The Weeknd Returns to Korea After 8 Years with a Live Show Hotter Than Flames; 50,000 Fans Sing Along to 40 Songs

The Weeknd Returns to Korea for First Concert in Eight Years
108,000 Seats Sold Out for Two Shows on October 7 and 8
Sang 40 Songs Nonstop Over Two Hours
Worked "Korea" and "Goyang" into His Lyrics
"Do You Know How Much I Love Korea?"

The Weeknd performs during the Korean leg of his “After Hours Til Dawn” world tour at Hyundai Card Super Concert 28: The Weeknd, held on the 7th at the Main Stadium of Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Courtesy of Sebastien Nagy.

A 12-meter-tall golden robot sculpture stood at the center of the stage, while green lasers swept across the stadium. Pillars of fire shot upward with such intensity that the heat could be felt from the stands, but it was The Weeknd's powerful live performance that captivated 50,000 people for two hours. His vocals, shifting between falsetto and full voice, remained strong even after he performed 40 songs without a break. Returning to Korea for the first time in eight years, he showed that singing was his greatest strength, even in a massive stadium.

The show was the Korean stop of The Weeknd's "After Hours Til Dawn" world tour, held at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on October 7. After the performance by Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts ended and darkness fell, masked dancers lined the stage. The Weeknd appeared on the cross-shaped extended stage reaching into the center of the stadium and opened the show with "Baptized in Fear."

The Weeknd performed "Open Hearts," "Wake Me Up" and "After Hours," then continued without a break with "Starboy" and "Heartless." A giant robot sculpture created by Japanese contemporary artist Hajime Sorayama stood at the center of the cross-shaped extended stage. The Weeknd appeared wearing a mask and shot lasers from its eyes. The lighting, video and dancers' movements also blended with the dark, unsettling mood of his music.

"Korea, do you know how much I love you? Do you love me as much as I love you?"

After removing his mask, The Weeknd recalled his first concert in Korea in 2018. "I have a special relationship with you," he said, adding, "Eight years ago, that was my first stadium show." He continued, "You showed me so much love back then, and tonight in Goyang has been incredible." About 24,000 people attended his concert at Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul at the time. This time, all 108,000 seats sold out for the two shows on October 7 and 8, with 54,000 tickets available each day. General ticket sales in May sold out in 35 minutes, and the number of simultaneous users at peak reached 1.3 million.

The Weeknd performs during the South Korean leg of his “After Hours Til Dawn” world tour at “Hyundai Card Super Concert 28: The Weeknd,” held on the 7th at the main stadium of Goyang Sports Complex in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Provided by Sebastien Nagy.

The Weeknd performs during the South Korean leg of his “After Hours Til Dawn” world tour at Hyundai Card Super Concert 28 at the main stadium of Goyang Stadium in Goyang on the 7th. Courtesy of Sebastien Nagy.

The Weeknd varied his delivery and breathing as he moved between fast and slow songs. In "Wicked Games," he built R&B tension by stretching out some notes and cutting others short, while in "Call Out My Name," he powerfully sang passages that rose from the lower register to the high notes. His smooth falsetto stood out in "I Feel It Coming" and "Die for You."

"Die for You" began with the audience singing in unison, without instrumental accompaniment. The Weeknd turned his microphone toward the crowd and paused. After listening to the stadium fill with their voices, he resumed singing. Even as the show entered its final stretch, he continued to belt out high notes.

The setlist traced more than a decade of musical evolution, from early R&B to synth-pop and electronic music. Prominent electronic sounds drove "Starboy" and "Heartless," while "São Paulo" shifted the mood with Brazilian funk rhythms. Dance tracks led by synthesizers followed with "Take My Breath" and "Sacrifice."

The Weeknd moved around the venue, working "Korea" and "Goyang" into his lyrics and making heart shapes with his hands. He went down close to the audience to hold hands with fans and sometimes passed them the microphone so they could sing together. After performing "One of the Girls," featuring BLACKPINK's Jennie, he asked, "Do you know how much I love you?"

The Weeknd performs during the South Korean stop of his "After Hours Til Dawn" world tour at Hyundai Card Super Concert 28 The Weeknd, held at the main stadium of Goyang Stadium in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province, on the 7th. Provided by Sebastien Nagy.

"Blinding Lights" brought the biggest sing-along of the night during the latter part of the show. When The Weeknd sang the familiar melody at length without instrumental accompaniment, the audience began singing first. Soon, as the synthesizer rhythm kicked in, people in the seats stood up. Lights around the stadium and the audience's glowing wristbands lit up in time with the music, building the excitement.

Near the end of the concert, he performed songs from his early days, including "House of Balloons," followed by "Moth to a Flame," his collaboration with Swedish House Mafia. The Weeknd promised, "I will definitely come back to Korea."

The Weeknd began making a name for himself by releasing music online in 2010 and drew attention the following year with his mixtape "House of Balloons." Starting with early work that blended R&B with hip-hop and electronic music, he expanded his reach with popular hits such as "Can't Feel My Face," "Starboy" and "Blinding Lights." He has won four Grammy Awards.

The ongoing "After Hours Til Dawn" tour began in 2022 and has drawn more than 7.5 million people worldwide. In Korea, attendance has grown from 24,000 at a single dome show eight years ago to 108,000 across two shows this year. The Weeknd will perform a second show at the same venue on October 8.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.