Saw The Weeknd Three Nights in a Row - Here’s Why It Meant More Than I Expected
Written by: Eya Rjiba
I have been a fan of music since my childhood, and the artist who was growing the most at that time was The Weeknd. My father is a Michael Jackson fan, and we kept listening to him. However, the King of Pop died, and we had to find a substitute, which was… The Weeknd.
In 2023, when his After Hours Til Dawn Tour came to my area, my first instinct was to buy tickets. I checked the tickets, but they were all sold out, and I was terrified of buying from a reseller; therefore, I didn’t go.
My disappointment grew, and so did the feeling of not having a favourite artist. You know, everybody has that one artist they know by heart, whose lyrics they have learned, whose music videos they have watched, and whose entire discography they know… but I didn’t share that experience. I just had a few favourite songs, no album that I listened to fully.
I had to block this frustration, so I decided then to listen to his entire discography, become a “real” fan (XO), and prepare myself in case he toured again. For a whole year, I dived into The Weeknd’s rich and eerie discography and even learned about the storyline. Through this process, I became a real XO and acquired (almost) every vinyl of his.
Let’s move on to his After Hours Til Dawn Tour in 2026, which came to Europe during the summer.
Night 1:
It was my first The Weeknd concert; however, it was his second night in Paris. My view was extremely restricted, and I went with two of my friends (one is a fan, and the other is a casual listener).
As soon as you enter the stadium, it is very grandiose. As you look at the golden Sorayama statue, the cross-shaped stage, and the “fallen city” decoration, it feels as if you entered a world that was destroyed but relied on this mysterious golden woman placed in the center of the cross like a savior.
The opener was Prince 85, one of The Weeknd’s iconic producers (who produced multiple songs, including the album Kiss Land), and later came Playboi Carti, whose music I enjoy. However, it is very subjective, as people were not as enthusiastic as I was when he came on stage.
Later, at 20:45, The Weeknd came on stage, wearing a black mask with red eyes. He appeared on the screen and opened with “Baptised in Fear.” The songs transitioned smoothly until it stopped for The Weeknd’s removal of the mask, which seemed very symbolic to me, as if he was letting go of the character of The Weeknd to let his true self, Abel, perform.
The show was electric, and The Weeknd’s voice was clear and even better live. I cannot deny that he is a showman and can handle an 80,000-person crowd. His emotion was also communicative, as he stopped multiple times during the show, looking into the crowd, and I imagined how he must have felt seeing all of these people dancing and coming to see him.
Additionally, he was right when he said, “There is no bad seat at this show.” Indeed, although our seats were very high and had a restricted view, the atmosphere, the lights, the ethereal golden statue, the fireworks, the fire, and the bracelets lighting up created the whole experience.
Even a casual listener like my friend was screaming louder than me. As the night set in, the stage became even more majestic and looked almost unreal.
The end of the concert was crowned with impressive fireworks and a little signature by The Weeknd on the screen. This first concert felt unreal, and I got sad, but I remembered I had two other concerts to experience.
Night 2:
The second night was extremely special, as I went with my mom, and the tickets were also bought two days before. I ended up with the most crazy view that I have ever had at any concert.
The view that I really enjoy at a concert is being in the middle, to be able to see the whole scenery and effects that the artist planned. After the openers, who were still good performers in my opinion, Abel came on stage.
Although my view was slightly blocked by a cable, I had the big screen right in front of me, which I could not see the first night. The second night was extremely emotional for me, and I sobbed for at least 10 songs.
Specifically, the song “After Hours,” which is one of my favourites, is very emotional, and when the whole stadium sings it, it is even more powerful. The lyrics are not always relatable, but the melody transports you.
It was also due to a combination of my seat being extremely well placed, although it was a last-minute decision, the song lyrics that were very emotional and relatable (for example: “I hope that I live life for a reason”), and also the realisation that hit me: I was in front of my favourite artist.
My mother, who is also a very casual listener of The Weeknd and does not know a lot of his songs, sobbed and danced as much as I did and was speechless at his voice.
The stage is very impressive, and the big screen shows beautiful visuals that can almost be a substitute for his music videos. They are very well crafted.
The Weeknd once again interacted with the crowd and had a very nice spontaneity. He called out his lyric mistakes, changed the lyrics according to the city he was in, and even let fans sing into the microphone.
His stage is also very well thought out, and at the end of his setlist, he was metres away from me, although I was seated.
One downside is that from this seat, we could not properly see the beautiful cross-shaped stage, and our view could be blocked by cables.
It beautifully ended with one of my favourite songs, “House of Balloons,” with balloons flying in the pit and even reaching us. Lastly, it ended with “Moth To A Flame” with impressive fireworks that felt like a dream.
Night 3:
If you think I would be fed up by now, I was not. The last night, I was joined by my dad, who is actually a big fan and listens to The Weeknd all the time.
These tickets were the first ones I bought when the tickets went on sale. The seats were very high up; however, the view was really panoramic. The stage was very visible, and I could see the whole setup properly.
In terms of atmosphere, this night also felt different. Although the first one was extremely emotional for Abel and the second night was emotional for me, this one felt extremely exhilarating and exciting, maybe because it was the last date in Paris.
The section where I was seated felt like it belonged to the “OG XOs,” as The Weeknd calls them, as everyone was screaming the right lyrics, knew every song, was wearing merch, and was screaming Abel’s name.
It was also very loud in terms of cheers, which were even encouraged by Abel himself (“oowooowow,” the classic European chant). He also spoke French multiple times.
This last night was very special. Songs like “São Paulo,” “The Hills,” and “Take My Breath” were very electric, and Abel himself jumped on stage.
We were also facing the sun, which at the beginning was quite disturbing; however, as the sunset, it was beautiful and fit The Weeknd’s aesthetic perfectly.
The show really starts at night, when all the bracelets light up, and our view was amazing as we could see everything. It was also a special night because it was the eve of my birthday, and when the fireworks happened, I celebrated with my favourite artist, screaming and singing at the same time.
Although it was an exciting night, it was also extremely emotional once again. The song “Less Than Zero” is an exceptional performance. The song is very touching and has that nostalgic feeling that creeps up on you through the lyrics.
I broke down, and I indeed can’t get this night “out of my head.” The fireworks were even more beautiful from a high point of view, and the concert ended beautifully. As Abel said during the concert, “I don’t want to leave the stadium.”
Conclusion:
Like Abel, I had to progress and evolve, shed my old skin after one of the most difficult years of my life.
These three concerts almost felt cathartic for me, and I went through all of the emotions in the company of people who are dear to me.
I look forward to his next era and tour, hoping that I will find my real self, just like how The Weeknd let go of The Weeknd (and I will also be in the pit next time).
I came into the stadium waiting to experience fun concerts, and I left as someone who understands how music can help people heal.
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