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Netizens are questioning the accommodations for disabled fans at Beyoncé's ongoing "Cowboy Carter" tour after a visually impaired attendee claimed she was "dehumanized" at one of the shows.
The individual, named Esther Obigbesan, revealed in an interview that she was forced to hand over her cane before entering the VIP area she paid for.
The Beyoncé fan also claimed that security ignored her explanation that the cane was a visual aid and later moved her to a different section after she used the bathroom.
A Beyoncé fan has shared the "dehumanizing" experience she suffered at the singer's Tottenham Hotspur Stadium show in June, sparking a barrage of reactions from netizens.
Esther Obigbesan told BBC Radio London's Eddie Nestor that she had purchased a VIP standing ticket worth over $650, hoping for more comfort due to her visual impairment, per the Daily Mail.
She claimed to have reached out to the ticket providers to explain her accessibility needs but received no response, even on the day of the concert.
Although her initial entry into the venue went smoothly, things changed when she attempted to access the VIP pit. Obigbesan said she was stopped by security, who repeatedly barked at her and her companions, saying, "She can't go down there."
The security guards allegedly demanded Obigbesan hand over her cane, claiming canes weren't allowed in the section she had paid for. Even after she explained it was a visual aid, they insisted she surrender it before granting her access.
According to Obigbesan, the incident shook her confidence and sense of independence, which is why she described the experience as dehumanizing.
"Like they weren't seeing me as a person. I was just this problem," she added about the incident.
Unfortunately, the ordeal didn't end there. She claimed that after using the bathroom during the concert, a safety officer relocated her to a seated area two levels above her original spot.
"When I came out, they'd contacted the safety officer who was trying to relocate me," Obigbesan shared further. "They were saying it's not safe for me down there because people won't know I'm visually impaired – I said I could have my cane back."
Following her relocation, Obigbesan claimed she could no longer enjoy the concert she had paid for.
According to her, she felt overwhelmed by the humiliation she had endured and could hardly recall what had happened at the event.
"It's a three-hour show, but I barely remember any of it because I was crying so much," Obigbesan shared.
Since sharing her experience, Obigbesan has been met with a flood of support from fellow fans of the pop star, who are now expressing concerns about the treatment of disabled people at Beyoncé's shows.
Online users slammed the concert's arrangements, saying more should have been done to accommodate people with disabilities.
"This is so heartbreaking, we're still having to deal with this in 2025. A cane is literally an extension of us, even when it's folded! Such a shame, things need to change universally," a user remarked.
"A cane is part of your body. They removed that, and I'm so sorry that's horrific. You are so brave for sharing your story," another person reacted.
"The most awful ableism. Thank you for speaking out in the hope that it will help others," one more person stated.
"FFS! How did this happen in 2025 when we're supposed to all know better when it comes to disability! This is outrageous," a fourth user said.
"This story is so sad, honestly! And we all know damn well Beyoncé isn't going to address anything, and this is why slowly she's started losing her fan base," another person stated.
Obigbesan's remarks come days after several Beyoncé fans suffered injuries in a stampede after they were spooked by an individual who was screaming.
According to reports, many concertgoers had walked to a nearby rail station after the singer's final show in Atlanta, where the stampede occurred on an escalator.
"Just after midnight on Tuesday, July 15, 11 people leaving the Beyoncé concert at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta were injured on an escalator at Vine City Station," said a rep for the Vine City Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) Station, per the Daily Mail.
"One person suffered a broken ankle, seven people were transported to the hospital with cuts and scrapes, and one person declined transport," the rep added. "Two people requested medical assistance after reaching their destinations.
