Fans brave the elements at Sunderland's Stadium of Light ahead of Beyoncé ticket sale

All the single ladies - and the married ones too - are braving sub zero temperatures tonight to get their hands on the best seats in the house for Beyoncé.
Beyonce fans Haley Taylor and Natalie TiltBeyonce fans Haley Taylor and Natalie Tilt
Beyonce fans Haley Taylor and Natalie Tilt

Tickets go on sale at 9am tomorrow for the superstar’s Stadium of Light gig on June 28, but scores have turned up tonight to ensure they got the best views of the singer’s Wearside debut.

Tomorrow’s general sale follows an exclusive pre-sale for O2 priority customers, which has sold out its allocation.

Haley Taylor, Natalie Tilt, and sisters Samantha and Ashleigh McCourtHaley Taylor, Natalie Tilt, and sisters Samantha and Ashleigh McCourt
Haley Taylor, Natalie Tilt, and sisters Samantha and Ashleigh McCourt
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Haley Taylor, 31, and Natalie Tilt, 31, both from Thorney Close, were among the first in the queue, which is housed within the Carling and East stands of the stadium, protecting fans from the elements.

Haley said: “We tried to get some pre-sale tickets, but there were none left. We’ve never queued overnight for tickets for anyone before, but we’ve been fans of hers since Destiny’s Child, so we knew we had to come down and make sure we got our tickets.

“It will be the biggest gig they’ve ever had at the stadium.”

Though fans couldn’t get into the concourse until 5pm, some had arrived as early as 4.30am this morning.

Stormie Whitfield and Brooke WattStormie Whitfield and Brooke Watt
Stormie Whitfield and Brooke Watt
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Bede College pupil Stormie Whitfield, 18, and friend Brooke Watt, 18, from Downhill, waited at the stadium for a full 12 hours before the queue even began.

“We have four pairs of gloves on, layers, thermals, body warmers and sleeping bags,” said Brooke. “There was no one here when we got here at 4.30am so we just waited around until we could queue. We are determined to get Golden Circle tickets. We’ve never seen her live before, it’s amazing she’s coming to Sunderland.”

There’s been huge hype around last week’s surprise gig announcement, which will see the Crazy in Love singer open the European leg of her Formation world tour in the city.

Mum-of-two Niki Strong, 42, and niece Levi Kell, 18, from Murton, joined the queue, which soon snaked through the concourse.

Haley Taylor, Natalie Tilt, and sisters Samantha and Ashleigh McCourtHaley Taylor, Natalie Tilt, and sisters Samantha and Ashleigh McCourt
Haley Taylor, Natalie Tilt, and sisters Samantha and Ashleigh McCourt
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

College student Levi said: “We’re huge Beyoncé fans, we can’t wait to hear her play Single Ladies. We’ve been to other gigs here, Take That and Rihanna, but we’re more excited about Beyoncé.”

Niki said: “We bought sleeping bags, food, a couple of chairs and plenty of coffee to keep us going.”

First in the queue was Lisa Wayne and partner Colin Wayne from Silksworth.

Lisa, 39, said: “We saw her performance at the SuperBowl and we’re hoping she’ll put on a performance like that.”

Stormie Whitfield and Brooke WattStormie Whitfield and Brooke Watt
Stormie Whitfield and Brooke Watt
Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Sisters Samantha McCourt, 19, and Ashleigh McCourt, 22, from Southwick, say they’re expecting a high octane performance from the multi-million selling artist.

Ashleigh said: “We’ve never queued for anyone before, but Beyoncé is more than worth it. She’s going to put on a real show.”

Steward Carlo Finlinson said: “Last time we had queues like this was for North East Live. But the vibe is always positive, they’re never any bother. Especially as we don’t allow alcohol.

“There’s stewards here all through the night to look after them.”