2024 Women of Live: Andrea ‘Espi’ Espinoza

Assistant Tour Manager | Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts World Tour”

Beyoncé’s “Renaissance Tour” was an awe-inspiring extravaganza that brought together fans decked out in sparkly silver fits and racked up a prodigious $579.8 million, according to Pollstar Boxoffice reports, to become the second-highest-grossing tour by a woman ever. Queen Bey is also the top-ranked Black concert headliner in history with grosses earned from a single tour. Behind this record-setting tour stands Beyoncé’s road manager, Andrea “Espi” Espinoza, who says that she considers every stop on the “Renaissance Tour” to have been “the best show that I attended.”

“I have never been more inspired in my entire life than when I was on Beyoncé’s ‘Renaissance Tour’ as the road manager,” Espinoza tells Pollstar. “The process of bringing a show of that kind which represented so much for the culture while shedding light on marginalized communities and creating a safe space for people to enjoy themselves, was otherworldly. People weren’t seeing just a show, they were fully immersed in an unforgettable experience. Knowing that I played a small part in that experience, and that I was able to contribute to someone else’s feelings of joy, peace and gratitude will live with me forever – that was my most impactful success last year.”

Now, Espinoza is out on the road with Olivia Rodrigo’s “Guts Tour,” which finds the singer landing in arenas for the first time and comprises 77 shows across North America and Europe.

With her client list including a hefty number of female-fronted tours. Espinoza enjoys surrounding herself with strong women. Despite backstage gender parity having a long way to go, she notes that she’s seeing a considerable amount of change back of house.

“The live industry is ever evolving and while it occasionally feels slow, progress is being made,” Espinoza says. “On my most recent tour, almost 50% of the team were women – a substantial improvement since my first year of touring where I was often the only one. That being said, I think there’s still work to be done with regards to seeing more women in leadership positions and the pay reflecting the work that they are contributing.”