Beyoncé’s “Cowboy Carter” tour stop in Houston took a dramatic turn Saturday night when a stage prop malfunction forced the superstar to pause her performance mid-song.
During a climactic moment of her set, the 43-year-old was performing atop a red Cadillac suspended above the crowd — a key visual from the show’s closing segment. As she launched into “16 Carriages,” a ballad from her Cowboy Carter album, the car unexpectedly tilted to one side, prompting Beyoncé to clutch a mounted flagpole for support.
“Stop! Stop, stop, stop stop,” she called out, halting the performance as fans looked on with concern.
The audience held their breath until Beyoncé was gently lowered to the main stage, after which she smiled, waved, and reassured the crowd: “If ever I fall, I know y’all will catch me.”
Her company, Parkwood Entertainment, later issued a statement confirming that the incident was caused by a “technical mishap” and that no injuries occurred. “Beyoncé was safely lowered to the stage and the performance continued,” the statement read.
Fan-recorded videos of the moment quickly went viral on social media, with users praising Beyoncé’s composure and referencing her famous onstage quip, “somebody’s getting fired,” originally made during a lighting glitch in 2010.
This is not the first time a technical error has disrupted her shows. During the same tour, an automated prop meant to pour her a drink misfired, causing a spill. In 2018, a floating platform malfunctioned during the “On The Run II” tour, and Beyoncé had to climb down a ladder — in heels — to continue her set.
Saturday’s performance marked the 23rd stop on the 32-date Cowboy Carter tour, which has drawn massive crowds with its bold Western aesthetic and high-concept production. The tour is set to conclude in Las Vegas next month and has already broken attendance records at major venues like Tottenham Hotspur Stadium in London and Stade de France in Paris.
Fans continue to shower the singer with praise for her poise, professionalism, and show-stopping artistry — even in moments of unexpected chaos.
