Music analysis: A look at The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours Til Dawn Tour’
The Weeknd is bringing his ‘After Hour Til Dawn’ tour back to the UK this summer for his final European leg of the worldwide tour that initially started in 2022 in Philadelphia.
The tour became the highest-grossing tour by a male solo artist in history, shattering the $1 billion revenue mark, writes Music News Blitz’s Spencer Oza.
The Canadian singer-songwriter is known for his genre-blending sound and his cinematic approach to pop and R&B.
The Weeknd journey to fame
The Weeknd originally emerged in the 2010s with a series of anonymous tracks that he released on YouTube, most notably on his debut House of Balloons mixtape.
Other key songs during his anonymous era were ‘Birthday Suit’, ‘Trust Issues’ and ‘Enemy’.
However his breakthrough came when fellow Canadian artist Drake, who shared the anonymous tracks online, invited The Weeknd to perform at his 2011 OVO Fest.
Then in 2012 he signed his first major label deal partnering with Republic Records.
As part of the deal, he retained his own independent imprint.
From there, he transitioned into mainstream success with his debut studio album Kiss Land (2013), followed by Beauty Behind the Madness (2015), which included global hits like “Can’t Feel My Face” and “The Hills”.
After Hour Til Dawn Tour
After performing across North and South America earlier this year, the tour has now arrived in Europe, with UK fans among the first to experience the latest version of the stadium show.
The UK leg of the tour began in Manchester, where The Weeknd performed two nights at the Etihad Stadium on June 11 and June 12.
He will then return to the UK later this summer for a series of shows at Wembley Stadium in London, with thousands of fans expected to attend.
The Weeknd’s 2026 stage design builds on his apocalyptic urban storytelling in collaboration with stage designer Es Devlin.
Featuring crumbled, black corroded cityscapes contrasted with rich gold tones with the hopes to reflect decay and rebirth.
Setlist
The Weeknd’s tour setlist highlights some of his biggest hits, featuring fans favourite from his Grammy Award-winning albums. Such as ‘Blinding Lights’, ‘Starboy’,’Cant Feel My Face’ and ‘Save Your Tears’.
For fans who want to be prepared for the concert, they can find his setlist on Apple Music and Spotify.
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Playboi Carti
Joining The Weeknd on stage on the UK and European dates is rapper and songwriter Playboi Carti.
Carti has a very distinctive vocal style, his rise in fame started in 2017 with his breakout hit ‘Magnolia’, he later cemented his fame in rap with his album ‘Die Lit’ in 2018 and ‘Whole Lotta Red' in 2020.
He is known for pushing creative boundaries and bringing energy to the stage.
Carti first met The Weeknd around 2017 due to their music industry connections.
It wasn't until 2023 when they decided to do a professional collaboration creating the hit ‘Popular’ and later in 2024 releasing single ‘Timeless’.
Fans love their contrasting music styles as it creates a unique and exciting dynamic on stage.
Future for The Weeknd
Although it is confirmed that The Weeknd will carry on releasing music even after this tour comes to an end.
But he will no longer be doing it under the persona of ‘The Weeknd’, he plans to release new music under his real name, Abel Tesfaye.
While it has been speculated on social media about potential future projects or live albums, no official dates have been verified.
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