House of Music

The Weeknd’s ‘After Hours Until Dawn’ Tour Lights Up the Bay Area

The Weeknd Levi’s Stadium Santa Clara, CA July 8th, 2025 Photos and Review by Alexander Andrade I had the chance to see The Weeknd , Abel Tesfaye, live at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on July 8, 2025 and honestly, I’m still trying to process how incredible the entire night was. This tour, After Hours…

Alexander Andrade

July 9, 2025

3–5 minutes

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The Weeknd

Levi’s Stadium

Santa Clara, CA

July 8th, 2025

Photos and Review by Alexander Andrade

I had the chance to see The Weeknd , Abel Tesfaye, live at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara on July 8, 2025 and honestly, I’m still trying to process how incredible the entire night was.

This tour, After Hours Until Dawn, shares the same name as his 2022 stadium run, which surprised me at first. The stage design was also somewhat similar—long, futuristic catwalk, masked dancers in flowing red gowns, and The Weeknd himself starting the show in his iconic mask. But even with some recycled elements, the energy and scale felt entirely new. In fact, it was so highly anticipated that they had to add a second night in Santa Clara, and he officially became the highest-grossing solo male artist to ever perform at Levi’s Stadium. Amazing.

Before even stepping into the stadium, I noticed fans dressed up in outfits representing different eras of his career from Trilogy and Kiss Land to After Hours. It really set the tone for a night that felt like both a celebration and maybe even a farewell.

The night started off with Mike Dean, The Weeknd’s longtime producer and collaborator. Watching him surrounded by all those synthesizers and instruments , he created this moody, atmospheric vibe that set the perfect tone as everyone was finding their seats and the stadium slowly filled up.

After Dean, Playboi Carti took the stage and immediately cranked up the energy. His set was short but definitely memorable. Playboi Carti’s energy really got the crowd going, especially with song “Fein”, as he bounced around stage with his hype man.

The Weeknd’s set started at exactly 8:45 PM with “The Abyss” as dancers made their slow, cinematic climb up the stage. Then out walked Abel, wearing a sparkling robe that fans would recognize from his Hurry Up Tomorrow film and music video. It felt like a scene straight out of a movie. From there, he rolled right into “Wake Me Up” and “After Hours,” and the crowd was fully locked in.

One of my favorite moments came when he paused after a song, slowly took off his mask, and flashed this huge smile at the audience. The crowd exploded. He laughed and said, “That’s a warm welcome—thank you!” Then he teased us by saying, “Vegas was loud, LA was loud, and Denver was loud… I’m trying to see what the Bay Area sounds like.” We made sure he heard us.

He kept the momentum going with “Take My Breath” from Dawn FM. The setlist was similar to his 2022 tour but with some great updates—he added new songs from Hurry Up Tomorrow, and after some early fan feedback, he even brought back older tracks from House of Balloons and Kiss Land. I loved that he listened to the fans and gave longtime supporters what they wanted.

A surprise highlight of the night: Playboi Carti joined him on stage mid-show and performed “Timeless” and “Rather Lie,” and the energy in the stadium went through the roof. But for me, the most unforgettable part came during “Out of Time.” Abel walked to the end of the stage and brought up three fans to help him sing. He cheered them on, laughed with them, and it honestly felt like this really intimate moment in the middle of a massive stadium show.

He closed the night with “Moth to a Flame,” timed perfectly with fireworks erupting behind the stadium and sparklers shooting up from the stage. As the song ended, he looked out into the crowd and said, “Thank you again, Bay Area! And I go by the name… The Weeknd!” Then he blew a kiss, bowed, and walked off.

There’s been a lot of speculation that this might be the last time we see him perform as “The Weeknd.” He’s mentioned in interviews that he’s poured everything into his music and might retire the name to move forward as Abel Tesfaye. If that’s true… I’m just really grateful I got to be part of this night. The visuals, the vocals, the setlist—it was all unforgettable.

If this really is the end of an era, what a way to go out.