In the arena spectacular, such is the volume of sensory candy floss on display that a lesser performer can end up being carried by the overall extravaganza. The magic sometimes happens all around them but does not emanate from them. This was emphatically not the case for Beyoncé Knowles, Amazonian thunderer, Texan thigh-shaker and all-round surplus of talent.

No matter what gaudy pizzazz was erupting about her, the eyes could barely be drawn from her spotlit magnificence. After an opening sequence that included aggressive dancing and confetti cannons during Crazy In Love, the hip-shaking Arabian slink of Naughty Girl and a weighty rock-out for Freakum Dress, she looked not only unflustered but as immaculate as one of her own album covers.

Electric fans were continually employed to make her hair billow with angelic splendour, while her outfits became increasingly outlandish — part Roman goddess, part WWF wrestler.

“I’m all about female empowerment,” she announced, while dressed as a sexy robot cheetah. Now with three solo albums to her name, all huge sellers, she had plenty of material to sustain a long, wide-ranging set.

More pictures: Beyonce at the 02

Her many hits with former trio Destiny’s Child were so little needed that they were almost all thrown away as snippets in two medleys, one of which she used to duck off for another costume change.

Her versatile voice roamed widely, taking in Whitney and Mariah-style power ballads on Smash Into You, hip- hop hustle on Diva, rock belting on a cover of Alanis Morissette’s You Oughta Know and near operatic heights on Ave Maria.

Occasionally backing singers from her large, all-female band took over while she concentrated on spectacle, suspended high above the crowd, air-walking in gold heels during Baby Boy.

At times, as on her song Ego, her self-belief reached almost silly heights. In one video clip she was seen reaching into her cleavage and producing a coin with her own face on it, but if she’s not quite the Queen, she at least has the President in her pocket. She performed At Last, the Etta James track she sang at Barack Obama’s inauguration ball, and showed a clip of Obama mimicking part of the dance routine for exuberant set-closer Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It).

That’s the kind of reach that suggests Beyoncé is more than a cut above the average pop singer. In a dazzling show that featured all the best elements of arena entertainment, she proved it.

More pictures: Beyonce at the 02

Beyoncé plays the 02 Arena tonight and 8,9 June, (0871 984 0002). www.the02.co.uk