Beyoncé’s billions break new records for megastar tours

After three hours, nine costume changes and no fewer than 36 songs, Beyoncé closed the maiden show of her hotly anticipated Renaissance tour slowly gliding through the air atop a glitter-encrusted horse.

The production of last Wednesday’s lavish show — from the robotic arms to the phalanx of dancers and the chrome lunar rover rolling across the stage — was the work of Parkwood Entertainment, the production company owned by Queen Bey herself. Such vertical integration of the megastar’s music machine is one of many reasons why the Renaissance tour, Beyoncé’s first for seven years, is tipped to become the most lucrative of all time