Abel Tesfaye, better known as The Weeknd (or maybe as "Tedros Tedros" from his rat-tailed character on HBO's The Idol), is breaking massive records. The crooning R&B artist destroyed a previous tour revenue record held by the one and only Michael Jackson. The Weeknd's "After Hours Til Dawn" Tour is now the highest-grossing tour ever by a Black artist. The current tour has raked in over $350 in ticket sales alone. Add in merch and concessions, and this tour is going to be one of the most financially successful music events of all time.
Michael Jackson held the record since 1987 when he went on his "Bad" Tour. Adjusting for inflation, MJ grossed $311 million during that time and ended up number two on the list of richest tours of the 1980s. Pink Floyd's "A Momentary Lapse in Reason" Tour took the top spot. Flashforward to now, The Weeknd was aware of the impending record and quickly nabbed the highest-grossing tour of the 2020s decade. When he cruised right past the King of Pop, he made sure to give the late great musical genius his flowers.
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"[My] king. [Then], now and forever. [Rest] easy," is what the caption says on The Weeknd's Tweet. A video from a fan's perspective captured him on stage, singing his rendition of the Michael Jackson hit, "Dirty Diana." Renamed "D.D.," he sings it live as an homage to surpassing Michael's tour record. He is still on the road, going international this year. The "After Hours Til Dawn" Tour concluded its North American stint back in September 2022. The multi-country tour will end the international portion on October 25th of this year in Guadalajara, Mexico.
As for the record of highest-selling tour of all time, that accolade belongs to Sir Elton John. His "Farewell Yellow Brick Road" recently concluded and pulled in a whopping $910 million over 320 separate shows. It's tough to beat the most popular pop singer of all time. But beating out Michael Jackson is still an impressive feat for The Weeknd. He'll look to continue his rampant cultural influence with the tour and the TV screen.
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