Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour is generating massive buzz online, but not just for her powerful performances. The singer is now facing a pending legal battle with Sphere Entertainment Co., owners of the Las Vegas Sphere, who have issued a cease-and-desist order over a brief concert interlude video involving the venue’s likeness.
Sphere Claims Unauthorized Use of Venue’s Likeness in Concert Footage
According to Billboard, the footage triggered legal concerns from Sphere Entertainment Co., which claims the depiction infringes on their intellectual property rights. In a letter addressed to Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment, attorney Kathleen McCarthy of King & Spalding demanded that the imagery be immediately removed from the show, merchandise, marketing, and any tour-related films.
The letter reads: “It has recently come to SEG’s attention that a Cowboy Carter tour interlude video contains the unauthorized use of SEG’s intellectual property… The prominent appearance and manipulation of SEG’s Sphere™ venue in the video is unauthorized.”
The sequence, which plays mid-show, shows a towering CGI Beyonce interacting with the digital Sphere in a playful but unmistakable visual. SEG argues the clip might also mislead fans into thinking Beyoncé has a partnership or upcoming residency with the venue.
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Beyonce Expands Her Setlist on Night 2 of ‘Cowboy Carter’ Tour
Legal challenges aside, Beyonce’s Cowboy Carter tour continues to deliver unforgettable moments on stage. On Night 2 at SoFi Stadium, Beyonce refreshed her setlist with a surprise medley of iconic hits. Starting with “Texas Hold ‘Em,” the Cowboy Carter breakout single, she transitioned into the Homecoming version of “Crazy in Love” and then wowed the crowd with “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It)”, marking the song’s first live performance since 2018.
The medley continued with “Love on Top,” “Irreplaceable,” and a rare rendition of “If I Were a Boy,” which she hasn’t performed since her 2014 tour.
Tour Continues Across U.S. and Europe Despite Legal Tension
Despite the legal conflict with the Sphere, the Cowboy Carter tour rolls on. Beyoncé has three more shows scheduled in Los Angeles before heading to Chicago, New Jersey, London, and Paris. She’ll wrap the tour in Las Vegas this July, though not at the Sphere, but at Allegiant Stadium.
As at the time of penning down this report, Beyonce and her team are yet to respond publicly to the cease-and-desist, and no formal legal action has followed yet.