The night I saw Beyoncé at Hersheypark Stadium is still burned into my memory. When I walked through the gates, I could feel the anticipation pulsing in the air. People were buzzing, decked out in sequins, homemade t-shirts, and more glitter than I thought existed in Pennsylvania. Everyone knew we were about to see something bigger than a concert—we were about to witness a cultural event. I’ve been to a lot of shows, but nothing prepared me for what Beyoncé delivered that night.
This wasn’t just another stop on the Formation World Tour. This was Beyoncé standing tall in the middle of her most daring creative era, fresh off the release of Lemonade. The crowd wasn’t just expecting the hits—they were expecting a story. And from the first bass thump to the last note of “Halo,” she gave us a performance that felt part concert, part theater, part revolution.
Stage & Production
Before she even stepped out, the stage itself already told us this wasn’t going to be a standard pop show. A massive cube screen dominated the center, towering above like some futuristic monolith. Throughout the night, it rotated, split, and transformed into a canvas for visuals ranging from abstract art to clips from Lemonade.
There were runways, risers, and platforms, giving her room to command every inch of that massive stage. The lighting was sharp and dramatic—sometimes flooding the crowd in golden hues, other times slicing through the dark with razor-like beams. Add in smoke bursts, pyro, and video interludes that stitched the show together, and you had a production that felt cinematic but never distracted from the music.
Setlist & Performance
The setlist that night was a journey—both through her catalog and through the themes of Lemonade. She mixed the new with the old, the vulnerable with the ferocious. Here’s how it all unfolded:
Setlist – Beyoncé at Hersheypark Stadium, June 12, 2016
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Intro (with samples of “No Angel” and “Formation”)
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Formation
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Sorry (“I’m Sorry” intro)
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Kitty Kat (a cappella)
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Bow Down (“Tom Ford” outro)
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Run the World (Girls)
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Tape: Superpower (interlude)
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Mine
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Baby Boy (with samples of “Standing on the Sun,” “Freaks,” & “Bam Bam”)
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Hold Up
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Countdown (with samples of “Pop My Trunk”)
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Me, Myself and I
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Runnin’ (Lose It All) (Naughty Boy cover)
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All Night
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Tape: I Care / Ghost (interlude)
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Don’t Hurt Yourself (with “6 Inch” & “New Slaves” intro)
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Ring the Alarm (with “Lost Yo Mind,” “I Been On,” “Naughty Girl,” & “Independent Women Part I” samples)
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Diva (with “Cut It” & “Panda” samples)
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Tape: *Flawless (interlude)
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***Flawless (remix)
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Feeling Myself (Nicki Minaj cover)
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Yoncé
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Drunk in Love
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Rocket
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Tape: Hip Hop Star / Freakum Dress (interlude)
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Daddy Lessons
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Love on Top (a cappella)
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1+1
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The Beautiful Ones (Prince cover)
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Tape: Purple Rain (interlude)
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Crazy in Love (with “Dance (A$$)” & “Bootylicious” samples)
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Naughty Girl
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Party (with “La Di Da Di” sample)
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Blow (with “Nasty Girl” sample)
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Tape: Die with You / Blue (interlude)
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Freedom
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Survivor (Destiny’s Child)
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End of Time (with “Grown Woman” sample)
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Halo
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Tape: Schoolin’ Life (outro)
Highlights
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Formation: The second she stomped out to the opening beat, the stadium erupted. It wasn’t just a song—it felt like a declaration. Every lyric landed like a punch, and the choreography was razor-sharp.
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Sorry / Kitty Kat: This one-two punch captured Beyoncé’s dual powers—vengeful and defiant one minute, playful and teasing the next. That a cappella “Kitty Kat” moment? Goosebumps.
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Hold Up: Watching her stroll across the stage swinging that golden baseball bat was unforgettable. She turned heartbreak into theater.
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Don’t Hurt Yourself: The rawest moment of the night. The guitar snarled, and Beyoncé screamed those lines with a fury that rattled my bones.
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Flawless Remix / Feeling Myself: These tracks turned the stadium into a giant dance floor. Everyone rapped along like we were at the world’s biggest house party.
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Daddy Lessons: A curveball. Hearing her dip into country with horns and swagger in central Pennsylvania felt almost symbolic—Beyoncé showing she can master any genre.
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Prince Tribute: Her cover of “The Beautiful Ones” followed by a purple-lit “Purple Rain” interlude was heart-stopping. You could feel the entire crowd holding its breath.
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Freedom: Maybe the most powerful moment of the night. That chorus hit like a wave, and when water cascaded across the stage, it felt more like a baptism than a concert.
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Halo: The closer was perfect. After two hours of intensity, it was the soft landing we all needed. Her voice soared, her eyes glistened, and you could feel the gratitude radiating from her.
Crowd Energy
Hersheypark Stadium was packed to the brim, and the energy was electric. People sang every word, from die-hards who knew the Dangerously in Love deep cuts to kids hearing some of those tracks live for the first time. During “Love on Top,” Beyoncé had the crowd singing the key changes with her—it turned into a stadium-wide choir.
What I loved most was how the audience mirrored her emotional roller coaster. They raged with her on “Ring the Alarm,” swayed tenderly on “1+1,” and erupted in catharsis during “Freedom.” It wasn’t just watching Beyoncé; it was experiencing her with thousands of strangers who suddenly felt like family.
Vocals & Musicianship
Vocally, Beyoncé was untouchable. She flipped between soaring high notes, guttural growls, and smooth falsetto without missing a beat. What impressed me most was how she balanced live singing with full-out choreography. Most singers would crumble trying to do half of what she did.
The band was airtight. Guitars snarled, drums punched, horns popped, and the bass shook the floor. Her dancers were in peak form, moving with both precision and emotion, never feeling mechanical. This wasn’t just choreography—it was storytelling through movement.
Personal Reflection
Walking out of that stadium, I was drained in the best way. My voice was gone, my legs ached from dancing, but my heart felt full. I’ve seen plenty of concerts, but this one didn’t feel like entertainment—it felt like a cultural milestone.
Seeing Beyoncé perform songs from Lemonade live, with that visual storytelling and that ferocity, gave them even more weight. I understood the album better because I lived it with her in that stadium. And mixing in the classics reminded me why she’s been on top for nearly two decades.
Conclusion
That night in Hershey wasn’t just Beyoncé at her peak—it was Beyoncé redefining what it means to be a live performer. She combined the intimacy of personal storytelling with the grandeur of a stadium spectacle. The setlist was flawless, the visuals were breathtaking, and her voice was otherworldly.
Years later, I still talk about this show as one of the best concerts I’ve ever attended. Beyoncé didn’t just give us a performance; she gave us a memory, a story, a moment that will live with me forever.