Photo by Isaiah Singleton/The Atlanta Voice
Abel Tesfaye, better professionally known as The Weeknd, brought his sold-out “After Hours Til Dawn” tour to Atlanta and shut down Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The heavy thunderstorms on Thursday night didn’t stop the massive fans from enjoying The Weeknd’s electric catalogue.
This marks the first time in three years he’s played in Atlanta. The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn Tour is also now the highest-grossing R&B tour of all time, grossing $635.5 million and selling 5.1 million tickets since launching in 2022.
“It’s been too long, Atlanta. I really can’t believe it’s been three whole years. I’ve really missed y’all,” The Weeknd said.
Opening with “The Abyss” and wearing his iconic gilded mask, fans all over the stadium shouted the lyrics back to the star. The R&B singer followed up with “Wake Me Up” and “After Hours” before belting out “Starboy” to the sold-out Atlanta crowd.
While the crowd belted and screamed “Abel” during a brief pause, 20 songs into the more than 40-song set, The Weeknd brought out Playboi Carti for “Timeless”, who was also one of the openers on the tour.
From the very start of the show, you felt like you were watching a film with all the effects, dancers, lights, and of course, The Weeknd’s silky vocals. From the perspective of someone who has never been to a Weeknd show, I was truly blown away by the level of artistry and energy he brought to the stage.
I love the music, but hearing it live was like entering a new world, or in this case, I was in the world of “After Hours Til Dawn”, and it truly showed. You could see in his eyes how taken aback he was staring out into the crowd hearing his lyrics being screamed to the rooftops.
Following “Rather Lie” with Playboi Carti, The Weeknd played “Low Life,” a cover song by the artist Future, who joined him on stage to perform the song. The crowd went wild to see the Atlanta rapper appear on stage.
The show overall was a true experience that not only showcased The Weeknd’s vast fanbase and lovers of his music, but also how much he prides himself in his love for what he does.
Some of my favorites performed were “Timeless”, “Save Your Tears”, “Call Out My Name”, “Blinding Lights”, “Can’t Feel My Face”, and so many more.
Before the show was all done, The Weeknd delivered more than 40 songs on stage, giving fans and everyone alike a vibe and experience they would never forget. With rumors hinting at The Weeknd dropping his stage name after this tour moving forward, this was such an amazing way to highlight his journey as The Weeknd.
