By now it’s well-known that Jay-Z‘s third and eagerly anticipated “Extra Innings” show at Yankee Stadium was delayed by roughly three hours due to a security breach at the gates that led to thousands of people being trapped outside as they were slowly admitted by security. The show didn’t begin until after midnight ET Monday morning and ended with celebratory fireworks around 2:45 a.m.
But the enthusiasm from the packed crowd hadn’t dampened by the time Jay-Z finally took the stage, as the audience went wild for surprise guest performances from Rihanna — who made a rare concert appearence — as well as from Beyoncé, Jeezy, Clipse and more.
Most of the audience stayed through the show, and concertgoers commuting home on the subway could be heard musing about how it was the best show of Jay-Z’s three-night run, excitedly recounting how they saw Rihanna and Beyoncé.
Until the show suddenly kicked off around 12:21 a.m. ET, it wasn’t clear if the concert would even happen. The stadium was mostly filled by the expected 9:30 p.m. start time, with fans donning merch to celebrate the 30th anniversary of Jay-Z’s seminal album Reasonable Doubt. At 9:45 p.m., a voice over the loudspeaker thanked people for their patience and said they were still trying to get everyone in safely.
