ArtistDirect News
The Weeknd Launches Record-Breaking European Leg of After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour
On June 11 and 12, the Weeknd ignited Manchester’s Etihad Stadium, drawing a full house of nearly 43,000 fans to the 60,000‑seat arena for the first UK shows of his 2026 European tour. The sold‑out concerts marked the opening of a continent‑wide stadium sweep that would span six months and 158 shows.
The Manchester nights opened with a cinematic sequence that thrust the artist onto the stage to the opening bars of “Baptized in Fear.” A troupe of 30 dancers in striking red garments swirled around him, while a towering gold sculpture, suspended rings, lasers, and flames turned the venue into a high‑production spectacle. These visual and technical upgrades—designed exclusively for the European leg—demonstrate the tour’s ongoing evolution and its commitment to fresh, immersive presentations.
According to figures released by the Weeknd’s management, the 2026 leg has already sold more than 3 million tickets worldwide and generated over $440 million in revenue. Those numbers bring the total gross of the After Hours Til Dawn Tour to more than $1 billion, making it the highest‑grossing tour by a male solo artist in history. With 7.5 million tickets sold across 153 shows, the tour’s commercial impact is unprecedented.
Manchester’s setlist blended tracks from the Weeknd’s 2025 album Hurry Up Tomorrow with defining songs from After Hours and Dawn FM. The artist performed global hits such as “Blinding Lights,” “Starboy,” and “Can’t Feel My Face,” arranging the set to showcase the evolution of his sound over the past four years. The elaborate staging amplified the theatricality that has become a hallmark of the tour.
After the initial sold‑out shows, the Weeknd will continue with a second Manchester concert before embarking on a packed summer schedule across Europe. The itinerary includes multi‑night runs in Copenhagen, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, and a five‑night residency at London’s Wembley Stadium, as well as dates in Munich, Lille, Nice, Frankfurt, Warsaw, Stockholm, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, and the final stops in the Middle East and Asia.
The tour maintains a charitable partnership with Global Citizen and the United Nations World Food Programme. Under the agreement, €1 per ticket sold in Europe and £1 per ticket sold in the UK are directed toward global education and hunger‑relief initiatives. The Weeknd’s involvement reflects his broader advocacy work, including his role as a goodwill ambassador for the World Food Programme.
In Asia, the artist will perform in major stadiums across Tokyo, Jakarta, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur. The Asian leg is scheduled to conclude on November 5, 2026, at TM Stadium National in Kuala Lumpur, bringing the tour’s total of 158 shows to a close.
The Weeknd’s European leg underscores the sustained commercial success and cultural impact of the After Hours Til Dawn Tour. With record‑breaking ticket sales, unprecedented revenue, and a global charitable component, the tour remains a landmark event in the contemporary music landscape.
The Manchester nights opened with a cinematic sequence that thrust the artist onto the stage to the opening bars of “Baptized in Fear.” A troupe of 30 dancers in striking red garments swirled around him, while a towering gold sculpture, suspended rings, lasers, and flames turned the venue into a high‑production spectacle. These visual and technical upgrades—designed exclusively for the European leg—demonstrate the tour’s ongoing evolution and its commitment to fresh, immersive presentations.
According to figures released by the Weeknd’s management, the 2026 leg has already sold more than 3 million tickets worldwide and generated over $440 million in revenue. Those numbers bring the total gross of the After Hours Til Dawn Tour to more than $1 billion, making it the highest‑grossing tour by a male solo artist in history. With 7.5 million tickets sold across 153 shows, the tour’s commercial impact is unprecedented.
Manchester’s setlist blended tracks from the Weeknd’s 2025 album Hurry Up Tomorrow with defining songs from After Hours and Dawn FM. The artist performed global hits such as “Blinding Lights,” “Starboy,” and “Can’t Feel My Face,” arranging the set to showcase the evolution of his sound over the past four years. The elaborate staging amplified the theatricality that has become a hallmark of the tour.
After the initial sold‑out shows, the Weeknd will continue with a second Manchester concert before embarking on a packed summer schedule across Europe. The itinerary includes multi‑night runs in Copenhagen, Paris, Milan, Amsterdam, and a five‑night residency at London’s Wembley Stadium, as well as dates in Munich, Lille, Nice, Frankfurt, Warsaw, Stockholm, Dublin, Madrid, Barcelona, Lisbon, and the final stops in the Middle East and Asia.
The tour maintains a charitable partnership with Global Citizen and the United Nations World Food Programme. Under the agreement, €1 per ticket sold in Europe and £1 per ticket sold in the UK are directed toward global education and hunger‑relief initiatives. The Weeknd’s involvement reflects his broader advocacy work, including his role as a goodwill ambassador for the World Food Programme.
In Asia, the artist will perform in major stadiums across Tokyo, Jakarta, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur. The Asian leg is scheduled to conclude on November 5, 2026, at TM Stadium National in Kuala Lumpur, bringing the tour’s total of 158 shows to a close.
The Weeknd’s European leg underscores the sustained commercial success and cultural impact of the After Hours Til Dawn Tour. With record‑breaking ticket sales, unprecedented revenue, and a global charitable component, the tour remains a landmark event in the contemporary music landscape.