“I’ll Never Forget”: Throwback Clip of Beyoncé With SA Choir at FNB Stadium Leaves Mzansi Emotional

• A throwback clip from the Global Citizen Festival Mandela 100 on 2 December 2018 resurfaced, showing Beyoncé performing Halo at FNB Stadium in Soweto
• Beyoncé originally invited the Soweto Gospel Choir for the performance, but the choir brought in the Mzansi Youth Choir too, making it even more special
• South Africans who were there and those who watched from home shared how the performance gave them goosebumps all over again

A throwback clip posted by the Instagram fan page @beygalore brought a hugely emotional moment back to life. The video showed Beyoncé performing Halo at FNB Stadium in Soweto on 2 December 2018, during the Global Citizen Festival Mandela 100. It was a concert held to honour what would have been Nelson Mandela's 100th birthday. Behind her on stage stood two South African choirs, the Soweto Gospel Choir and the Mzansi Youth Choir, their voices filling the largest stadium in Africa as 70,000 people watched. The clip resurfaced recently and sent South Africans straight back to that night.

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Before launching into the song, Beyoncé turned to the crowd and said:

"Please give it up for these beautiful ladies and gentlemen. I hope you all are enjoying this magical night. I can feel so much light and beauty in this room. You're so good, I feel it. Thank you all. I will never forget."

The two choirs who shared the stage with Beyoncé

The Soweto Gospel Choir is a three-time Grammy-winning group founded in 2002. They have performed alongside Bono, Stevie Wonder and Diana Ross and sing in multiple South African languages. This includes Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho and Afrikaans.

Their 2019 Grammy win came for their album Freedom, which was a tribute to Nelson Mandela. When Beyoncé told them she also wanted a younger energy on stage for the performance, the choir reached out to the Mzansi Youth Choir. This is a group founded to give young South Africans a platform for musical excellence.

Why FNB Stadium made it even more meaningful?

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FNB Stadium is not just the largest stadium in Africa. It was also the site of Nelson Mandela's memorial service in 2013. For Beyoncé to stand in that same space five years later, singing alongside South African choirs during a concert celebrating Mandela's centenary, was not a coincidence.

The Global Citizen Festival that night raised over $7.2 billion (R120 billion according to my money transfer) from world leaders and organisations working to end extreme poverty. 117.8 million lives were eventually impacted by the pledges made that evening.

Watch the Instagram clip here.

SA gets nostalgic over Beyoncé and SA choir performance

People who were there and those who watched from home could not hold back their feelings on Instagram user @beygalore's clip:

@sandimfeka said:

"South Africans will sing for you and make you an audience at your own show 😍🔥❤️"

@coachella.randy wrote:

"I'll never forget this ❤️😭"

@mona.monyane shared:

"I was here ❤️😍"

@_laconco simply said:

"😍 goosebumps!"

@yunieskycc1 said:

"The best performance and version of Halo 😇"

More Beyoncé moments people can't stop talking about

• Briefly News recently reported on the Met Gala 2026, where Beyoncé arrived in a jaw-dropping skeleton-inspired gown that had fashion lovers completely losing their minds.
• Beyoncé and Jay-Z brought Blue Ivy to the Met Gala 2026, and what their daughter did on her very first appearance at the event made history.
• Beyoncé's close-up photos from the Met Gala went viral for a reason that had her fans firing back at trolls with everything they had.

Source: Briefly News