August 12 was a Tuesday, but in Nashville, it was already The Weeknd.
The R&B and hip-hop singer born Abel Makkonen Tesfaye brought his “After Hours Til Dawn Tour” to Music City’s Nissan Stadium for his first Nashville show in nearly a decade.
Throughout a two-hour concert with a 37-song setlist, The Weeknd transformed the 69,000-person venue into an apocalyptic land in the ruins of a city inhabited by cloaked figures.
It was a world in decay, one that could only be saved by blaring bass and crisp, soaring vocals — and The Weeknd delivered.
Here are the top moments from the show.
The Weeknd’s cinematic set-up
The Weeknd performs during his After Hours Til Dawn concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
The Canadian-Ethiopian singer-songwriter set out on tour in May alongside openers Playboi Carti and Mike Dean, who hit the stage first in Nashville.
The tour comes in support of The Weeknd’s full album trilogy, which began in 2020 with “After Hours,” which was followed by 2022’s “Dawn FM” and concluded the release of his sixth studio album “Hurry Up Tomorrow” in January.
At the end of the tour run, the 35-year-old singer says he plans to retire his musical persona, though he still plans on continuing to make music.
The imminent new chapter only upped the ante on this tour, bringing a massive army of Nashville fans. Thousands of concertgoers filed into Nissan Stadium, mostly clad in black and metallics.
The stage, covered in a crumbling cityscape and backed by a massive screen, sat next to a cross-shaped catwalk on the stadium floor dappled with giant golden rings.
The Weeknd performs during his After Hours Til Dawn concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
In the center of the catwalk stood a massive statuette of the “Sexy Robot” by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama — a golden figure leaning forward with her arms stretched behind her back.
Flanked by columns of masked backup dancers covered in red from head to toe, The Weeknd entered in a black and gold cloak and black mask.
He kicked the night off with his 2025 track, “The Abyss,” singing, “Let’s end it all, the world’s not far behind / So what’s the point of staying? / It’s going up in flames.”
The first few tracks, which included “Wake Me Up,” “After Hours,” “Starboy” and “Heartless,” set the tone for the show.
The Weeknd performs during his After Hours Til Dawn concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
It felt like a dark, gritty universe ripped from the streets of “Blade Runner” or the “The Hunger Games.” His red company — who bore a “Handmaid’s Tale” resemblance — hit angular choreo with the precision of a Greek chorus.
The Weeknd’s bright, soulful voice never faltered, and as red lights washed over the stadium, he ushered fans into another dimension.
The Weeknd tears up from warm Nashville welcome, confirms future tours
After his first half-dozen songs, The Weeknd slowly removed his mask.
As he saluted the crowd, beaming, The Weeknd looked out at the audience and tears welled in his eyes.
The Weeknd performs during his After Hours Til Dawn concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
“That might have been the warmest welcome on tour, man. Thank you guys so much,” he said.
The Weeknd said it was his first time at Nissan Stadium and his first time performing at a stadium in Tennessee. “Who would have thought?” he said. “I’m so grateful.”
Last time he visited Music City was on his “Starboy Tour” in 2016, The Weeknd said, which was nearly a decade ago. “Y’all miss me?” he asked.
The Weeknd performs during his After Hours Til Dawn concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
He launched into the next part of the show, cycling through his hits like 2015’s “Can’t Feel My Face,” “Often” and “The Hills” with a theatrical flare that brought the heat, sometimes literally. Hot fireballs burst around the catwalk so close the audience could feel the warmth.
Laser lights flashed while the crowd’s light up bracelets, which were given out as fans filed into the stadium, blinked coordinated colors.
“Open Hearts” and “Cry For Me” brought Nissan into a galactic-feeling discotheque, while “São Paulo,” a 2025 song with Anitta whisked the audience away to a Brazilian nightclub.
Fans bought into every moment.
Feeling the love, The Weeknd shouted out the city in almost every song, sometimes more than once.
Fans watch The Weeknd perform during his After Hours Til Dawn concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
“You might not believe me, I say this every show but I gotta be honest with you: This might be the craziest show on the entire tour,” The Weeknd said.
“I feel like I’m at home right now … and I’m not ever gonna make that mistake, man, I’m never skipping Nashville ever again (on tour). And there’s gonna be a lot more tours, man, I’m gonna promise you that.”
The Weeknd duets with Playboi Carti, sings with audience member
Other highlights included an appearance from opener Playboi Carti, who duetted with The Weeknd on two tracks and a couple songs later, when The Weeknd ventured out into the crowd.
He shared the mic with a fan as he ran around the stadium, interacting with the crowd.
The Weeknd performs during his After Hours Til Dawn concert at Nissan Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Tuesday, Aug. 12, 2025.
Hits “Call Out My Name,” “Die For You,” and “Save Your Tears” landed in the show’s second half, with The Weeknd bringing powerful vibrato-laced vocals.
The concert began to wrap up with 2020’s “Blinding Lights” and newer track “Without a Warning” while graphics displayed a giant golden door closing and the lights went black.
The Weeknd performed a four-song encore, ending with “Moth to a Flame” as red fireworks shot above the stage, bursting columns of fire, and fans chanting along.
The crowd had journeyed from after hours all the way to dawn, and we’d reached the end of the road.
And though it may be the end of The Weeknd’s touring journey, the Nashville audience was loud and clear: We’ll welcome Abel Tesfaye back to our city’s stages anytime.
The Weeknd Nashville 2025 Setlist
Sacrifice (Swedish House Mafia remix)
How Do I Make You Love Me?
Lost in the Fire (Gesaffelstein & The Weeknd song)
I Was Never There (“Given Up on Me” outro)
Creepin’ (Metro Boomin cover)
Moth to a Flame (Swedish House Mafia & The Weeknd song)
Audrey Gibbs is a music journalist at The Tennessean. You can reach her at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Weeknd calls Nashville craziest stop, promises more tours to come
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