The Weeknd Delivers Spectacular Performance During Australian Tour

The Weeknd commenced the Australian segment of his ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ tour with an electrifying performance in Melbourne. This marked his first stadium show in Australia, awaited eagerly by fans due to previous rescheduling and cancellations. Supporting acts made significant contributions to the evening, setting the stage for the main event.

Australian artist Anna Lunoe was among the opening acts, engaging the audience with an energetic set featuring popular dance tracks. She also introduced tracks from her forthcoming album, ‘Pearl,’ including her latest release, ‘Polite.’ Another act, Chxrry22, an Ethiopian-born R&B singer from Toronto, captured attention with her latest single ‘Poppin Out (Mistakes),’ leaving a strong impression with her dynamic performance.

American producer Mike Dean then took to the stage, providing a moody soundtrack characterized by heavy synthesizers and distorted vocals. Dean’s set included tracks he has collaborated on with The Weeknd, such as ‘Popular,’ building anticipation for the headline act.

The Weeknd, born Abel Tesfaye, expressed excitement being back in Melbourne, having last performed there in 2017. Opening with a dramatic visual of a large door and red-cloaked figures, The Weeknd began with new songs ‘The Crowd’ and ‘Wake Me Up’ from his upcoming album ‘Hurry Up Tomorrow.’ The performance featured elaborate religious motifs and a dark, atmospheric setting, enhanced by powerful vocals and a captivating light show.

The setlist included crowd favorites like ‘After Hours,’ ‘Take My Breath,’ and ‘Sacrifice,’ encouraging audience sing-alongs. The Weeknd maintained high energy throughout, at one point interacting with fans, “I think I found my religion in Australia today,” though he largely focused on delivering the 31-song setlist without many personal interjections.

The concert’s intensity peaked with performances of ‘Party Monster‘ and a new track ‘São Paulo,’ accompanied by flames across the stage. Despite the high energy and visual spectacle, The Weeknd’s interaction with the audience was minimal, focusing instead on a seamless progression of his songs.

A surprising moment occurred when a fan jumped on stage mid-performance, quickly managed by security as The Weeknd continued unfazed. The show concluded with ‘Dancing In The Flames‘ and the hit ‘Blinding Lights.’ However, an expected encore did not materialize, ending the night in an unexpected and somewhat anti-climactic fashion.