Much like his fellow chart topper Chris Brown, global superstar The Weeknd is no stranger to fielding comparisons to King of Pop Michael Jackson over his illustrious career.
From milestone certifications at the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to history-making stats at Billboard, the 2020’s have seen the Canadian hitmaker (born Abel Tesfaye) accomplish other-worldly successes that have repeatedly put his name in the chat with the insurmountable stats of MJ’s.
Now, thanks to the ongoing success of the international ‘After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour‘ (designed to support the 2020 blockbuster project ‘After Hours‘ and 2022 hit LP ‘Dawn FM‘), the Abel/Michael conversation expands to touring box office receipts.
See how inside.
Last weekend, The Weeknd broke the attendance record for London Stadium – a location that seats a whopping 80,000. With sold out, back-to-back shows on July 7th and 8th as part of the hotly-selling ‘After Hours Til Dawn Tour,’ the jaunt courted 160,000 attendees over two dates and now holds the record for highest assembly of concertgoers at the massive venue.
“It’s incredible to see The Weeknd hit this milestone less than halfway through his massive sold out European run,” stated Live Nation’s Omar Al-joulani, President of Touring, in a recent interview with Variety. “This historic moment in London shows the global fanbase he has cultivated over the years.”
Tesfaye chimed in as well by taking to social media to thank his dedicated fans.
The London Stadium news came just as reports surfaced Abel’s ‘After Hours Til Dawn Tour’ had crossed the $350 million revenue-generated mark – a historic milestone for a Black artist. Before this, the King of Pop’s 1987 ‘Bad Tour‘ (which grossed $311 million) held the record.
What’s more, the Weeknd’s global still has much of Europe to cover including stops in Belgium, Spain, France, Italy, Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland before hopping over to Latin America and wrapping up in late October.
At this rate, the show’s final box office count could easily top $500 million – a feat that would mark a first for any Black artist and would make ‘After Hours Til Dawn’ one of the top 5 highest-grossing tours of all time for any solo act.
Top 5 Solo Tours of All Time
(as of time reported & not accounting for inflation)
Elton John‘s ‘Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour’ – $910m
Ed Sheeran‘s ‘Divide Tour’ – $776m
Harry Styles‘ ‘Love on Tour’ – $501m
Roger Waters‘ ‘The Wall Live’ – $458M
Madonna – $411m ‘Sticky & Sweet Tour’