The Weeknd has announced a second show at Auckland's Eden Park. Photo / Getty Images

'Phenomenal demand': The Weeknd announces second show in NZ

Author: NZ Herald,
Publish Date: Mon, 28 Aug 2023, 12:55pm

We can’t feel our faces because The Weeknd has just announced a second New Zealand show.

Due to “phenomenal demand” for tickets to his December 7 show at Auckland’s Eden Park, the award-winning star - real name Abel Tesfaye – has announced yet another show in the New Zealand leg of his After Hours Til Dawn world tour.

In a statement released at midday today, it was revealed a second show will take place on Friday, December 8, and will feature special performances from Mike Dean and Chxrry22.

“Demand for The Weeknd’s December 7 show in New Zealand was unprecedented and one of the busiest presales in Ticketmaster New Zealand’s history,” the statement read before adding that pre-sale and general public tickets for both shows will occur on August 31 and September 1 as scheduled.

The shows will follow on from concerts in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. It’s anticipated the singer will sell out all four Australasian shows after the massive success of the tour so far, which has seen record-breaking ticket sales in stadiums across Europe.

The Weeknd has sold out shows across Europe in his successful After Hours Til Dawn world tour.

The Diamond certified and award-winning artist first shot to fame in 2013 with the release of his album Kiss Land. Debuting at number two on the Billboard top 200, he further solidified himself in the music space by collaborating on multiple film soundtracks including Earned It from Fifty Shades of Grey.

After winning a Grammy for Best R&B Performance with the popular film’s single, he didn’t release another album until Beauty Behind the Madness in 2015. Reaching number one on the US charts, the star won over fans with his career defining hits including Can’t Feel My Face and The Hills.

The album was a huge success both commercially and critically as it went on to win the Grammy Award for Best Urban Contemporary Album, as well as a nomination for Album of the Year. But the singer-songwriter didn’t stop there. Going from strength to strength he quickly released the album Starboy in 2016, which saw similar success to his prior album.

The Weeknd has since become one of the world’s best-selling musicians, with over 75 million records sold.