Review: Beyoncé’s Vancouver concert a marathon arena experience

There are big concerts. Then there is Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour.

The singer announced her birthday wish to see the crowd become a “shimmering human disco ball each night. Everybody mirroring each other’s joy” for her shows from Aug. 23 to Sept. 22. Her birthday is Sept. 4.

The pre-show excitement was just another example of the way “Queen Bey” has built excitement around the tour in support of her Grammy-winning seventh studio album.

The dance-heavy Renaissance is a dedication to the Black, Latinx and LGBTQ2+ underground club music that provided the template for today’s global EDM scene. The album is a romp of upbeat, groove-laden party tracks of the type you can easily picture blowing up in a large arena. And B.C. Place was buzzing with anticipation.