The Weeknd has officially begun his long-awaited 2025 'After Hours Til Dawn' stadium tour, bringing a dazzling performance of music, visuals, and all-around club energy. The North American tour began May 9 at State Farm Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona with 43 cities on the schedule, including Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and New York.
It is a visual extravaganza and involved a "live-design" stage by artist Es Devlin. The creative, live production is meant to immerse the audience with special effects that aid The Weeknd's songwriting. There are also pyros and lasers and cinematic pieces taking place throughout the concert. For select shows, special guests, Playboi Carti, rapper and producer Mike Dean will perform with The Weeknd.
The concert connects the story of The Weeknd’s trilogy of albums: After Hours, Dawn FM and the announcement of his newest album Hurry Up Tomorrow. The concert is presented as a story that fuses live music and storytelling in a way that fans and critics alike have described as seamless.
The tour has major sponsors, including Hublot and Cash App, and has already sold out in multiple cities. In addition, the tour brings attention to a charitable cause, donating $1 from every ticket sold to Global Citizen to help provide children the world over in need with help.
The song choice includes The Weeknd's biggest songs and their newest songs, offering fans a full live experience. And of course, they played iconic songs like “Blinding Lights,” “Starboy,” and “The Hills.” as well future tracks from Hurry Up Tomorrow like “Cry for Me,” and “São Paulo.”
The first show in Phoenix had almost 60,000 fans in attendance, and included a special moment for the performer, with a "one take" theatrical sequence, where a real car was used on stage driving and wowing the crowd. Every performance is tightly choreographed and makes use of lighting, and emotional moments that bond the performer with the audience.
So far, shows in cities before Denver and Boston have received strong positive reviews, most notably for the production value and The Weeknd’s vocal quality. Fans enjoyed the intertwining of storytelling and the live performance energy that makes a concert unique from listening to an album.
After the completion of the North America leg, The Weeknd is expected to share the show on an international scale, with potential tour dates in later in the year for Europe and Latin America.
Image Source:preludepress.com
