Thousands gather at NRG Stadium ahead of Beyoncé’s long-awaited Cowboy Carter Tour

Thousands of people gathered outside of NRG Stadium Saturday afternoon ahead of the first night of Beyoncé’s long-awaited “Cowboy Carter” tour.’

READ MORE: Jay-Z, Rumi & Miley joined Beyoncé on Cowboy Carter tour stops. Who’s Houston’s special guest?

Beyoncé will take the stage Saturday and Sunday in Houston, before her tour heads to Atlanta and Las Vegas.

Our Sky 2 Chopper captured images of the scene, showing thousands of people lined up around the stadium, buying merchandise and waiting for the moment the doors open.

Fans without tickets were allowed to show up for merch sales from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, but merch will be limited to ticketed guests only for the rest of the day Saturday and all-day Sunday.

• Want Beyoncé merch but not attending the concert? Here’s how to snag some gear anyway