Cover The Weeknd performing in Tokyo on his record-breaking “After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour”. (Photo: Sebastien Nagy)
The Weeknd performing in Tokyo on his record-breaking “After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour”. (Photo: Sebastien Nagy)
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The “After Hours Til Dawn” run wraps as the highest-grossing tour by a male artist in history, propelled by four sold-out nights at Kai Tak Stadium
The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn stadium tour is now the highest-grossing tour by a male artist in history after generating more than US$1.3 billion (HK$10.2 billion). The milestone was formalised following his final performance at TM National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur, closing out an itinerary that spanned 176 stadium performances across 67 cities, 30 countries and five continents over more than four years.
The Canadian artist, Abel Tesfaye, who currently counts 115 million monthly Spotify listeners and remains the first musician to log 31 tracks with upwards of one billion streams each, sold more than 9 million tickets across the multi-year cycle from 2022 to 2026. Commercial momentum remained steady into its concluding year: in 2026 alone, the tour sold over 3 million tickets and grossed more than US$500 million, highlighted by a July run that took in upwards of US$120 million in a single month.
Read more: Before Kai Tak, 7 essential The Weeknd collaborations
Above The Weeknd performed four sold-out shows at the Kai Tak Stadium in October 2026. (Photo: Sebastien Nagy)
The Weeknd performed four sold-out shows at the Kai Tak Stadium in October 2026. (Photo: Sebastien Nagy)
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For Hong Kong’s live entertainment sector, the tour’s regional engagement served as a notable test of large-scale venue absorption. Across four sold-out nights at Kai Tak Stadium in late October, The Weeknd drew nearly 200,000 attendees, making him the highest-selling international male solo artist in the city’s history.
Regional demand necessitated structural adjustments to the routing, prompting promoter Live Nation to expand the inaugural Asian leg from an initially announced 11 dates to 17 sold-out stadium performances, including a three-night engagement in Bangkok alongside multi-night runs across every scheduled market.
Above The “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour concluded in Asia as the highest-grossing tour by a male artist in history. (Photo: Hyghly Alleyne)
The “After Hours Til Dawn” stadium tour concluded in Asia as the highest-grossing tour by a male artist in history. (Photo: Hyghly Alleyne)
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The volume achieved in Hong Kong directly mirrors the tour’s benchmark figures across major Western markets, where the production set venue records at Toronto’s Rogers Centre with six shows, Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium with seven dates, and Paris’ Stade de France with six consecutive sold-out nights. The capacity turnout underscores the commercial viability of Kai Tak Stadium to accommodate extended, high-density global stadium residencies on par with major international sports hubs.
Rather than treating the regional dates as a purely logistical extension of the global run, the production incorporated a targeted cross-market release. On October 24, during the opening night of his Kai Tak Stadium residency, The Weeknd debuted Hong Kong, his “love letter” to the city featuring a sample of Cantopop icon Faye Wong’s Monsoon, ahead of its official release on October 31.
Read more: Beyond The Weeknd’s Faye Wong sample: 6 Canto-pop divas from Hong Kong’s golden era
Above Hajime Sorayama’s towering chrome robot anchors the futuristic stadium stage production. (Photo: Sebastien Nagy)
Hajime Sorayama’s towering chrome robot anchors the futuristic stadium stage production. (Photo: Sebastien Nagy)
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The track registered immediate traction across mainland China’s primary streaming networks. On NetEase Cloud Music, the release recorded the platform’s largest first-day debut for a non-Mandarin single in five years across streams, saves, comments and shares, making The Weeknd the first international act in that timeframe to hold the No. 1 spot on the Hot Song, Surging, and New Music charts on release day. On QQ Music, the track achieved the platform’s biggest debut in history for a Western male artist, marking the first time a Western act topped its three primary charts simultaneously on day one in 2026.
Alongside its box-office returns, the tour maintained an active philanthropic component, directing US$8.5 million to date to the XO Humanitarian Fund and Global Citizen to support international food relief and youth education access. In 2026, US$3 million was directed to the United Nations World Food Programme and Global Citizen, with current allocations supporting campaigns focused on expanding healthcare, education and economic access for women and girls.
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Cyril Ip drives digital strategy and produces in-depth features across print and online platforms. Specialising in contemporary culture, lifestyle and music, he leverages audience analytics to inform incisive storytelling while spearheading branded content collaborations with luxury houses and major cultural institutions.
Shaped by years in Britain, Hong Kong and mainland China, Cyril brings a multifaceted background spanning media, music and publicity. His career includes four years covering culture and diplomacy at the South China Morning Post, as well as leading international campaigns for Chinese singer Tia Ray.
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