The Weeknd Singapore concert review: After Hours Til Dawn is a spectacular return after 8 years

Eight years after his last show in Singapore, The Weeknd made a triumphant return on Friday (Oct 2) with powerhouse vocals, dazzling lasers and a larger-than-life production that proved just how far he has come as a performer.

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03 Oct 2026 07:39AM

In many ways, Friday's After Hours Til Dawn concert served as a reintroduction to The Weeknd for fans in Singapore. After all, it has been eight years since his last show here, and in that time, The Weeknd has released several songs that could now be considered among his career-best work.

As a performer, he has also improved by leaps and bounds – something that was undeniable to those at Friday’s (Oct 2) concert, as The Weeknd breezed through two hours without letting up.

By every metric, The Weeknd returned to Singapore as an S-tier music act, delivering a show that lived up to that status.

Japanese hip-hop duo Creepy Nuts made for a strong opening act, dishing out a spirited set that included Otonoke, their crowd-favourite track from the hit anime Dan Da Dan.

The energy carried seamlessly into the main show, with The Weeknd thrilling fans right off the bat with a mesmerising rendition of Baptized In Fear. His dulcet vocals provided a striking contrast to the song’s intense green laser display, setting the tone for the spectacle that followed.

For the next 120 minutes, The Weeknd showed why he’s considered one of the best artistes around, with his unrelenting vocals and showmanship.

Whether it was belting out songs like The Hills and Call Out My Name or getting up close with fans in the floor section for an impromptu sing-along, The Weeknd commanded the crowd with ease.

Even more commendable was the fact that he barely took a break during the two-hour set, quickly moving from one song to the next without compromising his vocal performance.

Beyond The Weeknd’s technical skills, the After Hours Til Dawn show itself is arguably one of the grandest concert productions I’ve seen.

The stage design made brilliant use of the National Stadium’s vast size, with multiple satellite stages, roving dancers and a giant statue at its centre. The sheer scale of the production ensured that the stage never felt empty, even when The Weeknd was performing in just one section.

And then there were the immaculate laser displays and flamethrowers, all perfectly synchronised with the music to elevate each song without ever becoming overwhelming – or, dare I say, “blinding”.

Equally iconic was The Weeknd’s mask, which shot laser beams across the stadium, creating a visual spectacle truly unique to the show.

Also deserving of praise were the crowds, who dispelled the notion that Singaporeans are boring concert-goers. Attendees in the seated section near me instinctively got to their feet and danced along to certified bangers such as Blinding Lights and Starboy.

Sure, the phones were still out, but the atmosphere was noticeably livelier than at your typical concert in Singapore.

All in all, The Weeknd’s After Hours Til Dawn was a well-tuned production that served as a glowing testament to his growth as a performer.