The Weeknd has made history with his latest global tour. The Canadian singer’s ‘After Hours Till Dawn’ trek around the world has broken the record for highest-grossing tour by a male solo artist, breaking a record set by Elton John.
According to Variety, the tour, which spanned in legs over the past four years, concluded on Thursday (Nov. 5) and generated more than $1.3 billion in ticket sales. In total, the stadium tour delivered 176 shows across 67 cities, in 30 different countries on five continents, and counted more than 9 million tickets sold. Confirmed to the outlet by Live Nation, the massive showcase is the third-largest in history, surpassed only by Taylor Swift’s “Eras” tour (over $2 billion) and Coldplay’s “Music of the Spheres” tour.
Besides profit for the chart-topping R&B pop star, the tour also supported his charitable efforts through his XO Humanitarian Fund and Global Citizen. Additionally, in January, he joined forces with online auction called “Freedom for Sudan” for the proceeds of tickets auctioned off to be donated to organizations like the Sudanese American Physicians Association and Mattar Blue Movement.
The major money milestone comes after the “Wicked Games” singer secured a first-of-its-kind partnership with Lyric Capital Group which valued his music catalog at a reported $1 billion. In the deal, The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, and his team will retain creative control over the catalog and remain shareholders and owners in the company. Announced in December 2025, the agreement included his masters and publishing from the inception of his career through 2025, but not any future releases.
Fans of the Grammy winner are anticipating the possibility of a new era ahead. As The Weeknd concluded the record-breaking tour, the 36-year-old released the new song, “Hong Kong.” According to Stereoboard, the drop is built around Cantopop icon Faye Wong’s 1993 song “Monsoon” and a tribute to the Chinese city.
Source: theGrio
