Culture 3 min read By Lauren Baxter
The Weeknd wraps five-night sold-out Wembley run and raises $350k for charity
The Weeknd completed a five-night sold-out run at Wembley Stadium, raising more than $350,000 for charity across his UK tour dates.
The Weeknd has wrapped up a five-night sold-out residency at Wembley Stadium, closing out his UK tour leg with a charity haul of more than $350,000 (£260,000). The Canadian pop superstar played his final London show on Wednesday night, capping a run that also included two dates at Manchester's Etihad Stadium in June.
Across the seven UK concerts, The Weeknd drew more than 450,000 fans, with tickets purchased by people from nearly 150 countries. The charity total came from a £1 donation on every UK ticket sold, plus €1 from each ticket sold in Europe. The money will support the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund, which works to expand access to education for children worldwide, as well as The Weeknd's XO Humanitarian Fund, which backs the World Food Programme's response to the global hunger crisis.
London Mayor Sadiq Khan praised the residency, saying the city was proud to host The Weeknd for more shows than any other city in the world this year. He noted that the five performances brought hundreds of thousands of fans to Wembley Stadium, giving a significant boost to the capital's tourism and hospitality industries and reinforcing London's status as a global music hub.
The 'After Hours Til Dawn' stadium tour draws together The Weeknd's recent albums 'After Hours' (2020), 'Dawn FM' (2022) and 'Hurry Up Tomorrow' (2025). Last year, the tour was named the highest-grossing ever by a male solo artist, surpassing $1 billion in global revenue and selling more than 7.5 million tickets.
The tour continues this weekend with two shows at Dublin's Croke Park, followed by dates in Madrid, Barcelona and Lisbon, before an Asian leg later this year. The Wembley run was not without controversy: the stadium faced criticism after fireworks were used during one of the shows' finales, just hours after a government emergency alert warned people across England and Wales not to use fireworks due to wildfire risk.
In related news, Abel Tesfaye confirmed earlier this month that he is no longer planning to retire The Weeknd moniker. Speaking to fans in Stockholm, he said, «I'll never disappear. I love this too much to ever disappear. I tested retirement a little bit, and I don't like the way it feels. Imma be here forever with you.»
