The Weeknd Tops 3 Million Tickets Sold in 2026 Alone as ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ Tour Kicks Off U.K. and European Legs

The Weeknd's monumental "After Hours Til Dawn" stadium tour reached a new peak on Thursday evening with a completely sold-out performance at Manchester's Etihad Stadium, the iconic home of Manchester City Football Club. This event marked the beginning of the 2026 European and UK leg, pushing the tour's total gross revenue past the remarkable $1 billion threshold. This figure was further boosted by the addition of dates across Europe, the UK, and Latin America last year. With over 7.5 million tickets sold across 153 shows, the tour now stands as the highest-grossing ever by a male solo artist. In 2026 alone, it has moved more than 3 million tickets and generated $440 million in revenue. Since its 2022 debut, the trek has swept through North America, Europe, the UK, Latin America, and Australia, returning for second runs in every region except Australia. Industry experts note that this achievement places Abel Tesfaye alongside touring giants like Taylor Swift and Ed Sheeran, highlighting the immense global demand for his immersive, theatrical live experiences.

The tour's final chapter is set to unfold this autumn in Asia, with stops in Tokyo, Jakarta, Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong, and Kuala Lumpur. Initially announced with 11 stadium dates, the Asian leg has expanded to 17 shows due to overwhelming demand. Notably, this could be the last tour under the Weeknd moniker, as Tesfaye exclusively revealed to Variety last year his intention to retire the stage name and work under his birth name moving forward. Tesfaye, who first skyrocketed to fame with his 2015 debut album "Beauty Behind the Madness," has consistently pushed creative boundaries in both music and live performance. His elaborate staging, featuring a towering neon cityscape and a giant robotic hand, has been hailed by critics as one of the most visually ambitious in pop history. The Asian dates include multiple nights in each city, with special guests Creepy Nuts and ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U joining at various locations. According to music journalist Sarah Chen of Rolling Stone, "This tour's production design redefines what a stadium show can be, blending cinematic storytelling with raw musical energy in a way that feels both intimate and epic."

Beyond the music, the tour is making a notable philanthropic impact. The Weeknd has partnered with Global Citizen to raise funds for the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, an initiative aimed at providing access to quality education for children worldwide. He is also continuing his collaboration with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) to support the XO Humanitarian Fund, which addresses the global hunger crisis. For every ticket sold across Europe, €1 will be donated to these causes, while £1 from each UK ticket will go toward the same effort. Fans can also earn one pair of free tickets to each tour date by taking action against extreme poverty through Global Citizen. More details are available at globalcitizen.org. The tour's extensive itinerary stretches from June to September in Europe and the UK, with multiple nights in cities like Manchester, Paris, London, and Madrid, before moving to Asia through November. This philanthropic model, which ties ticket sales directly to social impact, has drawn praise from advocacy groups. "By integrating charitable giving into the core of his tour, Tesfaye is setting a powerful precedent for how major artists can leverage their scale for global good," said Dr. Emily Torres, a cultural economist at the University of Southern California. This approach not only amplifies the tour's reach but also inspires fans to engage with pressing global issues, creating a lasting legacy beyond the music.