In a stadium of strangers dressed in fabulous fringe, denim, boots, cowboy hats and other adornments in keeping with the Cowboy Carter aesthetic, I rediscovered something that I had long misplaced: Ebullient joy.

The BeyHive had boots on the ground Friday morning at NRG Stadium, as hundreds of fans lined up to get “Cowboy Carter” merch ahead of this weekend’s shows.

On Saturday and Sunday, Beyoncé will be taking over the NRG Stadium, and fans are wondering if she will have any surprise guests, especially after her recent show in Paris, where she brought out her husband Jay-Z for their first performance together in at least seven years.