Beyoncé went to Tottenham Hotspur Stadium to watch her husband perform. Before the night was over, the stadium crowd was singing to her instead.
Jay-Z paused his Sept. 4 London concert to celebrate Beyoncé’s 45th birthday, first asking his production team to put her on the venue’s giant screen. Once the camera found her in a VIP suite, he began singing “Happy Birthday,” the crowd joined in and fireworks started exploding overhead, according to PEOPLE.
Beyoncé smiled, flashed the Roc Nation hand sign, waved and blew kisses toward the crowd. Dressed casually in a hoodie, she leaned against the suite railing and looked toward the sky as the fireworks continued.
The date already carried major musical anniversaries for both of them. Sept. 4 marked 20 years since Beyoncé released B’Day on her 25th birthday, while Jay-Z’s JAŸ-Z 30 shows celebrate three decades of Reasonable Doubt and 25 years of The Blueprint.
Jay-Z Made Sure Beyoncé Was on the Jumbotron First
Jay-Z did not simply shout out Beyoncé between songs. During a brief intermission, PEOPLE reported that he asked his production team whether they had “the shot,” waiting until the camera found his wife before beginning the serenade.
Beyoncé appeared on the stadium screen standing with friends in a box suite. The audience reacted immediately, and Jay-Z began “Happy Birthday” moments later. The fireworks started while the crowd was still singing.
Beyoncé waved and blew kisses before turning her attention toward the display overhead. At one point, PEOPLE reported that she appeared to mouth “Oh my God.” She remained in the suite rather than joining Jay-Z onstage, and he returned to the concert once the birthday moment ended.
Her 45th Birthday Also Marked 20 Years of ‘B’Day’
Beyoncé had already marked Sept. 4 with another release before arriving at the stadium. She issued B’Day (20th Anniversary Edition), an expanded 31-track version of her second studio album, which originally arrived on Sept. 4, 2006, her 25th birthday.
The anniversary edition combines remastered material with previously unreleased songs, B-sides, remixes and new collaborations. It includes “Morning Dew (Donk),” first released in July, “Can I Watch You” featuring Pharrell Williams, “Cuerpo Tumbao (Get Me Bodied)” with Maluma and “Irreemplazable (Como La Flor),” which incorporates vocals from the late Selena Quintanilla with permission from her estate.
Beyoncé’s official store also released a four-LP deluxe vinyl edition, while the anniversary campaign included remastered versions of the era’s music videos. The timing made the album’s original title literal all over again.
Tina Knowles Went Back to the Day Beyoncé Was Born
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Jay-Z was not the only family member marking the milestone publicly. Tina Knowles shared a hospital photograph taken after Beyoncé’s birth, showing mother and newborn making what she described as their first eye contact.
Knowles recalled a nine-hour labor and said she was exhausted in the photograph but happier than she had ever been up to that point. She described the connection she felt with Beyoncé from their first moments together as powerful and unbroken.
She also praised her daughter for continuing to create and move forward despite what she called the “terrible noise” that can surround her. PEOPLE reported that Knowles called Beyoncé “an extraordinary human” and celebrated her for continuing to make history.
Jay-Z’s London Shows Are an Anniversary Celebration Too
The birthday serenade happened inside a concert built around Jay-Z’s own milestones. JAŸ-Z 30 celebrates the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of his 2001 album The Blueprint.
Jay-Z is playing Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5, his only U.K. dates of the run. The London shows follow his three-night Yankee Stadium residency in July, where surprise guests included Beyoncé alongside other artists from across his career.