The Weeknd Debuts New Song in Tokyo
This weekend, diamond-certified global superstar The Weeknd kicked off the final chapter of his record-breaking After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour, launching the tour’s first-ever Asia leg with back-to-back performances at Belluna Dome in Tokyo, Japan. The 17-date run marks the final leg of the historic stadium tour and the last opportunity for fans to experience the acclaimed production before it comes to a close.
On Saturday’s opening night, The Weeknd brought out Yoko Takahashi for a special performance of her iconic 1995 hit “A Cruel Angel’s Thesis,” the opening theme from Neon Genesis Evangelion. The Tokyo shows also featured the debut of a new song featuring Takahashi, accompanied by a show visual by Yoko Taro incorporating imagery from NieR:Automata and Neon Genesis Evangelion.
The electrifying two-hour set also featured performances of “Popular,” “One of the Girls,” “Less Than Zero,” “Out of Time (with Tomoko Aran)”, “Kiss Land,” “Blinding Lights,” and more.
Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts and acclaimed Japanese DJ ¥ØU$UK€ ¥UK1MAT$U joined The Weeknd for the opening shows and will continue as special guests on select dates throughout the Asia run.
The Asia leg showcases several production elements created in collaboration with renowned Japanese artists and designers. At the center of the stage is a large-scale sculpture designed by Japanese artist Hajime Sorayama, standing approximately 12 meters (40 feet) tall—more than twice the scale of the statue previously featured on previous legs of the tour prior to 2026 and the largest commissioned fine artwork ever incorporated into a live concert production. Hand-carved from polystyrene foam by Japanese craftsmen in Toyama and finished in gold with multiple layers of high-gloss aluminum paint, the sculpture features laser lighting in its eyes and smoke effects from its palms, making it a striking centerpiece of the show.
The production also features work by Japanese contemporary artist Tetsuya Nakamura, who created masks worn by The Weeknd on stage. The collaboration dates back to 2023, when Nakamura designed a chrome-silver mask, microphone and microphone stand, and has since expanded to include masks and armor co-designed with Sorayama. For the 2026 tour, Yohji Yamamoto POUR HOMME also created special stage looks for The Weeknd, further bringing Japanese artistry and design into the final leg of the production.
The opening shows followed a major rollout surrounding The Weeknd’s first return to Japan in seven years. Ahead of the tour, he appeared across four GQ Asia covers, where he revealed that he is currently remastering his Japan-influenced 2013 debut album, Kiss Land, and confirmed that he has no plans to retire, declaring, “The Weeknd isn’t going anywhere.” In Tokyo, his After Hours Til Dawn pop up store became the first-ever three-floor takeover of Universal Music Store Harajuku, featuring exclusive merchandise, tour exhibits, special music releases and the Yoshitaka Amano-designed After Hours Til Dawn collection. A special Seibu Railway train wrapped in tour visuals and Amano’s artwork also ran throughout the city in celebration of his return.
On September 18, Tokyo Tower was illuminated in the signature green of Kiss Land to welcome The Weeknd back to Japan ahead of his two sold-out shows at Belluna Dome.
The Asia run follows the recently completed 2026 Europe and UK leg, which grossed more than $345 million and welcomed more than 2.3 million fans across 42 shows this summer. Throughout the leg, the tour also raised more than $2.2 million USD in charitable donations benefiting the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) and Global Citizen. Notably, the After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour topped Billboard’s July Boxscore, grossing more than $120 million and selling nearly 900,000 tickets in July alone.
Since launching in 2022, the After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour has traveled across North America, Europe, the UK, Latin America and Australia, with The Weeknd returning for second runs across nearly every territory. The final leg marks the tour’s first-ever run through Asia, bringing the production to fans across the region for the first time.
Last year, the record-breaking tour surpassed $1 billion in global gross following the addition of 2026 dates across Europe, the UK and Latin America. With more than 7.5 million tickets sold across 153 shows, After Hours Til Dawn became the highest-grossing tour ever by a male solo artist, cementing its place among the biggest global tours in history.
Following Tokyo, the After Hours Til Dawn Stadium Tour continues to Jakarta next weekend before making additional stops in Singapore, Seoul, Bangkok, Hong Kong and Kuala Lumpur. Originally announced with 11 stadium shows, the Asia run quickly expanded to 17 dates due to overwhelming demand, including three nights in Bangkok, four nights in Hong Kong and multiple shows in every other market on the run.
As part of the After Hours Til Dawn 2026 Tour, The Weeknd is continuing his partnership with Global Citizen to support access to quality education for children around the world through the FIFA Global Citizen Education Fund. He will also continue his longstanding partnership with the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), with funds supporting the XO Humanitarian Fund and WFP’s response to the global hunger crisis.
For each ticket sold across the Asia leg, $1 USD local equivalent will be donated to support these two organizations.*
*Not applicable in Jakarta.