Canadian singer Abel Tesfaye, known professionally as The Weeknd, launched the Spanish leg of his After Hours Til Dawn world tour with a concert at the Metropolitano stadium in Madrid.
The performance was the first of three scheduled shows at the venue, marking Tesfaye's return to Spanish stages three years after his previous appearance in the country.
Following his three-night run in Madrid, the tour is scheduled to move to Barcelona for a single performance at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys before concluding in Lisbon, Portugal.
Crowd anticipation and opening acts
Hundreds of fans gathered in the streets surrounding the stadium hours before the venue opened its doors. The crowd assembled despite a drop in temperature recorded in the Spanish capital during the final week of August.
Anticipation for the Madrid performance had built following reports that The Weeknd delivered the highest-grossing and best-selling tour during the month of July.
The evening began with opening performances by musical artists Prince 85 and Playboi Carti. After the supporting acts finished, the stadium lights were extinguished, leaving only the night sky over Madrid to illuminate the venue before the main show.
Stage entrance and setlist
Tesfaye took the stage accompanied by an entourage of performers wearing red robes and masks. The singer initially wore a mask as well, though he removed it shortly into the performance.
The audience cheered as Tesfaye's face appeared on the stadium's primary video screen during his initial appearance. He remarked to the crowd that he was merely warming up as he began the concert.
The singer delivered a 38-song setlist with minimal breaks between tracks. The performance featured several of his chart-topping singles, including Starboy, Die for You, Can't Feel My Face, The Hills, and I Feel It Coming.
Spoken addresses and fan reaction
Although spoken intermissions were brief, Tesfaye addressed the crowd to praise the beauty of Spanish women, saying there were many beautiful girls in Spain, which drew loud cheers from the audience.
Addressing the remaining dates on his tour schedule, Tesfaye stated that the first night is always the most special. He added that initial performances consistently match the standard set by a tour's final shows.
As the concert neared its conclusion, Tesfaye told attendees to save their tears for another day, describing music as a celebration to be shared among family, friends, and strangers supporting one another.
Hit singles and stage production
The show featured Save Your Tears, a track featuring American singer Ariana Grande. The 1980s synth-driven song prompted the crowd to sing along to lyrics concerning a past relationship ended by defensive behavior.
The concert continued without pause into Blinding Lights, a track frequently broadcast on Spanish radio network Cadena 100. The performance was accompanied by fire cannons, a signature visual feature of the tour.
During Blinding Lights, tour staff introduced balloons into the crowd as attendees jumped along with the artist. The concert concluded with Moth to a Flame, a song that gained widespread popularity following its inclusion in the Amazon Prime Video series Maxton Hall.
For the final moment of the show, Tesfaye adopted a tennis player style gesture and signed the lens of a camera tracking his movements across the stage. The signed image was displayed on the screens at the Metropolitano stadium as the event ended.
