Fans have spotted a major change to Beyoncé's set after she was hit with a cease-and-desist letter regarding a display during her recent concert amid the star's 'chaotic' Cowboy Carter tour. The 43-year-old superstar received a strongly-worded email over the use of the Las Vegas Sphere in her tour visuals, and has since made an edit, replacing it with Allegiant Stadium, where she is actually performing in Sin City.
The change-up in visuals was revealed by PopBase on Sunday, May 4, 2025. Beyoncé kicked off her country concert tour in Los Angeles last week, and it was during her first two shows that she received a strongly worded letter from attorneys representing Madison Square Garden boss James Dolan. This legal document threatened to remove a sequence from her concerts that depicted her picking up the Las Vegas Sphere and toying with it.
In fan-taken footage, a towering, giant-sized Beyoncé was seen striding through the recognizable Las Vegas skyline before picking up the venue. The legal document, penned by Dolan's attorney Kathleen McCarthy of the law firm King & Spalding, described the scene: "Beyoncé — many orders of magnitude larger than the Sphere venue — leans over, picks up the venue, and looms over it." The letter was sent to Beyoncé's production company, Parkwood Entertainment.
Sphere accused Beyoncé, who they claim has never visited the venue, of 'impermissible use and violation' of the company's intellectual property rights. This, they argued, has resulted in significant speculation that Beyoncé would end her tour with a Sphere residency. The cease-and-desist letter continued, stating: "SEG [Sphere Entertainment Group] was never asked and the prominent appearance and manipulation of SEG's Sphere venue in the video is unauthorized." Dolan's company gave Beyoncé a Monday, May 5, 2025 deadline to remove the imagery from her concert shows, warning that they "reserve all rights to take further action" if she fails to comply.
The news comes just a day after Beyoncé performed her second out of five shows at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles. Earlier this week, she impressed a star-studded crowd of concertgoers in Inglewood, California, despite her tour being preemptively deemed a 'flop.' During her spectacular show, she introduced a heartwarming moment by bringing out her rarely-seen daughter Rumi, seven, alongside her eldest child, Blue Ivy, 13. Beyoncé also shares son Sir Carter, Rumi's twin, with rapper Jay-Z.
Her tour will continue through late July before wrapping up with two performances in Las Vegas. Last year, it was reported that her negotiations for a residency at the Sphere did not come to fruition after the venue refused her request to shut down for two weeks for her to rehearse. The Sphere, which opened in 2023, has hosted residencies from artists like U2, Phish, and The Eagles. A new Sphere venue is also set to be constructed in Abu Dhabi.
Following the cease-and-desist, Beyoncé has swiftly replaced the visuals to include Las Vegas’s Allegiant Stadium instead. A source reportedly told Billboard that James Dolan, CEO of Sphere Entertainment and Madison Square Garden Entertainment Group, had previously tried to negotiate for the singer to perform at the Sphere, but she will instead perform at Allegiant Stadium on July 25 and 26 this summer.
The Cowboy Carter tour kicked off at the SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California, and has been a significant event for fans. Clocking in at nearly three hours, Beyoncé performed 36 songs celebrating her most recent album, which shares the same name and dropped last year in March. So far, the tour has seen her bring her rarely-seen daughter Rumi onstage and play a Death Grips interlude, much to the surprise of fans.
As she continues to navigate the complexities of her tour, Beyoncé remains a dominant force in the music industry. Her ability to captivate audiences with her performances, coupled with the challenges she faces, only adds to the intrigue surrounding her Cowboy Carter tour. With upcoming performances scheduled in major cities including Chicago, New York City, and London, fans are eagerly anticipating what else she has in store.
Despite the legal hiccup with the Sphere, Beyoncé's tour has been a showcase of her talent and resilience. The visuals may have changed, but her commitment to delivering an unforgettable experience for her fans remains steadfast. As she continues her journey across the United States and beyond, it will be interesting to see how she adapts her show in response to the recent developments.
In the world of entertainment, where every detail matters, Beyoncé's swift response to the cease-and-desist highlights not only her professionalism but also her dedication to her craft. As she prepares for her future performances, fans can expect nothing short of a spectacular show, filled with the artistry and emotion that only Beyoncé can deliver.
