Tens of thousands of fans descended upon the Swedish capital of Stockholm to celebrate the opening show of Beyoncé’s new world tour on Wednesday.

“Renaissance” is the superstar’s first solo tour since 2016 and shares the namesake of her 2022 dance-centric album, the success of which landed Beyoncé at the top of the Grammy throne as the ceremony’s most decorated artist in history.

Fans who had complained in recent months about the lack of music videos for “Renaissance” hits were in for a treat on Wednesday as video projections and animations took centrestage. The rapid succession of costume changes and decor shifts was baffling.

The singer played on interactions between a digital and physical world where robotic devices make space for weird silver moon rovers or an inflatable horse. Even Queen Bey herself morphs into a cybernetic character. Seems confusing? It was.

Yet despite the impressive scale of the stage set, some moments still felt intimate. Beyoncé expressed heartfelt gratitude to fans for travelling from afar to witness her perform. She reached for songs spanning across her two-decade career, kicking off the show with “Dangerously in Love,” the title track of her 2003 first solo album, moving through 2011 female empowerment anthem “Run the World (Girls)” and dishing up a good selection of hits from “Renaissance” itself.

Wednesday’s show sold out the 46,000 tickets available; and if the audience’s reaction was anything to go by, the rest of the tour will be a hit. Beyoncé will make stops at more than 40 cities including London, Paris, Barcelona and Toronto before wrapping up the tour on September 27 in New Orleans.

• An AP report