There was fire, intricate dances, elite mixes, and grand stage structures. Night one of The Weeknd’s two-night extravaganza was an ultimate experience. Seeing a favorite artist after years is an unmatched feeling, especially when it is amongst a 65,000-plus member audience.

The unity of a crowd knowing every lyric of every song of every era is what takes a concert to another level. The simplicity of a random note made audience members go feral with excitement. Everyone wearing dark, bold colors with other edgy attire created an unspoken dress code.

The moment the lights dimmed was the moment the night truly started. Everyone’s ears were immediately ringing as the bass rumbled through the stadium seats.

Though slightly covered in the mist from the rain, the vibes remained unchanged. People gathered for an amazing show, and as The Weeknd mentioned, no weather was going to stop the performance. If anything, it made the night more memorable and magical.  

After Hours Til Dawn will be the last tour for The Weeknd as he ends his era under the iconic stage name, or a “mask” as he refers to it. To end this era, The Weeknd made sure to pack as many fans as possible by doing a cross-country stadium tour. Following this tour, The Weeknd will now be making music under his real name, Abel Tesfaye.

Known for his R&B sound, Canadian singer The Weeknd started his career back in 2009 when he was uploading music to various streaming services. It wasn’t until 2011 that The Weeknd began to release mixtapes, which led to a record deal with Republic Records in 2012.

His biggest albums include: “Beauty Behind the Madness” in 2015, “Starboy” in 2016, “After Hours” in 2020, and “Dawn FM” in 2022. Tesfaye even released a film titled “Hurry Up Tomorrow” to coincide with the release of his album of the same name. It depicts the struggles and mental health obstacles faced throughout the momentous career that follows the name The Weeknd.  

Before the main event, the crowd was warmed up by the stylings of Playboi Carti. Known previously as Sir Cartier in 2011 before making the permanent switch to his current career image in 2013, focusing on a new music style. Carti signed with a record label in 2012, but would eventually launch his own label, Opium, in 2019.

The most recent part of his discography is “MUSIC,” released earlier this year. Some works from the album even featured The Weeknd on songs such as “RATHER LIE,” which was a part of the main set.

Carti played favorites such as the Travis Scott song “FE!N,” which he features on. It immediately set off the wow factor that people were expecting. Running and screaming around the large stage set up for a 30-minute introductory set brought a lot of energy to the stadium. Safe to say a lot of people left Playboi Carti fans if they weren’t already. 

With red cloaked dancers and a golden mask, The Weeknd approached the stage with poise. Soaking in the abundance of sound being projected at him. The nearly 50-song set list was astronomical, starting with “The Abyss” and ending with the Swedish House Mafia favorite, “Moth to a Flame.”

With over four hours of pure bliss came theatrical techniques that seemed unreal. The lights matched the album from which the song came, and fire sprayed out of every angle of the stage. It was a movie that everyone wished would never end, with crowds chanting “Abel” as the yearning for more continued.

The transitions between each song were so very clean and were an added element that fans are still reminiscing. Specifically, the transition between “Take My Breath” and “Sacrifice,” another song done with Swedish House Mafia, was magnificent. The blend of the two ‘Dawn FM’ tracks will forever be engraved in the audience’s memories.

Pictures and videos do not do the miraculous event justice; it didn’t seem real in the slightest. What is next for Abel?  The answer is unknown, but if it is anything like what was seen that night, tickets will sell out even sooner. This tour is extremely worth it.