Be Alive! Beyoncé Captivates Viewers With Her Academy Awards Performance (and Gowns)

Beyoncé set a tone of excellence, opening the Academy Awards with a powerful rendition of the Oscar-nominated “Be Alive” set at the Tragniew Park Tennis Courts in Compton, California. The thrilling set was Beyoncé’s first live performance in two years, with her last one being at Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s memorial. Venus and Serena Williams introduced the performance at the start of the award ceremony.

The stage set was painted in tennis ball yellow, and this theme flowed into every bit of the performance, including the costumes and instruments. Beyoncé was accompanied by daughter Blue Ivy Carter towards the end of the performance when the mini Bey joined in with the dancers. The concert also included an appearance of Saniyya Sidney and Demi Singleton, who play Venus and Serena Williams in King Richard, and the Compton Cowboys Junior Equestrians.

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The Tragniew Park Tennis Courts are unique to the performance as Compton is the hometown of Serena and Venus Williams. The Compton Cowboys opened the performance with two women on their way to the tennis court with racquets in hand. In addition, many of the performers wore braids inspired by the Williams sisters.

David Koma designed Queen Bey’s neon gown for the performance, which featured an asymmetrical skirt and slit. She also donned a diamond garter belt to add even more sexiness to the ensemble. The off-the-shoulder frock was further accessorized with glistening diamonds, feathers, and glamorous gloves, allowing Beyoncé to take center stage in the performance amid the set's cohesive and flawless color palette. At the ceremony, Beyoncé rocked another yellow gown by Valentino. The form-fitting dress featured a classic floor-length cut, cape, gloves, and chandelier diamond earrings to finish the look.

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Beyoncé was also nominated this year for Best Original Song for “Guns Go Bang” from the movie The Harder They Fall. The night ended with Will Smith winning the award for Best Actor in King Richard, where he portrayed the father of the Williams sisters. Other notable nominations for the film included Best Supporting Actress, Best Original Screenplay, and Best Picture.

Relive the performance below.