The Weeknd breaks record for number of Sydney name drops at After Hours Til Dawn show

The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn tour has been a long time coming and fans were not disappointed – especially when the Canadian superstar proceeded to break a quirky record at the gig.

Pop superstar and culture guru The Weeknd broke a record at Sydney Olympic Park on Tuesday with his long-awaited After Hours Til Dawn show.

It wasn’t for the biggest crowd or box office or any of those music industry metrics – even though his numbers were impressive at more than 60,000 fans and $6 million gross for ticket sales.

The Weeknd plays at Sydney Olympic Park. Picture: Gregg Porteous

The show has been a long time coming. Picture: Gregg Porteous.

The Weeknd, the soon-to-be-retired artist name of Canadian pop genius Abel Tesfaye, should be given a plaque by the city’s leaders for the most mentions of Sydney during a pop concert.

His Sydney name check count eclipsed more than 20 mentions less than halfway into the gig and tour insiders reliably informed this reviewer that Melbourne did not get as many shout outs.

“It’s been too long Sydney, it’s been way too f***ing long,” he said early in the gig.

The brilliant architect of post millennial pop not only came ready with his A game for performance, but delivered one of those rare gigs at Accor Stadium which shrunk a cavernous space into a personal musical conversation.

The Weeknd sure loves Syndey, Picture: Gregg Porteous

You could feel the frisson of excitement and see the instant joy of recognition as fans spotted themselves in focus, singing along on the big screens.

They were as much a part of this big gig as the face-flushing pyros and mobile phone flashlights.

From the trainspotters on the train to the gig with their handmade texta tattoos of XO referencing his record label brand, to the glittering teens wearing the tiny silver sequin mini skirts which are the pop uniform du jour, the vibe was fabulous fun.

Australia had waited a long time to see The Weeknd through postponements, cancellations and a three record cycle to get this gig and they – and Abel – were not at Accor Stadium to waste time.

The Canadian popstar didn’t disappoint. Picture: Gregg Porteous.

His runway – or “thrust” as they say in showbiz – was longer and higher than the other pop extravaganzas we’ve enjoyed this year at stadiums including Taylor Swift’s Eras show.

His voice was more pure and powerful than most of his pop peers, a dexterous instrument which rivals that of the King of Pop Michael Jackson.

The Weeknd is the ultimate hype man yet through his canon of billions of streaming smash hits, he made each song and its moment feel a valued part of the extravaganza rather than a ubiquitous setlist inclusion.

We got all of the hits, from Can’t Feel My Face to Blinding Lights, to the new stuff from upcoming album Hurry Up Tomorrow, which he has been working on finishing in a Woolloomooloo studio in between his Melbourne and Sydney legs of the tour.

The release date for his new record, the final instalment of his triptych of records before he reportedly rests his artist name, is yet to be confirmed.

Fans were dleighted to hear all the greatest hits. Picture: Gregg Porteous.

But this was no going through the motions gig for a pop show, or new album infomercial, which must adhere to certain structures because of the technical demand of lighting and staging architecture.

The Weeknd was clearly present, beaming a megawatt smile as his fans locked into singing each song and responded to his ringleader cues.

It was just such great entertainment, the dark moodiness of his more recent repertoire translated to a joyous R & B vibe with its stabbing synths and thumping bass.

Among the crowd loving the face-melting vibes were tennis star Nick Kyrgios and his partner Costeen Hatzi and makeup artist Mia Hawkswell.

The Weeknd performs his final Australian gig for this tour at Accor Stadium on Wednesday.

Originally published as The Weeknd breaks record for number of Sydney name drops at After Hours Til Dawn show