The Weeknd has set a new tour record previously held by Michael Jackson, notoriously known as the “King of Pop,” for over 20 years.
Since the summer of 2022, the Canadian performer has embarked on his ongoing “After Hours Til Dawn Tour” in support of his fourth and fifth studio albums. With his millions of fans and constant chart-topping records, many believed Weeknd could do something special with his seventh tour, and he did.
The Grammy Award-winning singer has passed the late Jackson’s record for the highest-grossing tour ever by a Black artist. His global experience has already garnished over $350 million in revenue. Jackson held the record since 1987 when he went on his “Bad Tour.” According to Hot New Hip Hop, the musical icon grossed $311 million after adjusting for inflation.
After setting a new tour marker, Weeknd celebrated the milestone by honoring Jackson, who passed away in 2009 at age 50. The “I Feel It Coming” producer shared a video of a fan recording his performance of Jackson’s ’80s hit “Dirty Diana” in Brussels, Belgium. “My king. Then, now, and forever. Rest easy,” Weeknd captioned his Instagram post.
Per Billboard, Weeknd joined Jackson earlier this year as the only male soloist with multiple Hot 100 No. 1s from three or more albums. If not in concert, most fans can see Weeknd on TV portraying Tedros, a nightclub impresario, on HBO’s “The Idol.” In a previous interview with W magazine, the talented storyteller opened up about the difficulties of juggling re-filming the series as Tedros while performing live as his stage name.
“I had to rest and reflect and think about The Weeknd and Tedros and all that had happened with the show. I realized that I need to know that, I’ve made the best version of whatever I’m making. It was a challenge to redo ‘The Idol,’ and, in truth, I sacrificed my health and home to make it work,” he said. “When you’ve done the best you can, I would call that a happy ending.”