The most memorable moments from the Weeknd's larger-than-life Toronto show

The Weeknd was in impeccable form on the second night of four sold-out tour stops at Toronto's Rogers Centre.

Buoyed by the adoration of the 40,000-person crowd, Abel Tesfaye, a.k.a. the Weeknd, was beaming while he ran through a medley of songs from his extensive discography. Chants of "Abel, Abel, Abel!" rippled through the crowd at every song break, and the star stood smiling, basking in the love. 

Between Starboy and Heartless, the Weeknd took time to thank the audience for their fervent cheering: "That may have been a warmer welcome than yesterday…. We did the show last night and last night was loud but I got a big feeling about tonight, man."

He continued, getting sentimental: "I just want to take in this moment right now. This has been a dream for a very long time, I used to come watch Blue Jays games here, it's crazy. Who knew a kid from Scarborough could do this, man, thank you guys so much." 

The Weeknd's After Hours 'til Dawn tour began in 2022, touching down in Toronto for two nights that year. The 2025 iteration includes the addition of new set pieces and new songs from his January album, Hurry Up Tomorrow, plus two extra nights of performances on Aug. 7 and 8. 

Hip-hop super producer Mike Dean kicked off the July 28 concert with a quick opening set, and came back to play keyboards and synthesizers during the Weeknd's marathon performance later in the night. Montreal DJ and producer Kaytranada played a mix of songs from across his three albums — 99.9%, Bubba and Timeless — plus his crowd-pleasing remixes of Janet Jackson's If and Chance the Rapper's All Night, before asking the crowd if they were "ready to see Abel." 

The Weeknd opened his set with The Abyss, a song featuring Lana Del Rey from his latest album. His voice filled the stadium as he emerged from behind veiled dancers, singing, "I tried to be something that I'll never be/ why waste another precious hour?/ Why waste another precious ounce?/ I'd rather leave somewhat of a legacy."

The following two-hour-and-20-minute concert proved that he has no need to worry about what legacy he'll leave behind. 

Hometown highlights 

Toronto played a starring role in the show as the Weeknd performed directly below the looming CN Tower, which he referred to as one of the "centrepieces" of his elaborate set. The funky bassline of Sacrifice rang out as he sang, "I was born in a city/ where the winter nights don't ever sleep," and followed the lyric by yelling joyously, "You know what city that is!"

He shouted out Toronto at every opportunity, and switched lyrics in a number of songs to turn the city itself into his love interest: "I can't lose you Toronto" on Lost in the Fire and "Every time I try to leave you Toronto/ you keep pulling me back" on Given Up on Me were just a couple of those moments. 

The Weeknd even used his captive audience to launch a petition to change the Rogers Centre back to its original name: "Is there any way to call this place the SkyDome again? We gotta call Mr. Rogers or whoever owns this place … do you agree with me, Toronto, or what?" The crowd cheered loudly in agreement and he replied, "All right, those are all official petition signatures. That's 40,000 signatures right there."

Hits on hits

After almost 15 years releasing music, the Weeknd has so many hits that any of them could've been the peak moment of his set. Early on in the show he performed Take My Breath, off 2022's Dawn FM, and as Mike Dean's synths and the bass reverberated through the crowd, the light-up bracelets that all attendees received upon entry were activated. Red-and-white lights raced along the catwalk as the Weeknd whipped himself into a frenzy. 

The audience was truly blinded by the lights during his performance of the record-breaking hit Blinding Lights, as the bracelets created a twinkling universe that swept across the stadium. 

Two of the Weeknd's oldest songs, throwbacks to his 2011 debut mixtape, came at the tail end of the set: High for This was a major sing-along moment, and the already revved-up crowd was rapturous at the first hint that House of Balloons was about to begin — the telltale "Ohs" and slinking bassline a beacon for the "OG XO fans."

A feast for the eyes and ears

The Weeknd's known for sounding exactly like the record during his live performances, and his vocal chops did not disappoint — but they're not the only impressive part of the show. World-building is just as important to him, which makes sense for an artist who pulls so much influence from film, and the set pieces and visuals were a feast for the eyes. The veiled dancers were decked out in a striking shade of red and wore gold masks, providing visual drama with their contemporary dance movements and formations. 

The Weeknd was also adorned in a gold mask of his own, this one with glowing silver eyes, and he wore a glittering black-and-gold cape that would put a wrestler to shame. Along with his dancers, he performed among the ruins of an imagined metropolis, the Empire State Building and the White House recognizable amid the wreckage.

In the centre of the cross-shaped catwalk a golden statue rose to the heavens, her powerful stance evoking the goddesses Athena or Nike. The graphics on the screen behind him helped weave the narratives of his songs together, and included artwork resembling a Renaissance fresco, as well as a beheaded sculpture, a red-and-orange aurora — and the Weeknd falling into the abyss of a red sea. 

Taking a page from his former collaborators Daft Punk, the Weeknd created his own rave, leaning heavily on lasers that flooded the stadium and pulsated to the beat of the synths and drums. 

The pyrotechnics budget for the show had to be astronomical. The entire stadium was lit up in jumbo flames on no fewer than four occasions — it was like the Weeknd was bathed in a rain of fire — and fireworks burst from the Rogers Centre's open roof during Sacrifice and the final song, Moth to a Flame.

The Weeknd closed the show by scream-singing a prolonged "Yes!" into his microphone, waving at the crowd as he walked off triumphantly. The final image the audience was left with was a projection of the CN Tower that faded to black, as the lights came back on.