Beyonce's 'middle-aged fan' problem: Brand expert gives damning verdict on why Cowboy Carter is failing to pack out stadiums

Daily Mail​

2 days ago

She is unquestionably one of the most influential performers the music industry has ever seen, so it came as a surprise when Beyonce failed to sell out any of the six nights of her shows at London's Tottenham stadium - after sluggish sales for some parts of the US leg of her tour.
When tickets went on sale in February, fans raised their eyebrows at the price of the highest priced seats, which came in at an eye-watering £950.
However, prices were slashed in the lead-up to the show, with tickets originally priced at £620 in the fan presale reportedly now dropping to £141.60.
In the hours before her first London show, there were still 539 free seats left in the stadium which holds around 62,000 people for concerts, with unsold tickets reportedly being offered to low-income families via food banks.
Personal branding expert Kelly Lundberg told MailOnline that the high price will not be attractive to her mostly middle-aged fan base who have other financial commitments, while a failure to connect with younger audiences means parents won't be pestered by their children to attend.
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It comes in sharp contrast to ticket sales for her Renaissance world tour in 2023 where UK shows sold out within minutes of being released.
It seems there are a variety of reasons for the slower sales of Beyonce's Cowboy Carter tour from pricing issues, varying demand to see her in person and thornier issues such as her husband Jay-Z's friendship with the disgraced P Diddy.
Kelly, a global speaker and host of the Kelly Lundberg podcast, believes the expensive cost of tickets will have put off many fans, particularly those who have followed Beyonce since their teen years and are now juggling kids and mortgages.
'Research shows tickets come with a hefty fee, more expensive than her last tour just two years ago, as well as Taylor Swifts's gigs and Oasis's concert,' she told MailOnline.
'When you have longevity in a career, like Beyonce does, your fans grow with you. But that means many die-hard Beyoncé fans are juggling mortgages, children and careers. Attending a high-priced show may not be a priority as it once was?'
She also cited potential decreased demand to see Beyonce in concert after her Renaissance tour just two years ago.
'Given that Beyonce's Renaissance tour wasn't quite two years ago, it doesn't create that elite, once-in-a-lifetime vibe that should come with a premium-priced event,' she said.
'It's likely that the fans who forked out hundreds of pounds to see Beyonce in 2023, don't want to splash out on so much money to see her again so soon.
It seems there are a variety of reasons for the slower sales of Beyonce's Cowboy Carter tour from pricing issues
'Then, there's the tour itself. Cowboy Carter was brilliant culturally, but did it lose the deeper connection that her fans are looking for?
'She's missing a trick and potentially substituting perfection for connection by not sharing more storytelling about motherhood, business, creatively, vulnerability, and behind-the-scenes content.'
Lundberg also pointed out the contrast between Beyonce's 'almost-unattainable' levels of excellence' and Taylor Swift's more 'accessible' Eras tour.
'Given the legacy of rivalry, there will be comparisons drawn to Taylor Swifts' Eras tour, which grossed $2bn in ticket sales, but it's more telling to compare Beyonce's 2025 tour, to her 2023 Renaissance world tour, which sold out in minutes.
'Beyonce and Taylor Swift have built their fanbase differently. As a now cultural institution, Beyonce has built her brand on almost unattainable levels of excellence - which can make her feel inaccessible.
'That high-level image can come at a price - alienating those everyday fans. While people still admire her, they might not feel as emotionally connected as they once did.
'While Taylor Swift's concerts very much invite fans to be a part of it; they feel invited in, rather than invited to witness.'
Another issue is that while Taylor has a lot of young fans who attended her Eras tour with their parents, Beyonce hasn't made the same connection with younger generations.
'Taylor Swifts' fan base is also growing with her, but they started younger and aren't at the same life stage as Beyonce's fans,' Kelly explained.
'Taylor has expertly nurtured her fan base from adolescence into adulthood, constantly adapting her narrative voice to reflect their life stages. She also attracts younger fans through visibility on platforms like TikTok, Instagram reels and fan-generated content.
'Beyoncé's brand, by contrast, has matured alongside her original fanbase. Many of her core supporters are now in their 30s to 50s - with real-world financial pressures, limited time and children of their own.
'Gen Z and Gen Alpha aren't as deeply connected to her journey, because she doesn't meet them where they currently are in life, be that digitally or from a storytelling perspective.'
Beyonce has sought to appeal to younger fans by including her daughters Blue Ivy and Rumi in her shows.
But she has previously fought back criticism that her daughter Blue Ivy, 13, was dressing too 'grown up' at events.
Some called the strapless gold gown she wore to the Lion King premiere last year 'inappropriate' for a 12-year-old.
'My gorgeous baby girl,' Beyonce wrote on Instagram the evening of the debut. 'This is your night. You worked hard and you did such a beautiful job as the voice of Kiara. Your family could not be prouder. Keep shining.'
But Beyonce was undeterred by the criticism as Blue showed up to the Grammys in February in a strapless blue dress.
The teen has since joined her mother on stage in London along with her younger sister Rumi, seven.
Beyonce's image may have been harmed by her and husband Jay-Z's past links to P Diddy, whose real name is Sean Combs.
In April, a lawsuit that claimed Beyoncé, Jay Z and LeBron James were at a party where Diddy allegedly drugged and sexually maimed a victim was met with furious denials.
In the complaint, Joseph Manzaro claims he was 'drugged, transported against his will, and sexually maimed as a victim of a coercive and organised criminal enterprise'.
Manzaro alleged he was 'secretly transferred' to Diddy's home through a 'concealed tunnel' allegedly connected to Gloria and Emilio Estefan's Miami house.
He said that it was a birthday party for Diddy's then-17-year-old son, ENews reported.
The lawsuit claims: 'Jay-Z and Beyoncé Knowles-Carter were seated in the room and upon seeing [Manzaro], Beyoncé Knowles-Carter asked, 'What's this? What's this all about? Why is this half-naked white man with a [penis] mask standing here in front of me?''
When Manzaro first sued, Diddy and the Estefans denied his allegations, as did LeBron James, who Manzaro claimed was also at the party. Jay-Z's attorney insisted he was not in Florida at the time, and that 'easily findable public activities' could prove as much, while Beyoncé's agent was contacted for comment.
Manzaro has since submitted an amended version of his suit against Diddy - and reportedly, the only change is that all references to Jay-Z and Beyoncé have disappeared, according to TMZ.