Rihanna made her first live performance since her India concert in 2024.
Jay-Z's concert featured Beyoncé, Eminem, Usher and several surprise guest performers.
The show began hours late after security concerns outside Yankee Stadium delayed entry.
Rihanna's stage comeback that fans had been waiting for finally arrived when the singer made a surprise appearance during Jay-Z's concert at New York's Yankee Stadium. Returning to the stage for the first time since her private performance in India during Anant Ambani and Radhika Merchant's pre-wedding celebrations in 2024, Rihanna delighted the crowd with a brief but memorable set alongside her longtime collaborator.
Rihanna reunites with Jay-Z on stage
The singer joined Jay-Z during the final night of his Extra Innings concert series, opening with their Grammy-winning collaboration Run This Town. She then treated fans to a solo performance of her 2015 hit Bitch Better Have My Money.
Addressing the audience, it was said by Rihanna that she felt "rusty" because it had been a long time since she had performed live. Before leaving the stage, she told the cheering crowd that she had missed performing and thanked New York for the warm welcome.
Jay-Z apologises after delayed concert start
The concert itself began several hours later than scheduled after a security breach outside Yankee Stadium temporarily disrupted entry.
According to Page Six, Jay-Z apologised to concertgoers once he took the stage, explaining that the delay was caused after thousands of people gathered outside the venue and some attempted to rush the gates. It was explained by the rapper that organisers delayed the show to ensure everyone's safety and prevent people from getting injured in the crowd.
The final night of the residency also featured appearances from Beyoncé, Eminem, Pharrell Williams, Usher, Teyana Taylor and Jermaine Dupri, making it one of the biggest concert line-ups of the year.
Rihanna's appearance also marked another milestone in her long association with Jay-Z, who signed her to Def Jam Recordings in 2005 and helped launch her career. The pair have since collaborated on several hit songs, including Umbrella and Run This Town.
