Both Paycor Stadium and Great American Ballpark are free on Aug. 3 to accommodate the flying disco horse, dancing aliens and other extravaganzas found in the “Renaissance Tour.” Photo by: Wikimedia Commons

Local leaders are officially asking Beyoncé to fly her disco horse to Cincinnati this August for her visual epic, the “Renaissance Tour.”

Beyoncé’s Aug. 3 show in Pittsburgh was canceled last week, with the singer citing production logistics and scheduling issues. Now, Hamilton County Commission President Alicia Reece is reportedly asking Queen Bey to come to the Queen City instead.

“She’s asked the county administrator to make the outreach. So, we have through Ohio Valley Entertainment. They’re the entity that books Paycor,” Bridget Doherty, Hamilton County communications manager, told CityBeat. CityBeat asked Mayor Aftab Pureval’s office if the mayor has any plans to join Reece in her mission to land the Renaissance Tour, but his office said they did not have any comment at this time.

Both Paycor Stadium and Great American Ball Park are free on Aug. 3 to accommodate the flying disco horse, dancing aliens and other extravaganzas found in the “Renaissance Tour.”

The multi-million dollar economic impact of Taylor Swift’s “Eras Tour” at Paycor Stadium on June 30 and July 1 makes a great case for courting more and more big acts. It’s estimated that total consumer spending in Cincinnati during the “Eras Tour” reached around $92 million. Of that spending, about $48 million was estimated to be newly generated spending.

Alicia Reece told CityBeat the significance of Beyoncé coming to Cincinnati runs deeper than just economic impact; it’s an important cultural moment for local music.

Grammy-winning producer Sal Dali, who worked on the Renaissance album with Beyoncé, is a Cincinnati native. He’s also honored in the Cincinnati Black Music Walk of Fame, where Beyoncé is also mentioned for their collaborative efforts.

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If Cincinnati lands the show, Reece said she hopes “BeyHive” visitors who couldn’t get tickets will enjoy the finished Black Music Walk of Fame while listening to the show from afar, much like “Swifties” did during the “Tay-Gate.”

“Could you imagine, when Taylor Swift came, there were people sitting near the construction site of the Black Music Walk of Fame,” Reece said. “Could you imagine the ‘BeyHive’ and all those who couldn’t get tickets would be able to be over across the street at the Black Music Walk of Fame and enjoying it? It really brings all the pieces together.”

Reece said she is even looking into the possibility of honoring the tickets from the canceled Pittsburgh show, but all planning is in the very early stages as the county administrator, Jeff Aluotto, pursues the tour. With the Aug. 3 date rapidly approaching, Reece is taking a “let’s-go-for-it” approach, even if it means Cincinnati lands Beyoncé for the next tour.

“What do we have to lose?” she said. “We don’t have Beyoncé right now, but maybe if we go for it, we might be able to get that date, or maybe be considered in the future for a date, but it puts Cincinnati on the table.”

One Twitter user predicted the possible Cincinnati stop the same day the Pittsburgh show was canceled, citing beloved hippo Fritz’s birthday as a possible draw for the “Renaissance Tour.”

Don’t let it break your soul if Miss ‘Yoncé doesn’t end up coming to Cincinnati; the closest show on her schedule happens this Monday, July 17 in Louisville. Click here for tickets.
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This article appears in Jul 12-25, 2023.