Beyhive Budget: How much L.A. fans spent on outfits for Beyoncé's Renaissance Tour

Time, money and preparation to see an artist on tour can be both extensive and expensive. With tickets averaging $700, Beyoncé's “Renaissance World Tour” garnered over $461 million as of August 2023. The legendary pop singer recently completed a 3-day stop at Sofi Stadium in Inglewood.

On her website and social media, Beyoncé requested concertgoers to wear their “most fabulous silver fashions” to the shows falling between August 23 and September 11 in celebration of her September 4 birthday. In one of the most expensive cities to live in during national inflation, Los Angeles attendees found innovative ways to afford their last-minute silver wardrobe.

Upon receiving the dress code announcement, L.A. native Ben Cohen, 26, started to plan. His general thought process was to spend big on tour tickets but be economical with fashion.

Cohen took four hours to design a crystal-studded hat. He wore a silver catsuit, heels and silver gloves to accompany the hat, spending an estimated $130, including cosmetics from Amazon. His ticket cost about $600 at face value with taxes and fees included.

“She’s definitely encouraging people to spend money, that’s for sure,” Cohen said. “I’ve seen so many TikToks of shops that are putting out silver clothing since she announced it. It’s helping smaller businesses which is great.”

Another concertgoer, Josh Hurt, 34, also leaned into a glitzy moment. Bedazzling a silver shield from a local seller on Etsy, Hurt aimed for a “space cowboy” style with rhinestones from Amazon and the Santee Alley of downtown L.A. He paired off the rest of his look with silver biker gloves, silver cowboy boots and matching faux leather pants.

With a $1,900 ticket purchased at face value for the Beyhive Pit, his intricate outfit cost about an extra $400 in concert preparation — bringing Hurt to an estimated total of $2,300.

“It goes to show that people can still make things happen in a tough economy to do what they want to do,” Hurt said.

Sporting a sheer top garment from Fashion Nova, Alexander Wang undergarments and Dior vintage sunglasses, Beyhive member Giselle Elizalde waited patiently in the VIP line to check in for her $1,900 Beyhive Pit seat. It took her three hours and nearly $1,000 in clothing and accessories to get concert ready.

“I had a different outfit, but she told me to wear silver, so I [had to] wear silver. We make things work,” Elizalde said. “I’m feeling amazing, how else am I supposed to feel?”

Popular travel influencer, Paola Travell, spent a whopping $3,000 on a handmade, silver outfit that included a handmade corset, a hat, an off-the-shoulder pearl dress with a sheer train and a bee-themed necklace.

“I did everything with my own hands. It took me at least 30 hours,” Travell said. “For the Los Angeles shows, I made three outfits in one week after she made the request for silver. I spent one full week without sleeping to make the outfits.”

Travell has attended eight Renaissance World Tour shows starting in Marseille, France;  Frankfurt, Germany; Amsterdam; Hamburg, Germany and all three shows in Inglewood, California. For the September 4 show, she sat in the Beyhive Pit for $1,900.

While some may find these expenses too frivolous, Scott Gonzales, 28, found this uniting experience to be worth the extra cost.

“This was the Met Gala for all the Beyhive,” Gonzales said. “Do I know how to sew? No. Will I go out and buy a sewing machine to get this outfit ready? Of course. So I learned to sew.”

Beyoncé will take Renaissance to the stage once again in Vancouver, British Columbia on Monday.