The music world is currently swarming like a beehive, such is the buzz for Beyoncé’s new concert film Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé. The documentary, which offers a behind-the-scenes look at the singer’s latest album Renaissance and the tour she embarked upon to support it, was released in cinemas on December 1.
The concert film bookends a globetrotting promotional tour that saw Beyoncé become a news anchor, soar atop high-flying glitter horses, and ride a tank on stage. Such a monumental tour — which went on to become one of the most lucrative in history — meant that a forthcoming movie was inevitable, especially since Beyoncé has released six music-related film projects since 2011.
So as the world continues to hum lyrics from Renaissance some 17 months after its release, the one question on everyone’s lips is: where can I Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé.
Where can I watch ‘Renaissance: A Film by Beyoncé?’
As for now, the only way to watch Beyoncé’s Renaissance tour film is in cinemas, following its worldwide premiere on December 1. Beyoncé — like Taylor Swift’s The Eras Tour movie in October, made a distribution deal directly with AMC theatres — meaning cinemas are, as yet, the sole home for her Renaissance movie.
That distribution deal proved effective, since the movie topped the box office for the first weekend of December with a $21 million debut, well within the initial projections of $20 to $25 million. So feverish was the cinema-going experience that AMC issued some guidelines amid Renaissance’s theatrical run, including the prohibiting of dancing on seats or sporting headwear that might block other fans’ viewing.
According to AMC, the film will be shown on Thursdays through Sundays for a minimum of four weeks, though the theatrical run might vary in different countries. As for the film’s eventual destination post-theatres, we don’t yet know if Renaissance will land on any streaming services, or the official arrival date if it does.
For context, Beyoncé’s two most recent music films — titled Homecoming and Black Is King — premiered exclusively on Netflix and Disney Plus, respectively. That track record shows that the singer isn’t against a streaming release, though it’s likely Renaissance will first be available to rent.
Taking cues from Swift — whose Eras Tour was available to rent two months after its theatrical debut — Beyoncé’s Renaissance might be available for at-home viewing sometime in early 2024. That potential release window might mean Renaissance will be purchasable on platforms like Vudu, Apple, YouTube or Amazon some 45 days after its cinema debut.
As for streaming, we do know that Renaissance won’t be available on Max, since the project is not a Warner Bros. Discovery project. AMC might licence the film out to a streamer at some point, but the only surefire way to watch the film in the meantime is to head to your local cinema.