Minneapolis declares Thursday ‘Bey Day’ ahead of Beyoncé concert

Beyonce concert at Huntington Bank Stadium

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The Minneapolis City Council chambers were packed with Black women on Thursday, as the city recognized its “Black Girl Magic” resolution — declaring Thursday “Bey Day” in honor of Beyoncé. The declaration celebrated all Black girls and women in the city — and comes the same day the artist is in town for her “Renaissance” tour.

“Black women show up, time and time again, to do the hard work of speaking out against racism, oppression, gender and sexual violence, and all of the ways our systems perpetuate harm against us,” said City Council President Andrea Jenkins in a news release. “We embody strength, resilience and foresight. Black women have always been at the forefront of change work, while the rest of the world tells us we are wrong. While we hold the line, it takes years for the rest of the world to ‘get in formation,’ to quote Queen Bey, who inspires us to break through dominant culture and create our own lanes of power. We do the hard work which benefits all of our society. Black women and girls are trendsetters. Yes, we are human. Yes, we are #BlackGirlMagic. Thank you to all of the incredible Black women who showed up and shined today at City Hall and who do this important work every day without recognition.”

Beyoncé fans brought big energy to Huntington Bank Stadium ahead of the concert.

“She hasn’t touched the stage in a very long time since the pandemic so everyone is so excited to see this tour,” a fan told 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS.

“Very excited. I’ve been waiting a long time,” another fan added.

Metro Transit added additional routes to make sure fans could get home safely after the concert. Riders could take the metro green line in stadium village or use bus routes that pick up and drop off nearby. If you’re taking the light rail, trains will come about every half hour after the concert until 11:45 at night.

“We are very excited at Metro Transit that Beyoncé is coming to town and can’t wait to serve the concertgoers,” Metro Transit said.

Minneapolis Police said that it ramped up staffing and teamed up with U of M Police to help keep fans safe.

Fans react to Beyonce concert at Huntington Bank Stadium

Fans called Beyonce irreplaceable, adding her impact goes beyond her lyrics.

5 EYEWITNESS NEWS caught up with concertgoers after the event, which ended around 11 p.m. Thursday. Thousands of people made their way home through Dinkytown.

Fans called Beyonce irreplaceable, adding her impact goes beyond her lyrics.

“It was incredible, it was like, one of the best shows I’ve ever been to. She is an incredible performer, how she sings live and how she dances and everything. It was amazing and I had so much fun,” said fan Julie Hart.

Fans outside the venue told KSTP-TV it was going to be a late night as they waited for their Uber rides, and some fans said they were stuck in Dinkytown traffic for at least 30 minutes.