The Weeknd has added another major achievement to his career, setting a new record for the highest-grossing tour ever by a solo male artist.
On Thursday (November 5), the Canadian superstar wrapped up his After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour with its final show in Kuala Lumpur. According to a press release from Live Nation, the tour generated more than $1.3 billion in revenue, selling over nine million tickets across 176 performances in 67 cities, 30 countries and five continents.
The impressive figure surpasses the previous record held by Elton John, whose Farewell Yellow Brick Road tour brought in more than $939 million. The Weeknd’s tour also secures the third spot on the all-time highest-grossing tours list, trailing only Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour, which earned over $2 billion, and Coldplay’s Music of the Spheres tour, which generated more than $1.5 billion.
The 176th and final show took place at TM Stadium Nasional in Kuala Lumpur, marking the second of two consecutive nights in the city. It brought an end to a remarkable tour that first kicked off at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Financial Field on July 14, 2022.
Along the way, The Weeknd also broke several venue records. He became the first artist to sell out Stade de France six times during a single tour. His seven performances at Los Angeles’ SoFi Stadium set new records for the most shows and highest gross by a male artist. He also performed six nights at Toronto’s Rogers Centre, setting a new record for the most appearances by a male solo artist at the venue during one tour.
The tour’s fall leg through Asia marked The Weeknd’s first time bringing the stadium production to the region. Initially announced in May with 11 dates, the schedule eventually expanded to 17 sold-out stadium performances. His four shows at Hong Kong’s Kai Tak Stadium attracted nearly 200,000 fans, making him the city’s highest-selling international male solo artist.
The Hong Kong performances also inspired “Hong Kong,” a collaboration with Cantopop legend Faye Wong that samples her 1993 track “Monsoon.” The Weeknd first performed the song live on October 24, during the opening night at Kai Tak Stadium, before officially releasing it on October 31.
Beyond its commercial success, the tour has also contributed $8.5 million to the XO Humanitarian Fund and Global Citizen. This includes $3 million raised this year for the UN World Food Programme and Global Citizen, supported in part by donations of €1 from every ticket sold across Europe and £1 per ticket in the UK.
