‘Met Gala for the Beyhive’: Beyoncé fans dress up for London film premiere
A weekday trip to the cinema is typically a low-key affair. But with Friday afternoon came the first showing of Beyoncé’s Renaissance film. Encouraged by the star herself, fans – commonly known as the Beyhive – wore outfits featuring silver (the signature colour of the tour), cowboy hats and concert merch. Following in the footsteps those who watched Barbie and Taylor Swift’s Eras film, they were the latest set of fans this year to head to the cinema dressed up to the nines.
Oscar Parker, a 17-year-old student, wore a silver puffer jacket and matching trousers, while Aoife O’Brien – less of a superfan – wore a cowboy hat, tracksuit trousers and a corset “in support” of her friend. Parker said he liked the “sense of community when everyone’s dressing up”.
Anisa Finta, a 30-year-old currency trader, was a vision in the silver outfit she created especially for the film debut. “We’re bored of jeans and regular clothes. We want to look and dress the part. [Beyoncé is] the person to get us to dress up.”
The more low-key fans also made an effort. Aoife Kenny, a 24-year-old performer in the musical Frozen, wore a green hoodie she bought at the concert in June. “This isn’t early but we work at night so it is early to me,” she said. “I wore the merch because you have to pay your respects.” Effie Privi, a 30-year-old customer service agent who was wearing a T-shirt with Beyoncé on it, described going to see the film as “the Met Gala for the Beyhive”.
Dressing up for the cinema has been around for a while. Screenings of The Rocky Horror Picture Show, which have long been a dressing-up occasion, remain popular. More recently, Secret Cinema has encouraged fans of films such as Dirty Danc