Beyoncé announces Renaissance world tour, as fans brace for ticket rush

Beyoncé has revealed a 43-date global tour, which includes five nights in the UK, in support of her highly praised Renaissance album.

On May 10, the performances will get under way in Sweden before coming to Cardiff's Principality stadium a week later.

Additional UK dates are scheduled for May in Edinburgh on May 20, Sunderland on May 23, and London's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on May 29 and 30.

For her first solo tour since 2016, there will likely be a high demand for tickets.

Pre-sales for the star's UK performances will start at 10:00 GMT on Thursday, and regular sales will follow on Tuesday.

In North America, fans are being asked to register for Ticketmaster's Verified Fan process – which the company says will filter out touts – before ticket pre-sales open on Monday.

Those who have registered will be entered into a “lottery-style process” if demand outstrips the number of available tickets.

Politicians in the US, who are already investigating Ticketmaster over the fumbled sale of Taylor Swift's Eras tour, will be keeping an eagle eye on how the systems cope with Beyoncé's concerts.

Beyoncé didn't sing any of her brand-new music last week at the opening of a posh hotel in Dubai, where she gave her first headline performance in four years.

She reportedly received $24 million (£19.4 million) for the one-time performance, but she was criticized for doing so in a nation where homosexuality and gender transformation are illegal.

Critics argued that was in opposition to the album's open celebration of black and LGBT dance culture.

Beyoncé designed the album to be “a place to dream and to find escape” during the epidemic. She layered her tracks with numerous club music samples and allusions, ranging from Grace Jones' imperious soul and Nile Rodgers' Studio 54 disco grooves to less well-known genres like bounce and dancehall.

Exclaim magazine called it “the sound of a once-in-a-generation superstar performing at her peak”, while the Guardian described it as “a breath-taking, maximalist tour de force”.

Unusually, Beyoncé has avoided making music videos for the album, meaning the Renaissance tour will be fans' first chance to see her visual interpretation of tracks like Break My Soul, Alien Superstar and Cuff It.

The former Destiny's Child star may reveal further details at this weekend's Grammys, where she is up for nine awards, including album of the year.

The singer previously hinted at plans for a world tour in October, when she raffled tickets to a show during the fifth annual Wearable Art Gala.

Images shared from the auction suggested the “unique” prize, valued at $20,000 (£16,200), included first-class plane tickets, a three-night hotel stay, two concert tickets and a guided backstage tour from Beyoncé's mother.