Usher performed more than just his biggest hits at Dreamville Fest 2023. During the R&B star's Saturday night headline set on April 1, he teased concertgoers with a "special surprise" — but the joke was directed at them. "Ladies and gentlemen, without further ado, please raise your hands in honor of the one and only Beyoncé," Arthur announced, as the crowd at Dorothea Dix Park in Raleigh, North Carolina, erupted in thunderous cheers.
They should probably check the date on the ticket, though. As time passes and Queen Bey remains missing, anticipation continues to build. After focusing backstage to keep the show going, Usher finally returned to the microphone and said, "April Fools' Day." The singer even shared the prank with fans at home, later posting on Instagram The video, with the caption: "It's still April 1st, right?"
Still, the prank was an extra sting for some, especially Hive. One fan wrote on Twitter: "Usher is not fit for an April Fools prank...he's about to make the BeyHive mad at him lol." Another fan added that the "Brave" singer was "lucky Yes, Hive didn’t storm the stage.” Another joked about throwing the phone and suing for emotional distress. Another added, “Arthur knows he’s wrong! Some of the Bay Steins may have fainted behind this. "
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Meanwhile, others admire Arthur's sense of humor and laugh at themselves for falling for the prank. "Oh I wish I could have been there to see the ushers and Beyoncé pull off a prank. This is the best prank I've heard all day," another fan wrote. Some people watching Usher's show at home on Prime Video were "crying" after seeing the crowd go wild - although the reasons may be entirely different from those who were "jumping up and screaming" with excitement.
Perhaps surprisingly, festivalgoers didn't attack Usher despite making a cruel joke about his "Love in This Club Part II" collaborator. Another Twitter user aptly commented: "Usher is one of the very few artists who can get away with Beyoncé's shenanigans and still have the crowd on his side during the show." After all, Usher brought two The tease was made up for by real surprise guests - City Girls' Yung Miami and JT, who joined them to treat the crowd to a performance of their 2022 hit "Good Love."
Ultimately, the Grammy winner deemed her performance a success, writing in an April 2 Instagram post: "The energy last night...can't be explained. You showed me so much love and I love you more."
The Dreamville Fest lineup also features Drake, J. Cole, Summer Walker, Lil Durk, Ari Lennox, Glorilla, Burna Boy and Waka Flocka Flame. However, Beyoncé, who is gearing up for her Renaissance World Tour, is not - and has never been scheduled to - perform at the festival, despite Usher's shenanigans.
