concert
The Weeknd‘s Q4 career moves have proven the pop star has remained dedicated to finishing the year strong before kicking off 2025 with a bang: He performed a one-night-only stadium show in São Paulo, Brazil in September and released three singles that he debuted during the show: “Dancing in the Flames,” the Billboard Hot 100 No. 3 hit “Timeless” with Playboi Carti and “São Paulo,” featuring Anitta. In October, he took over a handful more stadiums in Melbourne and Sydney during his rescheduled Australian tour. And the following month, he announced his sixth studio album Hurry Up Tomorrow will be released on Jan. 24, and he’ll perform another one-night-only stadium show at Pasadena’s Rose Bowl the day after.
And somewhere in the middle of all of this, The Weeknd also became the artist with the most songs to hit one billion streams on Spotify, with 24 songs in the Billions Club. And nearly 2,000 of his top listeners on Spotify got to relive those hits during Spotify’s first-ever Billions Club Live concert at Santa Monica’s Barker Hangar on Tuesday evening (Dec. 17).
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“It’s a little holiday gift for the OG XO fans supporting me since day one,” he said while blue strobe lights kicked off his 70-minute set. “2024 is almost done. But 2025, we got some new s–t coming out. New album, new tour, new movie. New everything!” His upcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow, which is the third and final installment of his After Hours / Dawn FM trilogy, will be supported by a psychological thriller film of the same name that will mark the singer’s feature-starring debut.
It’s poetic that the Canadian-Ethiopian superstar (real name Abel Tesfaye) is closing this chapter of his career the same way he started it over a decade ago, with a trilogy of cohesive projects. Outside of his big-picture ideas, he finds clever ways to thread together little details from his entire discography. The popular idiom “this house is not a home,” for example, is a common lyrical theme, which The Weeknd references not only in the 2020 After Hours title track he performed but also dating back to “Twenty Eight” from his 2011 debut mixtape House of Balloons. But for someone as beloved as him, The Weeknd feels right at home on stage even during the remarkably intimate show.
“It’s been a while since I’ve been at a venue like this. Feels like back in the Kiss Land tour or Trilogy tour,” he reflected. “Maybe after the stadium tour, we might go back in time and we might do smaller venues.”
He tapped his frequent collaborator Mike Dean — whom The Weeknd jokingly blamed for his minor coughing fit because he was “hitting that f–king bong all night” — to steer the set “wherever you wanna take it,” before the hip-hop superproducer’s eerie synths introduced Metro Boomin‘s “Creepin,’” featuring The Weeknd and 21 Savage. The Weeknd later summoned his drummer Ricky Lewis to play “Popular,” the platinum-certified hit with Madonna and Carti from his 2023 HBO drama series The Idol. It’s one of two songs from the show to hit one billion Spotify streams, with the other being “One of the Girls” with JENNIE and Lily-Rose Depp. Then, he called on his guitarist Patrick Greenaway to cue the next song — and Greenaway’s scene-stealing shredding summoned “Heartless.” The Weeknd had multiple opportunities to bring out special guests, considering 13 of the 24 songs in the Billions Club are collaborations, but the unprecedented concert felt more suited for his solo victory lap rather than an all-star relay race.
“Oh s–t, this hit a billion?!” he marveled as “Reminder,” from his 2016 album Starboy started playing. The Weeknd warned the crowd of the song’s gunshot background sound during the chorus, a conscious reminder his concertgoers have picked up on from his previous shows. And while this one’s circular stage setup was much simpler than his ornamented stadium show designs, it didn’t stop The Weeknd from making the night memorable: Yellow spotlights flickered as he sang the “I just wanna see you shine ’cause I know you are a stargirl” outro from his and Lana Del Rey‘s “Stargirl Interlude,” and they later twinkled to recreate the grandiose ballroom feel of “Earned It” from the 50 Shades of Grey film. And red strobe lights provoked the sinister aura of his 2015 Hot 100 chart-topper “The Hills” from Beauty Behind the Madness.
He asked if any of his ballads had hit one billion Spotify streams to slow down his set, but the singer was taken aback by the siren-like synth intro of his Gesaffelstein-featuring “I Was Never There” from his 2018 EP My Dear Melancholy, classifying it as more of a “power ballad.” After his 2012 debut single “Wicked Games” (“I know that song didn’t hit a billion, but I felt like I had to do it. It’s necessary, at least one House of Balloons song,” he said matter-of-factly) and “Die For You” — which experienced a TikTok-fueled resurgence six years after its release and produced the Hot 100 No. 1 remix with Ariana Grande — The Weeknd wanted to “pick up the pace” and Daft Punk‘s fuzzy disco-pop production from “I Feel It Coming” instantly got the audience in a groove.
After what felt like the ultimate finisher with “Blinding Lights” — the first song to hit four billion Spotify streams as well as the top Hot 100 song of all time — The Weeknd teased his Hurry Up Tomorrow era by singing a snippet of an unreleased song he’s teased during previous shows, reportedly titled “In Heaven.” “In 2025, everything is fine. In 2025, everything will be fine. I’ll come back for you, XO. But until then, hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow! Hurry up tomorrow!” he bellowed.
Check out the full set list from The Weeknd’s Spotify Billions Club Live concert below.
“Call Out My Name”
“Moth to a Flame”
“After Hours”
“Lost in the Fire”
“Creepin’”
“Popular”
“Starboy”
“Heartless”
“Reminder”
“Stargirl Interlude”
“One of the Girls”
“The Hills”
“Often”
“I Was Never There”
“Wicked Games”
“Earned It”
“Die For You”
“I Feel It Coming”
“Can’t Feel My Face”
“Save Your Tears”
“Blinding Lights”
Encore:
“Timeless”
“São Paulo”
Maluma is already celebrating milestones for 2025 with the announcement of his Bogotá en el Mapa concert, he shared on Monday (Dec. 16). Set to take place in May at the Nemesio Camacho El Campín Stadium, the Colombian artist will host the first-ever 360 concert at the venue that holds nearly 40,000 people. “On May […]
The Roots are taking it all the way back to ’95. The legendary hip-hop crew and Tonight Show house band announced the line-up for their 2024 Roots Picnic Experience, which will take place at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles on June 8, 2025.
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The show, “A Roots Picnic Experience: The Class of ’95,” highlighting a roster of classic acts from the mid-1990s will feature a set from the hosts, as well as performances from Lil’ Kim, Redman & Method Man, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, DJ Quik, Raekwon, E-40, Goodie Mob, Havoc (of Mobb Deep) and others. The group brought their annual event to Los Angeles for the first time this June, where they were joined by Nas, Jill Scott, Lil Wayne, Trombone Shorty, J. Period, Fantasia and many more for a show titled “Hip-Hop Is the Love of My Life.”
Tickets for the 2025 Hollywood Bowl show will go on sale on Wednesday (Dec. 11) at 10 a.m. PT. In the announcement, the group also promised their hometown fans that they shouldn’t fret, they’ll be back home next year for the event that launched in 2007. “DON’T WORRY PHILLY, WE’LL BE BACK FOR YOU IN 2025.”
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In a statement, drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson said, “Well: 1995 was our true arrival. Nineteen eighty-seven was the Year of the Creative Adhesive, the year that tied together Tariq’s world and my world in high school, and 1991 was the Year of the Green Light, the year we gave ourselves permission to take our resources and passion and pursue our dream. But 1995? That was the Year It All Came Together, the year when our first major release, Do You Want More?!!!??! was sent into the world. Hip-hop was an entirely new ballgame back then, on an entirely new playing field. Those were the days when there were still things like mainstream terrestrial radio, bloated video budgets, and creativity at both the regional and the global levels. Those were the days that produced classic album after classic album, unleashing countless new ideas about art. Those were the days when the world was our oyster. This is the story of those days.”
Some of the greatest names in new wave, punk, electronic and alternative rock will come together on June 22 in Milton Keynes, U.K. for the inaugural Forever Now festival.
The one-day even will feature sets from dance minimalists Kraftwerk, as well as “Rebel Yell” singer Billy Idol, punk veterans the Damned, Public Image Ltd and the Jesus & Mary Chain. The bill will also include former Smith guitarist and solo star Johnny Marr, the Psychedelic Furs, The The, the Happy Mondays, Bauhaus singer and solo performer Peter Murphy, Berlin and Theatre of Hate at what a release described as a “cultural phenomenon of the darker underbelly of creativity, from new wave to post-punk, psychedelia and alt-rock.”
The event is a sister act to the U.S.-based Cruel World festival, which will fill the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, CA on May 17 for a day-long concert featuring New Order, Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds, the Go-Go’s, Devo, OMD, Death Cult, Garbage, Madness, She Wants Revenge, Alison Moyet and more.
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Additional acts slated for the U.K. show include: Chameleons, UKDecay, the Motels and She Wants Revenge. Fans can sign up for a Dec. 5 pre-sale now here; the general onsite will open at 10 a.m. on Dec. 6. In a statement, promoter AEG Presents said, “From the fashionably dark to the fiercely unconventional, all are welcome to revel in a day of unforgettable music and community. This is a festival where nostalgia meets discovery, where new and devoted fans unite, and where forever truly begins now.”
In addition o music on two stages, the U.K. show will feature a third stage, the Echo Chamber, which will be curated by music journalist John Robb and feature interviews, panel discussions and artist conversations.
Check out the announcement below.
Luis Miguel took his spectacular 2023-24 world tour to a new level on Saturday (Nov. 30), on what was a historic night for the Mexican superstar during his debut at the GNP Seguros Stadium in Mexico City. It was the first of two consecutive nights at the venue, and it also marked the beginning of the end of the highest-grossing Latin tour of all time, according to Billboard Boxscore figures.
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With all tickets sold out and an attendance of 65,000 people, as reported by the promoter Ocesa, it was one of the most massive concerts of the famous performer ever recorded in the country. The dubbed “Sol de México” is expected to repeat the feat on Sunday (Dec. 1).
The singer magnified the show he has been presenting on the tour — which began in the summer of 2023 at the Movistar Arena in Buenos Aires, Argentina — to match a venue as imposing as the GNP Seguros Stadium, with huge screens that allowed attendees to appreciate every detail of the show from any angle.
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Known for his obsession with perfection in his productions, Luis Miguel’s concert also surprised attendees with the quality of the audio, which showcased his voice potently. Visibly pleased, the performer appeared on the impressive stage elevated by a platform, impeccably dressed in his classic black suit, white shirt, black tie, black patent leather shoes and black silk socks.
It was the beginning of an unforgettable and magical night for the star and his fans, who sang along to each of Luis Miguel’s songs throughout the performance — those that have catapulted him as one of the greatest Latin stars. Saturday’s repertoire was not much different from what he has presented at other shows on the tour, with pop hits, including “Será Que No Me Amas,” “Amor, Amor, Amor,” “Suave,” “Culpable o No,” “Hasta Que Me Olvides” and “Dame,” as well as a segment dedicated to boleros with songs like “Como Yo Te Amé,” “Solamente Una Vez,” “Somos Novios” and “Todo y Nada.”
One of the most celebrated moments came with the traditional mariachi segment and the special dedication to his beloved Mexico, with the classics “Guadalajara,” “La Bikina” and “La Media Vuelta.” With a pyrotechnics show and the legendary “Cucurrucucú Paloma” — a Mexican huapango-style song written by Tomás Méndez in 1954 — Luis Miguel ended his show with a big ovation from his loyal audience.
After Sunday night’s show at the GNP Seguros Stadium, the artist has two more performances in Mexico’s capital, at the Arena Ciudad de México, on Dec. 8 and 10. Both dates are the result of the rescheduling of his Oct. 23, 24 and 28, which Luis Miguel had postponed due to unspecified health problems.
Although the singer had chosen Mexico City to close a spectacular world tour that grossed $318.2 million and sold 2.2 million tickets in its first 146 concerts, as reported in September by Billboard Boxscore, this week he surprised his fans by announcing on his Instagram Stories that the tour will instead end on Dec. 17 in Buenos Aires, at the Campo Argentino de Polo.
The excitement began on the plane: a half-dozen girls and young women exchanging notes on outfits (“You’re doing Lover?” “I’m doing Midnights!” “I’m going as Miss Americana”), making and trading friendship bracelets and even a few headed to the country without tickets, hoping for a day-of miracle. It continued at the bars and restaurants the […]
Zach Bryan only has a handful of shows on his schedule for next year so far, and on Wednesday (Nov. 13) he announced a major new addition. “Always been a dream to play MetLife Stadium, so we’re doin it with Kings of Leon on July 20th, 2025,” the “I Remember Everything” singer revealed in an […]
Olivia Rodrigo is joining the already star-studded line-up for the BST Hyde Park series next summer. American Express presents BST Hyde Park announced on Monday (Nov. 11) that the “Bad Idea Right?” singer will headline the Great Oak Stage on June 27 with support from The Last Dinner Party and Girl in Red, with additional […]
And in the end, the love Taylor Swift took from Swifties at the last-ever U.S. Eras Tour show on Sunday night (Nov. 3) in Indianapolis was more than equal to the love she gave. There were tears of joy and glitter galore, elation and wonder at being the last ones in the room as Swift brought a close to 141 shows on the tour that spanned the globe, and her career over the last 20 months.
And while Sunday’s was, by most accounts, a standard Eras show — none of the surprise guests or big announcements fans buzzed about before the gig — the 69,000-plus attendees at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on night three went home secure that they saw the same type of over-the-top musical masterpiece as the Swifties who attended the tour kick-off in March 2023.
But, also, the last Eras gig ever in the U.S.
Swift, of course, treated them to one more magical mash-up of favorites during the surprise song segment near the end of the show in the city that, like all the others, gratefully gave itself over to the sparkling, happy-to-spend Swiftie mobs. The singer, literally, strode like a Colossus over the Midwestern town better known for its thirst for professional and college sports, via a 330-foot mural of the pop icon plastered on the facade of a downtown hotel just blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium.
It was a fittingly way-larger-than-life image for a spectacle that was all-encompassing, touching everything from the mundane — the check-in clerk with a flowing weird beard manning the desk at a hotel near the stadium who had Swift’s favorite number (13) drawn on the back of his hand above one of the tour’s ubiquitous friendship bracelets — to the sublime: a burly cop with an wrist-full of colorful bracelets signing a little girl’s white Tortured Poet’s Department dress as she skipped her way into the venue.
For the final curtain before the tour finishes up for real in Canada with eight more shows later this month, as in other cities on the Eras Tour, Indianapolis rolled out the red carpet for the singer. The state capital was transformed into TaylorTown for the weekend. Everywhere Swifties went, there Taylor was.
More than 30 streets around downtown were temporarily transformed into Eras avenues, including The Man Dr., London Boy Ln., So High School St., … Ready For It? Rd., Bad Blood Blvd, and, of course, Cornelia St., which also happened to be one of Sunday night’s surprise songs.
The Indianapolis Zoo declared itself “In Our Wildest Era,” local vendors threw “Taylor” terrarium building parties and there were Tay-themed drink at bars all over town (Sun King Brewery’s ‘1,2,3 Let’s Go B*tch” Cherry Limeade Ale and an Eras Cider Box from Ash & Elm Cider Co. As well as snacks in Lucas Oil (Back to Decemberger Basked, Fearless Fries), a “Sweat Stretch Simmer” Swift-themed hot yoga class and even an “Era Sparkle Party for Voter Registration” at the Easley Winery in the lead-up to Tuesday’s (Nov. 5) presidential election, in which Swift has endorsed Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.
It was all in honor of the singer whose tour created its own ecosystem, with new traditions (trading themed friendship bracelets, dressing in different Eras costumes) and a radiant joy that kept event the youngest fans staving off yawns as they danced in their light-up shoes and sequined skirts well past their bedtimes.
“The fact that you would do that for us, for me, for my band, my crew, my fellow performers. You have just completely confirmed that we chose the right 69,000 people to spend our last night with,” Swift told the capacity crowd on the third night in a row that she set attendance records at the stadium.
Check out our eight best moments from the final Eras Tour U.S.l show below.
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With an electrifying roar that resonated in every corner, Carin León took over Madrid’s WiZink Center, marking his historic debut in Spain. Part of his Boca Chueca Tour, the show not only marked the Mexican star’s first performance in Europe but also broke records: With an audience of 17,426 people, it surpassed Metallica’s mark set in 2018, becoming the event with the highest attendance of the more than 1,200 concerts held at the venue.
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The atmosphere at the WiZink was unique, transformed into a 360-degree Palenque style, with spectators surrounding the arena like in a boxing ring, an unprecedented layout for this Madrid venue. Among the attendees were music stars such as Vanesa Martín, India Martínez, C. Tangana, and Ximena Sariñana, as well as the legendary soccer player Sergio Ramos, all witnesses of a night in which Mexican and Spanish music intertwined for two and a half hours of pure spectacle.
From the beginning, León’s excitement about being in Madrid was palpable. “I’ve always said it: the second place I would go after Hermosillo is Madrid,” he confessed, making clear the special place this city holds in his heart. One of the first surprises of the night was the live performance of “Recorrerte,” a song in collaboration with Sen Senra that he described as “sexy,” managing to arouse the audience’s emotions. The song, which has not yet been officially released, will be part of the Galician artist’s album PO2054AZ, VOL. II of the Galician artist, scheduled for release on November 15.
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One of the most emotional moments of the night came with the presence of his great friend and mentor, Álex Ubago, with whom León shared a special bond since he invited him to his birthday party in San Carlos, Sonora last July. Together they performed two of Ubago’s classics, “A Gritos de Esperanza” and “¿Qué Pides Tú?,” in a tribute to the influence that Spanish music has had on the Sonoran’s career. “What a dream to share with the artists I admire, long live Spain and long live its artists and music,” exclaimed León, visibly moved.
The connection between the two artists was reinforced with a dedication by León to those affected in Valencia by the DANA (a meteorological phenomenon that usually causes heavy rains and recently caused a tragedy in the region). “Life is sometimes very uncertain and very unfair. I want to dedicate this concert to the people of Valencia,” he said, receiving a standing ovation from the audience. “More than a minute of silence, I want an eternity of joy. Long live Valencia and this song goes with much affection and respect,” he added before performing “Vida Pasada.”
After singing “Por Culpa De Un Tercero”, the venue rumbled with the arrival of another of the stars of the night: Pablo Alborán. Together they performed “Viaje a Ningún Lado” in a duet that showed their mutual respect and admiration. “This man is a bully, how you sing!” joked León, to which Alborán responded with a wink: “For me, being together on stage in Madrid, there is no better place.” In this musical communion, the artists gave each other another joint performance, “De Piedra a Papel”, which became one of the most acclaimed moments of the evening.
Among the special guests was also Omar Montes, who performed with León the song “Ron con Coca” and, in a tone of admiration, said: “How proud of you, Carin León, who comes to Spain and breaks more than the Spaniards. You deserve all the good things that are happening to you.”
The night progressed with a series of hits, such as “Que Vuelvas,” “Talento de Televisión,” “Tóxico” and “Aviso Importante.” But the energy reached another level with the arrival of Manuel Carrasco. Together, they performed their collaboration “No Me Llores”, as well as a little-known gem by Carrasco that the Mexican himself asked him to sing, “Yo Te Vi Pasar,” which reflected the palpable chemistry between the two artists. “I’m delighted in front of so many beautiful people at your party. Let’s enjoy, brother,” exclaimed Carrasco, infecting the audience with his enthusiasm.
The musical display continued with a surprising version of Enrique Urquijo’s classic “Aunque Tú No lo Sepas,” to which León added his unique style. And, to close the night, the León could not leave out one of his most beloved anthems, “Primera Cita,” which sealed a spectacular debut in the Spanish capital.
“More than faith, I’m sure there will be more dates like this one,” anticipated León, before saying goodbye.
The next destination of his Boca Chueca Tour is London, this Sunday, November 3, followed by Amsterdam and Paris, on November 4 and 5, respectively.