Beyoncé @ Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh, 20 May

Beyoncé has cultivated an enigmatic presence. Famously eschewing interview and media appearances over recent years, seeing her – live and in the flesh – holds a unique weight to it, even additional to her famed reputation for putting on a no holds barred show. And indeed, the bar is set sky-high – conveyed quite literally as the giant screen in Murrayfield slowly transitions from the colours of the progress pride flag to blue sky and clouds, and her image slowly appears, superimposed. It’s the start of what unfolds tonight to be a three-hour long, extraordinary spectacle.

But the spectacle and house beats definitive of her Renaissance era don’t kick off right away. As she takes to the stage – to the screams of the packed stadium of tens of thousands of fans – she takes a more intimate approach. 'I love you', she sings on opener Dangerously In Love 2, released two decades prior. It's a nod to the longevity of Beyoncé’s solo reign, and her gratitude to her dedicated fanbase. Her characteristic powerhouse vocals seem effortless, and she even takes pause to remark on the rain, before sitting on-stage to continue a few ballads.

It's hardly time to get too comfortable though. Just as she comes on stage she exits and one of the many extended visuals between ‘acts’ plays, depicting a transformation from Beyoncé the singer, to Beyoncé the artist. RENAISSANCE appears on the screen in bold as Beyoncé reappears, plated in armour in a powerful stance. Now, the show has truly begun and it’s a full stage production throughout. Drawing on themes of empowerment, self-love and defiance embodied throughout her career, hits such as Formation, Diva and Run the World across her eras are brought together in an unapologetic ode to Blackness, the queer joy in which Renaissance is rooted, and resistance. As she and her dancers strut and stride down the runway purposefully, choreographed and striking amidst evening sky, it’s hard not to be moved.

Image: Beyoncé live at Murrayfield Stadium, Edinburgh by Andrew White; Jewellery: Tiffany & Co; Stylist: KJ Moody; Hair: Neal Farinah; Makeup: Rokael Lizama

Standout moments are aplenty across the following two acts: from the music cutting for the last verses of Love on Top as Beyoncé instructs us to sing a capella (we happily oblige); the interludes between acts where her live band provide a stunning instrumental outro of Crazy In Love (interspersing Green Light); elsewhere her dancers providing incredible feats of movement, embodying and hyping up the electric energy, which doesn’t let up for a second.

But it's in the final act of the night where theatrics are turned up to the max, Beyoncé in shades, singing and rapping in the same breath. Following a thoroughly impressive vogueing outro from her dancers towards the close, Beyoncé reappears twice, in one instance suspended floating high into the crowd, riding a silver horse in a nod to Bianca Jagger’s iconic Studio 54 appearance. It’s dramatic, camp, and undeniably iconic. After all, if there’s any star today who’s earned the right to theatrics, it’s Beyoncé. Tonight, as always, her pivotal work and performance speak for themselves.