage or mostly hydration − honestly, that’s the big one that I can tell a huge difference in my sleep.

“My sleep is so critical. It’s the foundation of my health, my mental health, my physical health, all of (ours),” she continues. “And we don’t put enough emphasis on it.”

Her morning routine: Checking in and setting an intention

“One of my favorite moments is just my wake-up and my moment of checking in with myself,” Zee says.

“I know that sounds very kind of easy and simplistic, but a lot of people don’t do it. A lot of people rush right into whatever it is, and then they haven’t really answered, ‘How are you?’ or ‘What am I feeling?’”

Next, Zee hops into the shower and helps set the tone of her day using her steamy shower glass as a writing board.

“I make little fists that make little footprints on (the glass) and I put both my children’s names,” she says. “Then I put both my handprints for my husband and I,” signifying, “this is the core of who I am. Then I write an intention for the day, like you do in yoga at the beginning of a practice.” Zee identifies a goal for the day and writes that on the shower as well.

Meditation: It ‘should be used more and more every day’

Zee does a guided meditation on her way into work. She likes the Calm app and recommends the meditations offered by Dan Harris, a former anchor for ABC News, and acknowledges the free options available as well. Know “you don’t have to commit (to) 20 minutes,” Zee says. “It can be a one-minute, a five-minute, a 10-minute” meditation, she says. “Meditation is just a moment of reflection, and a moment of groundedness and preparedness, and I think should be used more and more every day.”

Her on-the-road essentials: Reusable utensils and eye patches

When Zee is reporting on the road, she brings reusable water bottles and utensils, which she washes after using. While she likes to avoid waste when she can, she relies on single-use eye patches.

“Those are pretty necessary because a lot of times we’ve been up, we’ve been doing the other shows late and then we’re waking up three hours, four hours later,” Zee says. “So getting the de-puff is a pretty crucial essential for me.”

She adds with a laugh, “I’m not perfect.” But she nixed face wipes eight years ago, she says, opting for coconut oil on a washcloth instead. Earth “has cared for us for so long,” she says. “Something as simple as just looking around you and (asking), ‘Where could I reduce waste?’ That’s something that is essential to me.”

The attitude required dealing with critics: ‘Great empathy for these people’

Years of criticism has taught Zee not to absorb the negativity of online trolls. In March, someone left a critical comment on an Instagram video. “You’re not aging well,” they wrote. Zee responded to the user that it is “a privilege to be aging in any manner – thanks for your opinion though.”

Derisive comments “usually says a lot about who they are and what’s wrong with them,” she says, adding she has “empathy for these people who are so sad or they need to get that out. And I take it that way and it’s much easier to take when you start seeing that.

“My first reaction (to the comment) was, ‘Thank God I get to get older,’” she adds. “There (were) a lot of years in my 20s and teens where I was like − like a lot of other people – ‘I don’t even know if I’m worth it.’ I’m so lucky to be alive, let alone aging. Good! Your opinion is that I’m not aging well, but the point is I’m aging. And I really meant that. I meant that it is a privilege to be able to be aging.”

May 16, 2025
Severe weather delays Beyoncé showEntertainment

Severe weather delays Beyoncé showEntertainment

May 16, 2025
‘Deaf President Now!’ peels back curtain on Deaf culture

More than three decades ago, a week-long protest on a college campus caught the attention of the whole country and led to resignations of university officials.

But you probably don’t know about it.

That’s about to change with new documentary “Deaf President Now!” (streaming now on Apple TV+, home of Oscar-winning film “CODA”). It chronicles the students at the world’s only Deaf university, Gallaudet, in 1988, who fought back against the college’s decision to hire a hearing president. In its 124-year history, there had only been hearing presidents.

The students locked gates. Used buses to block the entrance. Went on national television to air their grievances. All in the name of their community.

It’s a story co-director Nyle DiMarco, Deaf actor and filmmaker, has wanted to tell for years. Initially, he and producer Jonathan King tried for a scripted version that didn’t pan out.

“The story of ‘Deaf President Now!’ was about so much more than just appointing a deaf president,” DiMarco says. “It’s more complex, more layered and contains much more nuance than what we would have been able to provide within a scripted format. And because it didn’t lend itself to really telling the story the way that we needed to, we brought it to (co-director Davis Guggenheim), who immediately said, ‘No, no, no, this has to be a doc.’”

And so it became one – one that everyone, from Deaf people to hearing people to today’s student protesters, ought to give a watch.

‘They were able to overcome those internal conflict’

Guggenheim, who is a hearing person, felt like he was pretty informed about the Deaf community when he signed on to the project. “Now, two years later, I feel even more ignorant than when I started,” he says, “meaning it’s a beautiful, complex world that I’m just a visitor in, and Nyle has been so generous to sort of invite me in.” That collaboration will mean a unique viewing experience for the audience; for hearing people, that means they will appreciate sound like a deaf person might. By vibration, for example.

“Growing up Deaf, a lot of people have this assumption that we have no relationship or interaction with sound whatsoever,” DiMarco explains, “but that’s not true. It’s not entirely lacking in our world. We just experience it in a different way.”

Appreciating differences is a key throughline in the documentary. Watching the film, one can’t help but compare it to other college campus protests, stretching from the Vietnam War to the current war between Israel and Gaza.

“When we were editing the movie, on one screen would be our characters in 1988 and then on the TV over here was, protests at Columbia and UCLA and and it was a striking, striking contrast,” Guggenheim says. The students profiled in the film, for example – Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Tim Rarus – didn’t all get along. But they still managed to fight for a common goal.

“They were able to overcome those internal conflicts and those differences of opinions and work together every day until they got what they wanted,” DiMarco says.

‘I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be’: Nyle DiMarco talks Deaf, queer culture in ‘Deaf Utopia’ memoir

‘I don’t think there’s any one right way to be Deaf’

Not only did the protests lead to the resignation of the appointed president, Elisabeth Zinser, but also the stepping down of Jane Bassett Spilman, chair of the board of trustees of the university.

Ultimately, the students do see their Deaf president in I. King Jordan, then a dean. But not before they grew angry at him for switching back and forth between siding with students, then the university. Jordan became deaf as a 21-year-old in an automobile accident.

“He’s sort of bordering between these two worlds. And there’s a moment where, he says, ‘I never really felt, you know, completely home in one place or the other.’ And as I always say, I don’t think there’s any one right way to be Deaf,” DiMarco says.

‘I am not ashamed’: Disability advocates, experts implore you to stop saying ‘special needs’

You’re ‘not powerless’

What should people take away from the film? Well, a lot. The significance, for starters.

“This protest alone gave rise to the passage of the ADA, major American federal legislation which serves to protect and provide rights to over 80% of the American population,” DiMarco says. “So we are very big contributors to our history, you know, and I would hope that they would see that we’re no longer second last class citizens.” Gallaudet has had a Deaf president ever since.

Guggenheim hopes people consider it in the context of today’s divisive politics: “I think there are a lot of people right now who are seeing big, big changes to our political landscape, and they’re feeling powerless. And I hope people watch this movie and realize that they’re not powerless.”

And don’t forget, there’s strength in numbers. DiMarco adds, “I think you’ll be surprised when you do start speaking up, just how many people you’ll find in your corner behind you.”

May 16, 2025
'Murderbot' opening: Alexander Skarsgård's robot names itselfTV

‘Murderbot’ opening: Alexander Skarsgård’s robot names itselfTV

May 16, 2025
Alexander Skarsgård puts quirky in AppleTV+ killing robot

Stars lamenting over three-hour sessions squeezing into Iron Man-like sci-fi suits are common in Hollywood.

So Alexander Skarsgård was ready for costume drama after signing up to play an armored, helmeted cyborg security guard in the AppleTV+ sci-fi comedy “Murderbot” (first two episodes now streaming, then weekly on Fridays).

But Skarsgård, 48, wasn’t expecting the depths of (self-inflicted) preparation pain for scenes withouthis SecUnit character’s full-body armor suit. The Swedish actor had foolishly vowed to executive producers Paul and Chris Weitz that he’d go mannequin-smooth while playing the unsuited killing machine during moments of repose.

“I made the completely stupid choice to be completely hairless,” Skarsgård confesses to USA TODAY. “So I waxed my entire body. Like a Brazilian wax, but top to toe. I was screaming. And then I had to keep doing it for six months for a long shoot. That was a terrible idea.”

How to watch ‘Murderbot,’ The new sci-fi show based on popular book series by Martha Wells

The Weitz brothers (known for comedies from “American Pie” to “About a Boy”) make clear Skarsgård’s waxing commitment was real, and entirely his idea. “This was not at all our demand,” Chris Weitz says, chuckling. “He thought it was right for the character. He regretted it.”

And yet: Bravo! The producers could have worked around the non-robotic hair on Murderbot’s part-organic, part-synthetic construct. But the waxing shows an oddball commitment to play the curiously malfunctioning SecUnit from Martha Wells’ popular “The Murderbot Diaries” novellas.

The TV series replicates Murderbot’s conflicting dialogues, with an outer voice responding perfunctorily to whatever overlord has hired the budget-friendly, refurbished unit. “That voice is very transactional, just giving and receiving information,” says Skarsgård. “It’s a great contrast to the inner monologue,” which betrays Murderbot’s unfiltered sarcasm, insecurity, TV addiction, and too-blunt tactical analysis. Delivered in a flat cadence, these utterances are right in the comedy wheelhouse for the actor, who put the deadpan into his famed “True Blood” vampire and whose IMDb profile photo shows him inexplicably pantless.

“The character is incredibly idiosyncratic, probably because Alexander is incredibly idiosyncratic,” says Paul Weitz. “Alexander has a twisted sense of humor. He’s a weird dude in the best way.”

Things get twisted onscreen once the security unit hacks the shackles off the corporation-installed governor module and names itself Murderbot. But it lies low, for self-preservation reasons, and is assigned to protect the Preservation Alliance science team, led by the empathic Dr. Mensah (Noma Dumezweni).

Murderbot’s hidden freedom allows obsessive TV viewing on its inner monitors, especially the fictional space opera “The Rise and Fall of Sanctuary Moon.” The series-within-the-series, starring John Cho as a lovestruck space captain, provides a warped education on how humans think.

Protecting the Preservation Alliance (Skarsgård calls them “space hippies”) is also transformational. With the exception of suspicious scientist Gurathin (David Dastmalchian), the group treats its normally abused security unit with kindness for the first time, which brings out Murderbot’s social ineptitude. It detests eye contact, feelings and especially human romantic interludes.

Skarsgård makes the most of these cringeworthy moments. “It was just about leaning in and making it as awkward as possible,” he says.

The restrictive armor helps the subtle comedy with deliberate, stiff movement. Putting the suit on wasn’t too tough, after all. “It started at about an hour, but we got it down to 15 minutes,” says Skarsgård. The costume designers even made game-changing advancements on the fly, especially for vital restroom visits. “They eventually hid a little zipper for me.”

Skarsgård won’t read ‘Murderbot’ casting criticism

Even before shooting began, some vocal Wells fans expressed displeasure about casting the traditionally masculine Skarsgård, saying it contradicts Murderbot’s explicitly asexual and agender identity. The actor avoided the noise. “I never go too deep into the discussion of my casting on Reddit threads,” he says. “I’d always find one that would crush me.”

Still, he emphasizes there is “no gender” in his character. Episode 1 makes that abundantly clear when Dr. Mensah walks in on unarmored Murderbot in the repair bay. Mensah can’t help but give a curious downward look and sees no organs.

“It’s important that you see in the first episode that Murderbot doesn’t have genitals,” says Skarsgård. “It’s butt naked, but there’s no gender there. No genitals, no nipples and no hair. It’s the full Ken doll.”

The series gets gnarly as Murderbot uncovers its own dark past while becoming attached to the humans. Book fans can judge for themselves about the earnest but not entirely faithful adaptation, with a 97 percent positive rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes. In the increasingly likely world that AppleTV+ orders up a Season 2, there are unexplored “Murderbot” adventures to chronicle.

“We’re not counting our space chickens,” says Chris Weitz. “But there’s definitely much more great material.”

The actor in the suit is game, but wants to make one point very clear before moving forward: That whole real-hairless thing was a Season 1 promise.

“There is only one thing I know about a potential Season 2, if it happens,” Skarsgård says. “And that is (that) Murderbot will have way more hair on its body.”

May 16, 2025
Top moments from her show following storm

Beyoncé Knowles-Carter brought the heat to the Windy City as she lit up the stage for night one of her “Cowboy Carter” tour in Chicago, despite it being delayed hours due to severe weather.

Beyoncé hit the stage at Soldier Field for the first time on her Cowboy Carter and Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour on May 15. The show began around 10:15 p.m. CT. And from the start of the night, it proved to be especially electric. The concert was initially supposed to kick off at 7:00 p.m. CT. That changed once the Chicago area faced severe weather warnings and heavy showers. However, the rain did not stop the show whatsoever.

Here are top moments from the weather-defying concert at Soldier Field.

Beyoncé rocks several new looks throughout the show

The “Cowboy Carter” creator opened the show with an all-new outfit: a sparkly gold bodysuit, lots of fringe and matching chaps. Fans quickly took note of the new look as she hit the Soldier Field stage.

One fan wrote on X, “I love this outfit, Bey is so beautiful.”

And there were more new looks throughout the show. Beyoncé donned a new get up, featuring more chaps as she hit the stage for her song “Alligator Tears.” One fan quickly took note on X saying, “This outfit? Gag gag gag! 10s 10s 10s!”

She also debuted another new outfit during “Texas Hold ‘Em”: a letterman jacket with a big “B” — not the little one. The custom boots sported the phrase “made for walking.”

At one point, fans watching online even questioned if some of the visuals showed off new looks.

Yoncé playfully calls out the crowd for being ‘very demure’

It’s clear Beyoncé is tapped in with the latest trends and lingo. One of the standout moments of the show happened as Beyoncé performed her hit tune “Ya Ya” from the eighth studio album.

During the call-and-response portion of the song, Beyoncé cheekily hyped up the crowd by saying, “Y’all are being very demure. I believe you can be louder.” Fans all over the stadium instantly responded with more enthusiasm and volume while others chuckled at the callout. And it worked with Bey quickly saying, “That’s better.”

For those who don’t know, TikTok creator Jools LeBron went viral last year for her “very demure” trend. LeBron was among the thousands of attendees in the crowd, so some saw Beyoncé’s banter as a special shout-out to the influencer.

Ballroom dancer Honey Balenciaga was indeed ready for Chicago

Known for her standout performances on Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour, ballroom dancer Honey Balenciaga recently sent the Beyhive buzzing again after a candid post about how she planned to approach the “Cowboy Carter” era.

“I’m trying to figure out what energy to exude on stage. I was so wild and dangerous, I want to show growth in this new tour. I keep tryna recreate that feeling but this is Cowboy Carter,” she wrote in a post. “I need my ballroom family to recharge my creative juices. Im trying to put on the best show for yall. I’ll be ready for Chicago!”

Well, Honey was indeed ready for Chi-town as she set the stage ablaze for her solo ballroom number. And while she usually delivers, on Thursday night fans took a special note of her undeniable star power.

The show reigned — rain or shine

The weather couldn’t dampen the crowd’s sky-high energy throughout the night. At the end of the show, Beyoncé gave a heartfelt thank you to fans saying, “I want to say thank you from the bottom of my heart. Y’all are ride or die. I know some of y’all have to go to work tomorrow. You have to drop the kids off at school. And y’all are still here.”

“Thank you so much for giving me all the good energy. I hope I gave it back to you,” she said.

The Grammy-winning singer is set to perform her “Cowboy Carter” tour at Soldier Field for a total of three nights. The remaining shows will take place May 17 and May 18 on the same stage.

Of course, Beyoncé first debuted the highly anticipated show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. She performed a total of five shows there, and the concerts proved to be revolutionary spectacle filled with fashion, different music genres and most notably country music and politics.

The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Beyoncé has already made history with her scheduled tour dates, including by playing the most dates at SoFi Stadium of any artist.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.

May 16, 2025
Beyonce kicks off Cowboy Carter Tour in Chicago after weather delays

The rain isn’t stopping her show — Beyoncé Knowles-Carter is carrying on with her first “Cowboy Carter” concert in Chicago, despite weather delays and an evacuation.

The Grammy-winning singer launched her first concert at Soldier Field on her Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin’ Circuit Tour around 10:15 pm CT on May 15.

“I’m so happy to be on the stage seeing all of your beautiful faces,” she said as she opened the show. “Thank you for all your love even throughout the storm. Y’all are here. I am here, and we’re going to have a good ol’ time.” The concert was supposed to kick off at 7:00 p.m. CT. That changed once the Chicago area faced severe weather warnings.

Earlier in the day, fans were notified by the director of marketing and PR at Soldier Field, Luca Serra, that the concert would “absolutely” not start before 9 p.m. CT due to severe weather, including a thunderstorm warning and tornado watch affecting parts of the Chicago area.

As the night progressed, fans were required to evacuate the main stadium area, though they were allowed to take their seats shortly before 9:00 p.m.

During that time, a message displayed onstage read, “Thank you for your patience during this time. We are setting the show and getting the floor ready to receive guests. Looking forward to a great show!”

The special message confirmed to fans that the show, in fact, would go on.

Chicago native and Beyhive member Damian Roa, 24, waited hours and endured the evacuation before the show began. “It was quite a day but we made it! I know Beyoncé is a professional, so she would never cancel a show! I got my hat protector and poncho in case the rain would continue,” Roa said.

Beyoncé will perform her “Cowboy Carter” tour at Soldier Field for a total of three nights, including May 17 and 18.

Beyoncé first debuted the highly anticipated show at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles on April 28 with 39 songs on the set list. She performed a total of five shows there, with each taking place on April 28, May 1, May 4, May 7 and May 9. The concerts proved to be a revolutionary spectacle filled with fashion, different music genres and most notably country music and politics.

The nine-city tour will span the U.S. and Europe, with the grand finale taking place in Las Vegas on July 26. Beyoncé has already made history with her scheduled tour dates, including playing the most dates at SoFi Stadium of any artist.

Follow Caché McClay, the USA TODAY Network’s Beyoncé Knowles-Carter reporter, on Instagram, TikTok and X as @cachemcclay.

May 16, 2025