The Weeknd or his real name Abel, the most streamed singer in the world, has just unveiled the impressive scenography of his world tour. Illusory, dystopian, futuristic or apocalyptic world? Everyone can find a different interpretation. In addition to his immense talent, The Weeknd will dazzle fans around the world with an on-fire scene.
After a postponement and cancellation, the world tour of The Weeknd, dubbed After Hours til Dawn Tour, will take place. French fans of the artist should be delighted, since it is not only one or two dates but five that he offers to the hexagon. After Nice and just before Bordeaux, it is in the City of Light that he will shine his talent in front of thousands of fans, who hurried to buy their tickets last December.
For the occasion, the Canadian singer The Weeknd, whose real name is Abel Tesfaye, recently featured in Sam Levinson’s new series, The Idol, has created a spectacular and cosmic scenography filled with homage and inspiration.
This extraordinary scenography, The Weeknd, although he has many talents, did not imagine it alone. Indeed, with the help of the design agency Tait Tower, they have devised a scenographic configuration, a staging and an automation, worthy of a Hollywood studio. This is the same company that worked on its performance during the Super Bowl in 2021.
This grand setting includes 17 large buildings, hand-painted and custom-made for the main stage, with lighting, lasers and other lighting fixtures.
The first inspiration of this scenography is the dystopia, between purgatory and sin, which is also found in the last two albums of the singer: Dawn FM and The Highlights.
According to this theme, the buildings were imagined, semi destroyed with orange red hues, at the base of each of them. To continue with the apocalyptic theme, a huge screen was added behind, then a kind of giant moon, in the same colors, fixed to the ceiling.
For the practical aspect, as decoration elements of a world tour, each building has been designed so that it can be divided into pieces, easy to assemble, disassemble and transport.
“The internal and external team worked together, diligently and transparently, to ensure that attention to detail was given to every part of the production’s aesthetic, technical, logistical and operational needs. It was a truly remarkable, collaborative and open process that was essential to help create such a large production in a short period of time. We are grateful for the opportunity to be part of the team and are extremely proud of what we have been able to accomplish as an organization,” added Alex Serrano, Tait Project Manager.
From futuristic to dystopian
This apocalyptic set design is not the singer’s first. Indeed, his world tour began on the American continent, before continuing in Europe, in London more precisely.
The second stage of her staging, after a giant brilliant moon, was a giant robot woman, imagined by the Japanese mangaka Hari Sorayama, known for her hyperrealistic and futuristic pin-ups. This imposing silhouette, made of silver metal, was placed in the centre of the stage. Almost enough to steal the spotlight from the Canadian artist.
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“We are building a chrome metropolis for this stage,” wrote The Weeknd on Instagram.
Finally, the singer of the hits I feel it coming, Sacrifice or Blinding Lights has chosen to appear masked, like the rapper MF Doom, who died in 2020. The latter borrowed his stage name from a super villain of American comics created at Marvel in 1962 by Jack Kirby to face the Fantastic Four: Doctor Doom. A mask design by the director Ridley Scott for his film Gladiator, actor Russell Crowe wearing it in the famous scene of the games within the Circus Maximus.
19 dates, a world tour and several scenographic elements, more than a tour ca becomes a film in itself. The fans (and we) are eager to discover what the next sets will be across Europe and Latin America. One thing is sure, we won’t be blinding by the lights, as in his famous title, but by his talent and everything around him!!
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Featured photo : © Press
