Jay-Z launched the London leg of his JAŸ-Z30 tour on Sept. 4 with a career-spanning performance at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, marking his first solo UK headline show in more than a decade. The concert also coincided with Beyoncé’s 45th birthday, which the rapper marked during the sold-out performance with a surprise tribute to his wife.
During the show, Jay-Z stopped the performance and directed the crowd’s attention to Beyoncé, who was watching from a private suite. He led thousands of fans in singing “Happy Birthday” to her as fireworks were launched around the stadium. Beyoncé appeared on the venue’s screens, smiling, waving and blowing kisses to the crowd.
Beyoncé did not perform during the concert, despite earlier speculation that she might make a surprise appearance. Jay-Z referenced her birthday during the show and joked about not making her work on her special day before turning the moment into a stadium-wide birthday celebration.
The night also featured a major Fugees reunion. Lauryn Hill and Wyclef Jean joined Jay-Z onstage, performing Fugees classics including “Ready or Not,” “Killing Me Softly With His Song” and “Fu-Gee-La.” Jay-Z recalled his previous connection with the group, including supporting them during their European tour years earlier.
Other special guests appeared throughout the concert, including South London rapper Giggs, who performed “Talkin Da Hardest” with Jay-Z, DJ Khaled, who joined him for “God Did,” and Idris Elba, who opened the show with the introduction to Jay-Z’s American Gangster.
Jay-Z performed a 36-song set covering material from across his catalog, including songs from Reasonable Doubt, The Blueprint, American Gangster and later releases. The performance included “Empire State of Mind,” “Izzo (H.O.V.A.),” “Run This Town,” “99 Problems” and “Public Service Announcement (Interlude),” with the rapper closing the night with “Numb/Encore.”
The London shows are part of Jay-Z’s JAŸ-Z30 tour, which celebrates 30 years since the release of his 1996 debut album Reasonable Doubt as well as the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint. His London run consists of two shows at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, with the second performance scheduled for Sept. 5 before the tour moves on to Paris and later Los Angeles.
Beyoncé’s birthday also coincided with the 20th anniversary of her 2006 album B’Day. She marked the milestone with a special anniversary edition of the album released on Sept. 4, adding another release to the celebrations surrounding her 45th birthday.
