Fans were furious and exhausted waiting for the show Sunday<\/a> as thousands of people were held outside the New York City venue until the concert started shortly after midnight.<\/p>\n The rapper, born Shawn Corey Carter, addressed the delay <\/a>shortly after taking the stage, telling the massive crowd that the set was pushed back to avoid crowd safety issues, according to The Hollywood Reporter<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cLet me explain the delay to you guys,\u201d Jay-Z, 56, said after kicking off the concert. \u201cIt was like 10,000 people outside, and we closed all the doors, and somebody rushed the door. They closed the door for you guys\u2019 safety and everyone\u2019s safety outside.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cThere\u2019s 10,000 people outside; I don\u2019t want to start the music and people get trampled. I\u2019m really sorry for the inconvenience, but I had to make sure everyone was okay. I appreciate your patience.\u201d<\/p>\n Roc Nation, Jay-Z\u2019s label, said in a statement shared with The Independent: \u201cOn Sunday evening at various fan entrances at Yankee Stadium, hundreds of individuals in large groups \u2014 who did not have tickets to tonight\u2019s performance \u2014 stormed over peaceful ticketholders, and in some cases, breached security. <\/p>\n \u201cAs a result, gates at all entrances of the Stadium were closed for an extended period of time. With the thoughtful guidance of the NYPD, gates were reopened cautiously and carefully to ensure the safety of those inside and outside. The Yankees, Roc Nation and Live Nation express our deep gratitude to the NYPD and to Yankee Stadium security personnel for their leadership and direction throughout the evening, putting the welfare of attendees above all other considerations.\u201d<\/p>\n Once the show got started, the audience was quickly forgiving of the delay as the final show, dubbed \u201cExtra Innings,\u201d brought out special guests and wrapped around 2:45 a.m. with celebratory fireworks going off over the stadium.<\/p>\n The third night of Jay-Z\u2019s hometown residency had been highly anticipated after the hip-hop icon brought out his wife Beyonc\u00e9 and their daughter Blue Ivy, as well as Nas and Alicia Keys during night one of the shows and Eminem for night two.<\/p>\n At the final show, Rihanna made a rare concert appearance and joined Jay-Z on their song \u201cRun This Town\u201d before performing a rendition of \u201cBitch Better Have My Money.\u201d Beyonc\u00e9 also came out and performed \u201cDrunk In Love,\u201d and Teyana Taylor joined for \u201cCan\u2019t Knock the Hustle.\u201d Usher and Pharrell Williams also both surprised fans as special guests at the show.<\/p>\n![\"Jay-Z's](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/2026-06-14T220027Z_664106145_UP1EM6E1P4PF3_RTRMADP_3_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-CIV-ECU.JPG\")
Jay-Z’s show Sunday at Yankee Stadium was delayed by more than three hours (Reuters)<\/p>\n