I was excited to see hip-hop icon JAY-Z perform at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis north of Paris on Thursday, September 10th. As part of his limited JAŸ-Z30 Tour the stadium show included high-profile guests Justin Timberlake and Pharrell Williams.
The tour is a milestone celebration for the New York rap legend JAY-Z honoring 30 years since his debut album Reasonable Doubt and 25 years since The Blueprint.
Surprise Guest Appearances
During the concert Justin Timberlake joined JAY-Z on stage to sing "Holy Grail," the track from JAY-Z’s 2013 album Magna Carta Holy Grail. The pair then performed Timberlake’s song "Until the End of Time " which had Beyoncé on its 2007 remix.
Justin Timberlake was not the guest.
Producer and artist Pharrell Williams joined JAY-Z for a set during the evening performing songs together such as "Excuse Me Miss," "La-La-La (Excuse Me Miss Again) " "Frontin’ " and "Allure.”
Career-Spanning 34-Song Setlist
The concert had a 34-song setlist that opened with "On to the Next One" and ended with "Numb / Encore " JAY-Z’s 2004 track with Linkin Park. Big parts of the set came from The Blueprint with songs like "Heart of the City (Ain’t No Love) " "Izzo (H.O.V.A.) " and "U Don’t Know.”
Songs from The Black Album also appeared a lot, such as "99 Problems," "Dirt Off Your Shoulder " and "Public Service Announcement." Other highlights of the night were "Big Pimpin’ " "Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem) " and "Empire State of Mind.”
Tour Background and Upcoming Dates
The Paris show finished a three-night leg across the UK and France. Before Saint-Denis JAY-Z played two nights in London, where guests included actor Idris Elba, DJ Khaled, Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean and South London rapper Giggs.
The JAŸ-Z30 Tour is a selective eight-show run in four cities. It started earlier in the summer with a three-night stand at Yankee Stadium in July. Will finish with two shows in California in October.
| Date | City | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| October 23 2026 | Inglewood, CA | SoFi Stadium |
| October 24 2026 | Inglewood, CA | SoFi Stadium |
Ticket Information
Tickets for the remaining tour dates are available on ticketing sites, like Vivid Seats, where buyers can save $20 on orders of $200 or more by using the promo code COS20 at checkout.
