What to expect at Erykah Badu’s LIVE Tour: Setlist, start time and more

Two beds sit onstage. Smoke fills the room. Erykah Badu and The Alchemist pick up telephone-style microphones from opposite sides of a surreal apartment.

Then the conversation turns into “Echos.”

Welcome to “LIVE: A September Tour”, where Badu’s latest chapter with The Alchemist takes over the stage. The pair spend much of the night inside Before the World Blows, their new collaborative album, while working Badu favorites like “On & On,” “Didn’t Cha Know,” “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)” and “Tyrone” into the show.

And this is not just two artists running through an album onstage. The set transforms from a penthouse into a garden, koi pond, outer space and a record-filled studio as The Alchemist builds beats in real time and Badu moves between singing, rapping and improvisation.

With most of the tour now complete, we have a pretty good idea of what fans can expect from the remaining shows.

Ultimate guide to Erykah Badu’s “LIVE” Tour

Officially billed as “LIVE: A September Tour,” the run kicked off Sept. 10 at Ravinia Festival outside Chicago and wraps Sept. 29 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

The tour is built around Before the World Blows, Badu’s new collaborative album with The Alchemist. Rather than treating the project as a short new-music segment, the pair have made it the backbone of the entire concert, with The Alchemist performing alongside Badu throughout the night.

De La Soul supported much of the first stretch of the tour, while Smino joins the upcoming San Diego and Berkeley shows. The Hollywood Bowl finale is its own expanded event, with DJ Pee .Wee, Flea and the Charles Gaines Collective also on the bill.

That makes “LIVE” very different from a career-spanning Erykah Badu show. Songs from Baduizm, Mama’s Gun and Worldwide Underground still make appearances, but the new record gets most of the spotlight.

Think of it less as a greatest-hits tour and more as Badu and The Alchemist bringing their latest creative world to life onstage.

Upcoming Erykah Badu “LIVE” Tour dates

Five shows remain on “LIVE: A September Tour,” including two dates with Smino and a much larger finale at the Hollywood Bowl.

One important schedule note: Badu’s Nov. 1 show in Irving, Texas, is not part of the “LIVE” Tour. That is a separate RNB X Live event featuring Badu, H.E.R., KWN and Destin Conrad.

Who is opening for Erykah Badu on the “LIVE” Tour?

The opening lineup has changed throughout the tour, and The Alchemist is a little different from a traditional support act.

He is part of Badu’s main show, performing with her throughout the night and working with records, samples and live production from inside the stage set.

De La Soul opened much of the first stretch of the tour, including shows in Toronto, Uncasville, Queens and Vienna. Their set mixed longtime favorites like “Me Myself and I,” “Stakes Is High” and “A Roller Skating Jam Named ‘Saturdays’” with newer material. At Mohegan Sun Arena, they played for about 55 minutes before Badu and The Alchemist took over.

Smino joins the San Diego and Berkeley dates, giving those shows another full support set before Badu.

The Sept. 29 Hollywood Bowl finale has the biggest lineup of the tour. DJ Pee .Wee, Flea and the Charles Gaines Collective with Black Nile and Devin Daniels are also scheduled to perform as part of Lauren Halsey’s larger emajendat presentation.

What time does Erykah Badu go on stage?

There is no single stage time for every remaining show, but recent concerts give fans a useful benchmark.

In Toronto, De La Soul started at 8 p.m. and wrapped around 8:45, with Badu and The Alchemist taking the stage around 9:30 p.m. Cleveland followed a similar schedule, with Badu starting around 9:35 p.m. and finishing at 11.

The remaining dates have different lineups, so do not assume 9:30 p.m. will be the magic number everywhere.

How long is an Erykah Badu concert?

Badu and The Alchemist’s “LIVE” set is currently running about 85 to 90 minutes.

Toronto lasted roughly 90 minutes, while Cleveland ran from around 9:35 to 11 p.m., or about 85 minutes. The exact length can vary a little depending on improvisation and how Badu reshapes the set that night.

Plan for a longer evening if your show has an opener. In Toronto, De La Soul started at 8 p.m. and Badu finished around 11, making it about three hours of music from the first set to the end of the night.

The Hollywood Bowl finale could run on a different schedule because of its expanded lineup and pre-concert programming.

Erykah Badu “LIVE” Tour setlist

The setlist has shifted from city to city, but the basic formula has stayed the same. Most of the show comes from Before the World Blows, with a handful of Badu classics, an Alchemist cut and occasional unreleased material mixed in.

The Sept. 18 Forest Hills Stadium show is one of the best recent examples:

Do not treat that as a locked setlist for the remaining dates. Ravinia also got “Green Eyes,” while Toronto’s “Breezy” section worked in pieces of “Bennie and the Jets” and Outkast’s “So Fresh, So Clean.”

The new album is the constant, but Badu is clearly leaving herself room to change the show from one night to the next.

Does Erykah Badu play older hits?

Yes, just not as many as you might expect from a typical Erykah Badu show.

“On & On” has been one of the most reliable older songs on the tour, while “Didn’t Cha Know” and “Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)” have also appeared regularly. “Tyrone” has closed multiple shows, and Ravinia also got “Green Eyes.”

Some major favorites have been much less common. “Bag Lady,” “Next Lifetime” and “Window Seat” have not been staples of the September setlists so far.

So if you are going mainly for the classics, expect a few big moments rather than a full career-spanning set. Before the World Blows is still very much the center of the show.

Is there an encore at Erykah Badu’s “LIVE” Tour concert?

Not in the traditional sense every night.

Forest Hills ended with “Tyrone,” while Ravinia and Toronto closed with “Black Box.” At Mohegan Sun, Badu finished with a loose “Tyrone” medley that also worked in “Ain’t No Fun (If the Homies Can’t Have None)” and another piece of “Didn’t Cha Know.”

That flexibility fits the rest of the tour. Badu and The Alchemist have not been building toward the same fixed encore at every stop.

In other words, do not start heading for the exits because you think you know the final song. Wait until the show is clearly over.

What is the “LIVE” Tour production like?

The stage setup is one of the coolest parts of the show.

Badu and The Alchemist perform inside what looks like a surreal penthouse apartment, complete with beds, couches and a large industrial structure holding performers, dancers and DJs. At Ravinia, they even began the night lying on separate beds before picking up telephone-style microphones and launching into “Echos.”

From there, the same space keeps changing around them. The backdrop shifts into a Japanese-inspired garden, a koi pond, outer space and a record-filled studio, with lighting, lasers and projections doing much of the work.

The Alchemist is also fully part of the action. His workstation sits inside the set, and there are moments when the focus shifts directly to his beat-making and sample work rather than treating him like a DJ tucked off to the side.

It gives “LIVE” the feel of stepping into Badu and The Alchemist’s world for 90 minutes, rather than watching a standard concert set from a distance.

When should you arrive for Erykah Badu’s concert?

If you want to catch the full night, aim to be inside the venue 30 to 45 minutes before the opener is scheduled to begin.

If Badu is your main priority, do not count on a huge delay. In Toronto, she was scheduled for 9:15 p.m. and came on around 9:30. In Cleveland, she was slated for 9:30 and started only a few minutes later.

Check the lineup and timing for your specific date, especially with Smino on the San Diego and Berkeley shows and the larger Hollywood Bowl finale.

What should you bring to an Erykah Badu concert?

What you bring to “LIVE” depends more on the venue than the show itself.

Three of the remaining stops are outdoors, so San Diego, Berkeley and Hollywood Bowl fans should plan for the temperature to drop after sunset. Berkeley also means more walking and stairs than a typical indoor arena night, making comfortable shoes especially useful there.

The bigger thing to check before leaving home is your venue’s entry policy. San Diego, for example, limits fans to clear bags up to 12 by 6 by 12 inches or small clutches no larger than 4.5 by 6.5 inches.

The Highland show comes with one requirement the other dates do not: Yaamava’ Theater lists the Sept. 28 concert as 21+, so you will need a valid government-issued ID to get in.

What should you wear to the “LIVE” Tour?

An Erykah Badu show is one of the easier concerts to have fun dressing for.

The crowd tends to be expressive, and this tour gives you plenty to pull from visually. The stage moves between retro apartment decor, futuristic imagery and Badu’s signature layered style, so earth tones, vintage pieces, oversized fits, headwraps, statement jewelry and experimental streetwear all fit the mood.

That does not mean you need to show up in full Badu cosplay. The best move is to take inspiration from her style and make it your own.

Just keep the venue in mind too. Berkeley involves plenty of walking and stairs, while several remaining shows are outdoors, so the outfit still has to work once the sun goes down.

Is Erykah Badu’s “LIVE” Tour good for younger fans?

It depends on the date.

Berkeley’s Greek Theatre lists the Sept. 27 show as all ages, while the Sept. 28 concert at Yaamava’ Theater is 21+, so check the age policy for your specific venue before making plans.

At all-ages shows, the bigger considerations are the late finish and volume. Badu and The Alchemist usually perform for about 85 to 90 minutes, and nights with support can stretch across three hours or more.

The show is also centered on Before the World Blows rather than a run of familiar radio hits, with The Alchemist’s hip-hop production playing a major role throughout. For younger fans who already know Badu’s newer music, that may be a plus. For families expecting a greatest-hits set, it is worth knowing before you go.

How to get Erykah Badu tour tickets on SeatGeek

With only a handful of shows left, there is still time to catch Badu and The Alchemist before “LIVE: A September Tour” wraps at the Hollywood Bowl.

1. Head to the Erykah Badu tickets page on SeatGeek and choose your show.

2. Use the interactive seat map to compare sections, rows and available listings.

3. Check Deal Score to quickly compare the value of different ticket options.

4. Review the All-In Price so you can see the full cost before checkout.

5. Look over the listing details, including seat location and ticket delivery method.

6. Complete your purchase through SeatGeek.

7. Eligible orders are backed by the SeatGeek Buyer Guarantee.

8. Before the show, load your mobile tickets and check your venue’s latest entry policies.

Badu and The Alchemist have built this tour around where they are creatively right now, turning Before the World Blows into a full onstage world while still leaving room for classics, improvisation and a few surprises along the way.