Music

Jay-Z Surprises Fans at London's Trafalgar Square During Immersive 'Blueprint' Pop-Up

The free London experience celebrates 25 years of The Blueprint with videos, merch, and more.

Jay-Z wearing sunglasses and a cap, flashes a peace sign at a stadium event. Crowd and security are visible in the background.
(Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Jay-Z is continuing the 30th anniversary celebration of his career with another immersive London experience, this time taking over Trafalgar Square.

On Tuesday (Sept. 1), the rapper opened a free pop-up centered around the era of his landmark 2001 album The Blueprint and surprised fans with an appearance. The installation will remain open daily from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. through Sept. 5.

The experience transports visitors back to the early 2000s with televisions playing music videos, performances, and other programming from the era. Fans can also purchase limited-edition merchandise at the installation.

The Trafalgar Square takeover follows another Jay-Z pop-up that opened at UMusic Shop in Camden Market on Aug. 27. The Camden location also offered London-exclusive clothing, pieces from Jay's 30th anniversary collection, anniversary vinyl releases, Assouline's The Book of HOV, and bottles of Armand de Brignac.

Fans could grab champagne from a dedicated Armand de Brignac bar for £45 per glass or £275 per bottle. The pop-up also hosted nightly DJ sets featuring DJ Target, DJ Manny Norté, DJ Semtex, and DJ Esi.

Both installations lead into Jay-Z's upcoming concerts at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Sept. 4 and 5. The shows will mark his first performances in the U.K. since he and Beyoncé brought their On the Run II Tour to the country in 2018.

The current JAY-Z 30 tour celebrates two major milestones in his catalog: the 30th anniversary of his 1996 debut Reasonable Doubt and the 25th anniversary of The Blueprint.

The run also marks Jay's first strictly solo tour since his 4:44 Tour in 2017.

JAY-Z 30 kicked off with three shows at Yankee Stadium in July. The second night drew 45,832 fans, setting a new attendance record at the stadium. Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Usher, Eminem, Nas, Pharrell Williams, Rihanna, and Slick Rick were among the stars who appeared throughout the New York residency.

Following his London dates, Jay-Z will head to Stade de France outside Paris on Sept. 10 before bringing the tour to SoFi Stadium in Inglewood for two shows on Oct. 23 and 24.

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